Legalise Do you think the UK will legalise the herb?

[Arnold Layne]

@@Arnold Layne I completely agree with your point in principal, I just can't see it happening that way. The government loves to be in control of every part of our life.

That's true. But it doesn't mean we have to lie down and take it from them!

Which is why I say, Screw Legalisation.

Decriminalise, then just ditch the laws banning its use.

[godofgreen]

Heard Scotland could introduce the legalization after a YES vote. The tourism would spiral 10 fold. We need a new armoury against the dreaded midges. Get them stoned!!! Now there's a campaign!!!

[forest dog]

I feel it's about time we joined a more civilized and relax UK hell even Uruguay legalised it!

~Aphala

You don't know much about Uruguay do you mate.

I am not surprised at all that they were the first country to legalize cannabis.

Uruguay has a history of being the most liberal country in South America and is very progressive on human rights possibly due to their period of military dictatorship.

Their president 'Pepe' is a former left wing guerrilla who was shot, arrested and served 14 years in prison.

He is also a model of what a president should be in my opinion, for example he gives 90% of his salary to charity and lives a very humble life on a small farm.

I find the US situation far more surprising than the Uruguay one.

[Hughie Green]

Heard Scotland could introduce the legalization after a YES vote. The tourism would spiral 10 fold. We need a new armoury against the dreaded midges. Get them stoned!!! Now there's a campaign!!!

Well you heard wrong, legalisation in Scotland is as highly unlikely as it is in the rest of the country, in fact it is more unlikely than the rest of the country due to the parochial attitudes of many in government here, decriminalisation is the only workable solution and that I'm afraid is equally unlikely to happen,

I wish all those that seek or like the idea of legalisation would actually do some research into what "legalisation" would involve and what the UK would have to do in relation to the conditions of the single convention to get it, the single convention explicitly forbids it's signatories

from legalising any drug whereas it is absolutely toothless in regard to decriminalisation which is why the majority of countries that have introduced change have all used decriminalisation, legalisation is costly and would need agreement from a number of other countries

and involves changing the law, decriminalisation is the removal of criminal penalties for possession and involves nothing more than an instruction from the Home Office to police to not enforce the misuse of drugs act with regard to cannabis,

but hey it suits the powers that be that so many are demanding something which will never happen while ignoring the possible that has

a number of international precedents that shows it is possible.

[wildbill]

No.

[Michael Luchóg]

Legalise/decriminalise who gives a toss the only person that'll stop me growing is the misses one of the few opinions I respect and it's her cupboard I grow in.

Think outside your home though ! I suppose people don't differentiate between decriminalising and legalising . Like Hughie says ,one move is costly and the other is easy but still a while away from decriminalising . Perhaps not too far away hopefully ,seeing as other countries are becoming more lenient ,then it's hard for countries that haven't yet altered their drug policies to backpedal ,and become more stringent . If anything is to be done ,I would guess the UK government would borrow ideas from other countries and go with a more liberal approach to drug ''offences'' . It's getting long in the tooth ,and drug policies need updating .It seems they ,the media and government are draggig their heels . Looking at the stories in the news ,first woman to die from cannabis ,and the usual heat lamps ,hydroponic lighting ,and waffle they use seems to step up a gear every so often . They can only throw so much shit ,some of it sticks of course .

[Arnold Layne]

Well you heard wrong, legalisation in Scotland is as highly unlikely as it is in the rest of the country, in fact it is more unlikely than the rest of the country due to the parochial attitudes of many in government here, decriminalisation is the only workable solution and that I'm afