POTTY!

yh thats true, WHY isit that tobbaco and alchohol are legal even though they are just as dangerous but cannabis isnt, i mean a lot of people use cannabis in a house or while camping or at a social event whilst with alchohol its used everywhere and has a worse straight on effect to the nervous system and communication between the nerves and the brain, on the other hand cannabis only relaxes these signals making them a slight bit slower and stopping stress levels and lowering them whilst alchohol slows them down jurasticly so much at times people find it hard to balance or and move around

By Gettogansta. Posted October 27 2009 at 9:51 PM.

what government propaganda cannabis has been used for thousands of years as a medicine most of the trouble round our estate comes from it being illegal fights bake ins over plants
People want to eat smoke cannabis why cant we because a load of crooks down in London tell us we cant and they are busy robbing the country of all the fake money.
cant everyone see we are robots told what we can eat smoke ...

By Michael. Posted October 15 2009 at 9:58 PM.

I think if we could tax this substance as we do alcohol we could certainly make a dent in the national dept. why are ciggarettes legal and alcohol which both have killed a number of my relitives, and not this substance which to my knowlege has killed no one. I think we need to turn around and rethink some of these laws that were made for political and race reasons not health reasons.

By l johnson. Posted April 29 2009 at 7:56 PM.

After reading through this article, I feel that I really need more information on the topic. Could you share some more resources please?

By Ex Girlfiend. Posted April 9 2009 at 11:39 PM.

notable position. So hang on to!

By sokedibu pornom. Posted December 23 2008 at 4:46 AM.

well im 16 right, one day me and my friends were drinking in an alley near a music festival that was happening, the plan was get mashed and then go in because we couldnt get drink inside, and this guy comes out of a door in the alley, lights up a spliff and starts talkin to us, cant remember how it got out but we found out he was a police officer, and we didnt believe him, he said hold on ill prove it and walked round the corner so we legged it haa... dont know whether he was telling the truth because we didnt wanna stay to find out but he was possibly a police officer that smoked it casually

By J. Posted December 8 2008 at 12:04 PM.

Illuminati (Latin: Enlightened,Shadow) CHECK GOOGLE VIDEO ZEITGEIST Skull and Bones , Bohemian Grove , The Freemasons , The Bilderberg Group , The Trilateral Commission, The Council on Foreign Relations ...

By 666. Posted November 15 2008 at 1:44 PM.

My doctor the other day had to prescribe me a new medication for my muscle/nerve disorder, and he told me cannabis would be much more beneficial. However since it is illegal this expensive, less effective medication, which itself is highly regulated would have to do for now. How utterly disgusting! They should decriminalize it here in the US too. Yet as in all politics idiocy prevails!

By JT. Posted November 15 2008 at 2:10 AM.

Whats stopping people ordering seeds from overseas where it isnt banned and i dont think they realise that cuttings/clones are just as easy to get as seeds. Banning seeds will have no effect on the situation at all. Why dont they do something that really needs attention like drink driving and banning the 1 pint/drink limit in my opinion you should not be allowed to drink at all 1 always leads to another and 1 too many leads to fatalities.

By Arran. Posted November 13 2008 at 7:52 PM.

Let's get this straight - The only true reason that I, or anyone else I have ever spoken to about cannabis being illegal is the mere fact that the Government cannot make tax off the drug, due to it's easily availability.
Drinking - More harmfull than cannabis (approx 25000 people die each year in the UK alone from alcohol). Nobody has died directly due to cannabis use; EVER. And for those who say; it causes mental health problems, it actually has less affect as to killing brain cells than drinking does also. However the government realise that they make billions a year off tax from alcohol, but they cannot impose such tax on cannabis; YET! When they do, expect the experts opinions to change in the governments favour then.

Tobacco; The main reason why cannabis becomes addictive, is because people use tobacco in their 'spliffs'. Tobacco has been related to hundreds of different illnesses/diseases, although because the government can tax tobacco imports and sales easily in the UK, it remains legal, despite it hazardous effects on its users.
Is it right to illegalize something simply becasue the government cannot make money off it?We are Surrounded by money making schemes off our government from taxing, to more taxing! On everything from the home you live in , the car you drive, the clothes you wear, the tv you watch, the MONEY YOU EARN!!WE ARE NOT ROBOTS, TO OUR GOVERNMENT, WHO TELL US WHAT IS TO BE, WHAT'S NOT TO BE . . . DEPENDING ON HOW IT SUITS THEIR FAT POCKET!

By Jack. Posted November 9 2008 at 4:15 PM.

last time i checked skunk was just another form of cannabis seed, like your whites and purples and your lowryders,

Its a different genetic mix of cannabis plant but its still the same sort of plant engeneered to be stronger for people who prefer a stronger smoke.

If you smoke weed often then you will no that if it is to strong you smoke a little like alchohol, it would be like drinking a scotch instead of a beer

By fudge. Posted November 8 2008 at 10:49 PM.

If users of cannabis were allowed to grow there own plants, say one per house hold then there wont be problems of dealers and smugglers cos everyones smoking there own product, which they know is clean. This also would cut down the amount of time police have to spend tracking petty criminals who try and sell it to make quick cash.

By Max Power. Posted November 6 2008 at 5:06 PM.

There is no reason for seeds to be illegal, seeds do not contain THC, it's just the way it is, you may as well ban Lungs from humans as they could be used to smoke evil skunk weed.

Anyway even if there was a ban I'm sure you'd still be able to order them from elsewhere, they are remarkably easy to smuggle due to size and lack of smell.

By Mikey. Posted November 5 2008 at 9:01 PM.

i think this is the most stupidest thing our goverment has done yet if you ask me

By ashley contreras . Posted November 5 2008 at 6:04 PM.

i think this is the most stupidest thing our goverment has done yet if you ask me

By ashley contreras . Posted November 5 2008 at 6:02 PM.

looking at all the comments, really seems you misjudged public opinion on this one!

By bek. Posted November 4 2008 at 4:33 PM.

what you have to remember also is that many people all over the country smoke canabis..... people who you never even dreamed of!...bankers, police....managers..... everyone smokes !!

There was even a programme on the tv. It was a test this guy had to drive a car first without smoking any cannabis, hes was then tested around an assault course and marked accordingly. his test score was 7 out of 10. He then smoked 1 joint and proceeded to the course again! . his score came back 9 out of 10.

The examiner asked him what the difference is and why he managed to do better after smoking. the drivers reply was spliff made him RELAX and concentrate more on the road.

cannabis affects different people in different ways, it is true.... some people may encounter a mental illness from smoking but this is normally inflicted on themselves ie: *sit at home all day ....smoking one after the other ..........and again!. This is abusing!

In many reggae songs you hear similer lyrics to the ones below!

Example.........

Peter Tosh:

"Singer smoke it
And players of instruments too
Legalize it, yeah, yeah
That's the best thing you can do
Doctors smoke it
Nurses smoke it
Judges smoke it
Even the lawyers too "

"It's good for the flu
It's good for asthma
Good for tuberculosis
Even umara composis"

:-D

By rachael. Posted November 4 2008 at 11:00 AM.

By jutt. Posted November 2 2008 at 8:55 AM.


Difference between 'SKUNK' and 'Marajuna. Marajuna has many good factors to it, to assist medcially for health reasons, and that is pure Marajuna that has not been contaminated.

SKUNK is man made drug that has chemicals inside that does big time damge, causing MENTAL HEALTH probelms in the generation of our Young People. The stats for young people locked in young offenders institutes has soared for the amount of youngster with Mental Health problems which has been caused from that evil drug SKUNK. Pls note the difference between both drugs and do not get confused with them. SKUNK is the dangerous one, causes long terms danger to minds of people who are delicate and suseptible to MH issues.


absolute nonsense ^ please get a clue

By rich . Posted November 3 2008 at 7:27 PM.

"Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself;
Jimmy Carter
U.S. President
Message to congress
1977

"In strict medical terms marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. It is physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death. Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man."
Francis L. Young
Administrative Law Judge of the US drug police DEA,
September 6, 1988:

"By any of the major criteria of harm - mortality, morbidity, toxicity, addictiveness and relationship with crime - [cannabis] is less harmful than any of the other major illicit drugs, or than alcohol or tobacco."

Report of the British Police Foundation
March 2000
The great mass of people ... will more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a small one. What luck for
rulers that men do not think. – Adolf Hitler

No drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for the sources of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity,
ignorance, greed and love of power.
- PJ O'Rourke

By Hughie. Posted November 3 2008 at 6:10 PM.

"Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation and makes crimes out of things that are not crimes.” - Lincoln

By me. Posted November 3 2008 at 6:02 PM.

Of course, cannabis is the ultimate evil, and alcohol never causes injuries, health problems (mental or physical), or murders. Of course, the government propaganda machine is right, and the sensationalist media never, ever lies or exaggerates.

What a load of tosh. If democracy were allowed to take its course, or even if common sense and reason were allowed a say, cannabis would either be partially decriminalised or legalised entirely. Think about it: massive medical benefits, a new recreational drug that doesn't make people do ridiculously violent or embarassing things, and - to top it all off - it would solve (or at least greatly improve) the recession. Am I telling porkies? Well, I could be, but a little research will show that I'm not: the marijuana industry is so great that it couldn't fail to provide the government with a substantial source of revenue.

Oh, and did I mention that the amount of people doing "hard drugs" in Holland is minimal compared to the UK? Is this a coincidence? I seriously doubt it. This in addition to the fact that the use of cannabis in Holland doesn't seem to have lead to a rise in mental health cases, or in violent crime - quite the opposite.

But of course, our government and our crack-pot media are always right. Go back to bed United Kingdom, your government has it all under control.

By Sam. Posted November 3 2008 at 12:51 PM.

There are sure a lot of ignorant people out there.............marijuana has killed or damaged no one . Alcohol , prescription drugs and tobacco does .

By Jerry Droz. Posted November 2 2008 at 9:40 PM.

You should be able to grow cannabis in england ( only a few plants) for personal use.It would stop people getting ripped off. You wouldnt have to deal with the "black market". You would know that the final product wouldnt be contaminated (or sprayed with chemicals to make it weigh more), even if there was a small tax on it wouldnt it benefit the uk alot?

Cannabis is a lot less harmful then tobacco and alcohol. The uk should make alcohol illegal. It destroys people mentally and physically.whats the point of going out getting drunk,fighting then going to hospital for alcohol posioning? when you could sit, roll up a spliff, and relax!

how many people have died thanks to alcohol?
A HELL OF ALOT

how many people have died thanks to cannabis?
NONE!!

the UK should wake up and realize that cannabis isnt a "Killer Drug" and theres really no harm in using it.

"Stress is one of the biggest killers on the planet and the best medicine is Cannabis"


Genesis 3:18
"and thou shalt eat the herb of the field"

(even the bible is right)

By ian . Posted November 2 2008 at 9:20 PM.

canabis is a cure to some people and others are aditids so you should be able to buy it of the goverment if it is needed by the person who is ill or in pain!

By chris. Posted November 2 2008 at 9:13 PM.

Until cannabis is made legal, you are always going to have criminals profitting from it.
Users of the drug are always going to source it.
It must take up vast amounts of police and the courts time.
Legalise small amounts and put a small tax on it.
The sooner we wake up, the better.

By Dean Clark. Posted November 2 2008 at 8:02 PM.

OK Hands Up...

Those in favour of legalisation say Ai!

No Guns, No War.

By Welsh Stoner. Posted November 2 2008 at 7:35 PM.

If they just shot all cannabis users then bullet and gun sales would go up and ammunition and gun manufacturer's would have more business. Then they could start shooting everyone who eats banana's because they can't be trusted either. Here in Holland you can't tell a cannabis user from a "normal" person. Maybe we could make them all wear a bright yellow arm band or something?

By Bert (Holland). Posted November 2 2008 at 6:55 PM.

I challenge the News Of The World to investigate the effects legalizing cannabis would have on the UK
I'm sure you will see the positive effects far out weigh the negative.

By gary. Posted November 2 2008 at 6:35 PM.

Cannabis seeds hhave been legal for a long time.. I remember back in the late 80's/early 90's reading adverts in 'adult' comics like zit and viz that sold cannabis seeds as 'fishing bait' (because it is effectively hemp). So, you could go fishing with such exotic seeds as 'northern lights' and skunk (the fish might enjoy that lol)
The hydroponic equipment required to grow it is freely available because a lot of plants can be grown hydroponically (tomatoes are a good example), which is using water and nutrients instead of soil.

By D7. Posted November 2 2008 at 6:08 PM.

Cocaine is rife so to counter it's surge in popularity you would think the government would legalise cannabis. To do anything different is just plain stupid.

By Bubble, Wales.. Posted November 2 2008 at 5:48 PM.

how can something grown naturally be as dangerous as they try to say. legalise cannabis and force the chinese gangs to stop growing grit weed.

By smokey83. Posted November 2 2008 at 5:41 PM.

Why not ban it altogether?

By Didge. Posted November 2 2008 at 5:35 PM.

Judging by the comments on here, Tory MP, David Davies' call for the government to ban cannabis seeds will lose the Tories a lot of votes.

Most cannabis smoked in the UK comes from the criminal black market, who will grow cannabis, regardless of the legal status of the seeds. However, to ban cannabis seeds will mean the small time grower who has a couple of plants in his cupboard will instead of growing his own, will buy from the criminal black market.

Most cannabis users in the UK know it is nowhere near as dangerous as the media or our politicians make out and therefore will continue to use it regardless of its legal status, which of course will make the criminals happy. The last thing the criminals want is for the government to legalise and regulate cannabis as this would spoil the huge tax free profits they currently make from the trade.

By Chris. Posted November 2 2008 at 4:12 PM.

Alcohol is responsible for more deaths, injury's and mental illness than cannabis and all this hype about skunk is just news papers and politicians jumping on the bandwagon.
Stress leads to mental illness should make stress illegal?
Alcohol leads to mental illness should we ban it?
Loneliness leads to mental illness and so on and so on i could go on all day

Common sense never prevails

By Gary Gregson. Posted November 2 2008 at 3:46 PM.

Pot shouldn't be illegal it should be mandatory!

By Bill Hicks. Posted November 2 2008 at 3:02 PM.

when it comes 2 smoke people think of mental health problems but what they dont tell u is that its people with a certain gene that gets those problems. if u have a room full of drunks there is more chance of violence and bad atmospheres but if u have a room full of smokers everythings a bit slower nd chilled 4 ne1 smoking 2 care whats goin on nd they get on with their own thing.

By nicole. Posted November 2 2008 at 2:56 PM.

Governments could make millions of pounds a week ,if they ever decided to take the reins ,in the meantime people will still have to buy on the black market. Two things are infinate mans stupidity and the universe, and the latter is debateable.(Albert Einstein)mmm think i will skin up :0)

By vicars daughter. Posted November 2 2008 at 2:09 PM.

all this hype about "skunk" skunk is a name given to a variety of cannabis...its not a different drug....
although it has undesireable side effects in some people it helps many more...
cannabis has been known to help people with :
cancer
skin conditions
asthma
Neurological Disorders causing muscle spasticity and other abnormal skeletal muscle movements (Epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal cord injury, movement disorders such as dystonia, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease and Tourette's syndrome)
aids
epilepsy
chronic pain
Alzheimer's disease
Glaucoma, the second-leading cause of blindness in the world
Marijuana has been shown to substantially reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) when administered orally, intravenously, or by inhalation. Marijuana has prevented glaucoma sufferers from losing their eyesight
Rheumatic diseases such as osteoarthritis and ankylosing spondylitis
Hepatitis C
Fibromyalgia
depression and other mood disorders.
and the list goes on.......please.....stop and think before taking away someones medicine

By wm. Posted November 2 2008 at 1:42 PM.

Partly the reason for being able to sell cathe seeds is that, it at one time was not uncommon for the cannibis to be found in budgie seed.

By Graham Forsyth. Posted November 2 2008 at 1:09 PM.

If they do ban seeds we will have more of the imported 'Grit Weed' / 'Hard Ash' rubbish that greedy criminal gangs have been trying to sell to us since the big cannabis busts from 2006 in the UK. Grit Weed is still a small problem in the South East and is likely to get worse if this happens which will then cause all kinds of problems like silicosis that will cost the NHS far more then they like to believe....

It worries me because the younger user thinks that Grit Weed is what is normal so they are most vunerable to this as they smoke and sell it amongst themselves.

The more experienced user would pretty much know that there cannabis has been tampered with although it is getting harder to detect...

Theres more info on gritweed.co.uk

By Michelle. Posted November 2 2008 at 12:18 PM.

Liver damage and related alcohol diseases cost the country billions. The violence wrecks familys and takes many lives but the government makes billions in taxes.Cannabis or skunk takes no lives and makes the government nothing, If I was in charge I'd know which one I'd ban!... peace man.........

By arthur quarter. Posted November 2 2008 at 11:51 AM.

Closing this "loophole" would just put more power in to the hands of criminal gangs.

By Chris. Posted November 2 2008 at 11:40 AM.

Ignorant people with stone age thinking like Debra Bell and David Davies are a large part of the problem. They just do not seem to understand two very basic and fundamental points.People, mostly adults will never, ever stop smoking it no matter what category or classification you put the drug in.And If you ban cannabis, its supply or production any further than it is already at present, it will get more and more dangerous.Not only with the quality of the cannabis, but with the criminal gangs supplying it. Also there is not quality control or age control at point of supply, which there would be if it were legal. Cannabis even now it is illegal, is nowhere as dangerous as alcohol and you would be very hard pressed to find statistics to show that it has ever killed anybody. I think the reason that cannabis is still illegal is that if it does become legal, the big businesses, governments and individuals that control its supply would have to pay tax on their product, and nobody likes to pay if they do not have to! Sometimes I feel that certain people who say say certain things in the media about cannabis, are just "legitimate" mouthpieces for the people who make millions out of this business, and want to keep running stupid and unproven scare stories in order to keep cannabis illegal. Keep an open mind on the subject of cannabis, and do not always believe what you read or hear in the media about it, as most if it is simply not true.

By Santiago Roland. Posted November 2 2008 at 11:07 AM.

I have smoked and been around cannabis smokers for 15 years and i have never seen anyone get violent on it. I have been living & working in Holland for two years and go to coffeeshops every day. Never had or seen any trouble. on the other hand I have had many a good night out ruined by aggressive, drunken louts who cant hold their drink.

By Jack. Posted November 2 2008 at 11:00 AM.

In Spain it is legal to grow up to 5 plants as an adult on property you own. This seems an eminently sensible option. Every scientific paper including the prestigous Lancet report of last year put Cannabis as a far safer drug for adults than both Alcohol and tobacco. I'm not condoning any drug use but it seems to me if you are going to choose to intoxicate yourself cannabis is the safest. It would save us billions a year in law enforcement rip the back bone out of organised crime and make it less easier for our kids to get hold of if it was regulated and controlled for adults by the Government. I hear that the alcohol lobby is really opposed to such a move I wonder why? Is it the vast profits they enjoy by littering our streets with violence and our hospitals with alcohol related diesease that they want to protect.

By John Leeson. Posted November 2 2008 at 10:42 AM.

Its brilliant, lets also create loopholes to trade seeds for Opium and Cocaine too, lets have loopholes so that millions of ethnics can overwhelm this country via illegal and constructed immigration, lets have a police service and government that is so impotent it targets motorists for cash because it cant catch real criminals, or the severely antisocial, lets have a financial system where people can behave with criminal neglect to get their personal bonus, and when it all goes wrong lets have banks that nearly go bust and lets all pay extra taxes to stop a depression worse than the 1930's ... Britain 2008 ITS FANTASTIC YAY !!!!!!!!!! whoop whoop

By Arthur Pitkin. Posted November 2 2008 at 9:23 AM.

Ms Bell is correctly concerned about a small number of people who may have mental health issues worsened by use of cannabis - and she ought also to be concerned about the same problems cause by alcohol.

But those cases are no reason to ban alcohol - and just imagine the chaos if we did, with booze controlled only by gangsters. Such is the case with cannabis.

By far the majority of cannabis users say that they benefit from it, including some people who suffer terrible symptoms from problems like MS, epilepsy, arthritis -- and long list indeed including everyday stress and what that causes.

Those people are just trying to feel better and find pharmaceutical drugs do not work as well as cannabis, but our Government says cannabis is not a medicinal plant!

So those people either have to enter to world of criminal dealers or grow their own.

What can be the harm of allowing people to grow a few plants at home for their own use?

MS prefers the present system that is responsible for mots problems associated with cannabis - why is that?

She is not part of the solution, she is part of the problem.

By ABTHREE. Posted November 2 2008 at 9:05 AM.

As a fan of cannabis for 20 years i would like to say 'skunk' is great. If it is 5 times stonger than the imported cannabis resin that is cut with all sorts of stuff - just put less in your joint!

'skunk' - serious crime? What rubbish! Criminals in court are just giving a sob story about being victims of drugs. But they have been advised by their lawyer not to admit using crack or smack. So cannabis is blamed.

Mental illness? Prehaps they were mental anyway and smoking joints just speeded it up.

The government could probably get away with charging £80 per plant in licence fees. Just think of all the good that money could do. The only harm cannabis does to 99% of 'victims' is the criminal record they get for owning a small amount.

By jutt. Posted November 2 2008 at 8:55 AM.

Difference between 'SKUNK' and 'Marajuna. Marajuna has many good factors to it, to assist medcially for health reasons, and that is pure Marajuna that has not been contaminated.

SKUNK is man made drug that has chemicals inside that does big time damge, causing MENTAL HEALTH probelms in the generation of our Young People. The stats for young people locked in young offenders institutes has soared for the amount of youngster with Mental Health problems which has been caused from that evil drug SKUNK. Pls note the difference between both drugs and do not get confused with them. SKUNK is the dangerous one, causes long terms danger to minds of people who are delicate and suseptible to MH issues.

By Alex. Posted November 2 2008 at 8:53 AM.

Cannabis should be legalised and controlled or there should be zero tolerance - one or the other - the present situation is not well thought out.

There's sites on the internet like one called uk420.org that openly tell people how to grow the strongest kinds of cannabis - not all called skunk - and they seem to operate legally without problems, so why ban seeds.

Prohibition, as we know, does not work

By legalize. Posted November 2 2008 at 8:51 AM.

Without it my life would be hell I am in excruciating pain 24/7, sleep in 2-3 hour cycles because the pain wakes me up again repeatedly through the night. I use a cream made of cannabis and also smoke it for when the pain is really bad doing so allows my children to hug me goodnight without fear of making the pain worse it also allows me to be upright for 2-4 hours a day something I cannot achieve on prescribed medicines. I have been offered morphine by the Dr but then I will be an addict who costs the NHS precious money for the rest of my life because pathetic governments make it illegal for me to use a drug with less side effects, far more benefits and at zero cost to the NHS which is just crazy!

As a footnote since legalization of cannabis in the Netherlands drug use has dropped, they also have far fewer problems with hard drugs and it raises taxes for the government.

I had to post my comment in two parts as it was so long so sorry about the rant =]

By wendy. Posted November 2 2008 at 8:20 AM.

As a medicinal cannabis user it really, really irritates me to read comments like those of Debra Bell, yes cannabis can and does cause problems in a small minority of people. Alcohol on the other hand causes problems in a greater number of people, wastes precious resources from the NHS and the Police and yet is completely legal.

All the reefer madness propaganda in the media perpetuates the myths surrounding cannabis instead of allowing for reasoned debate in case readers/viewers get on their moral high horses and scream for boycotting of said media. Yet if these same people took just a few minutes out of their self righteous lives and googled cannabis and it's benefits would they be so quick those of us who use it? Recent studies show that the THC in cannabis can target cancer cells and destroy them, despite the media scaremongering of how cannabis can destroy your memory etc studies have shown that it is helpful in restoring memory capability to Alzheimer's patients, these two examples are the results of properly controlled medical studies which prove time and time again the benefits of cannabis.

By wendy. Posted November 2 2008 at 8:19 AM.

Legalise it now. This is just one more example of the nanny state telling us what to do.

By Andy Kent. Posted November 2 2008 at 8:17 AM.

The percentage of people that smoke skunk is minimal compaired to those who drink alcohol and smoke tobacco.
Focus should be on restricting alcohol and tobacco, they affect more people in this country than the few who smoke skunk.
Alcohol is a depressant, causes many health problems and many crimes have been committed by people under the influence, and smoking costs the NHS millions every year, most of all they both cost LIVES.
But why aren't these banned?.....oh sorry, i forgot, they make the government millions in tax when people keep buying them!!!

By Suzyq. Posted November 2 2008 at 8:16 AM.

A Crack Cocaine epidemic in the UK but they continue to go on about Cannabis.More people die from alcohol abuse than any other drug is this because your Government says this is ok.
Theyve sent our soldiers into Afghanistan for more Heroin
to poison our youth.They are being sent in to protect to opium crop, seriously read the propaganda.
They can wipe drugs like LSD of the map but not heroin or crack.The people can grow their own and the Government don't want that.
Over 300,000 gals of Methadone was given out to addicts last year and a total of 6 addicts got themselves off the Heroin.
Lets see more propaganda against the real bad drugs.
Unlikely though thats where they make their money.
A global drugs empire worth 500 billion, who is cashing in?

By Jane. Posted November 2 2008 at 8:04 AM.

I don,t smoke it at all yuk but if people are happy to do that just let them you have got to remember that skunk is stronger and i think that people who smoke it carnt seem to handle it and should just give it up they seem to smoke it and do stupid things but i think that people who just have a spilff our two a nite are not doing anything to hert people in there own home but there is kids so young drinking smoking carrying knifes doing stupid things and thats what this comes down to.

By cheryl damms. Posted November 2 2008 at 7:58 AM.

I do not smoke Cannabis, but at the end of the day, it does no more harm than Alcohol or Tobacco which both cost the NHS billions of pounds each year.

Just go to you local A&E on a Friday and Saturday night and see how much that is costing us "the Tax payer", then argue that these are extreme cases and the most people only drink a little, well the same applies to Cannabis use!

And as for the Mental health argument, dose this cost the British public than Smoking related diseases or damaged livers?

and so isn't it odd that one drug is demonized yer two more are publicly accepted and even provide a source of income for our government by being heavily taxed!

By Ross. Posted November 2 2008 at 7:35 AM.

I have never smoked cannabis or marijuana and have no plans to start now.

However the so called "war on drugs" has been about as effective as prohibition was in 1920s America. While there is a market, then people will attempt to fill it, normally criminal gangs. ironically the more successful the war on drugs, the higher the price goes, the more profitable it becomes to supply them.

My personal opinion is legalise lower category drugs but tax them in a similar way to alcohol and tobacco. Invest the money raised in the NHS.

For harder drugs like Heroin, again supply it but users must be aware that by taking them they opt out of NHS care.

By charlie croker. Posted November 2 2008 at 7:11 AM.

Yes pot isn't good for you and it can cause problems, that doesn't change the fact that it will always be used by us humans for as long as we inhabit this planet..

articles like this are going to be looked back on as hilarious idiotic propaganda, although the majority of people my age (19) agree the laws and media coverage of drugs is detrimental to the issue itself, either that or they just don't care and smoke regardless..

if banning seeds did cause a massive reduction in home growing in the UK and thus reduced usage, a large proportion would use harder drugs due to the trade in harder substances becoming more lucrative, even so, cannabis still gets smuggled in on an epic scale. I have noticed ketamine become more and more popular, a class C drug. THC will soon be class B due to the rise of the deadly skunk (eek!).. its madness

just wake up people, drugs are here to stay, that doesn't make them good or something to be treated lightly. weigh up the pros and cons of relaxing the laws on cannabis, do some proper research.. its unbelievingly clear why a sober approach to decriminalization would benefit users and non users

also, I assume banning growing equipment would be absurd? weed isn't the only thing one can grow..

By Terry. Posted November 2 2008 at 6:24 AM.

The fact is if this matter were put to the public vote, with all of the facts presented scientifically, the vast majority would support a limited decriminalisation including allowing people to grow and possess a small amount of cannabis for personal consumption.

Would the News of the World ask its readers for their opinions on such an initiative?

I'm absolutely sure it would sell truck-loads of newspapers.

By Ian Malley. Posted November 2 2008 at 4:46 AM.

Personally, I don't think the smoking of cannibis will ever be eradicated just as prostitution is regarded as the oldest profession and is even practised in countries where the penalty is death. On mainland Europe there are some regions where the police unoffically endorse home growing for personal use as this way money is not passing into the hands of criminal gangs who may use that money to finance more serious crimes.
I also agree with the previous comments that alcohol causes much more misery and at a greater cost to the tax payer in police and NHS resources ( Just venture out into any city centre on a weekend ).

By Dave (Germany). Posted November 2 2008 at 3:23 AM.

Can we, just for a moment, change the word 'skunk' to the word 'alcohol' in Debra Bells quote? Because of course, people high on alcohol have never committed terrible crimes have they?
Some people, not all people, will be damaged by smoking skunk as some people and not all people will be damaged by drinking alcohol!

“These companies are profiting out of people’s misery" - per-lease, because the breweries and tobacco companies dont make a profit huh?

We could leagalise it, it seems to work in Holland - but it would leave Ms Bell out of a job then! Oops! lol

By Helena Stone. Posted November 2 2008 at 2:03 AM.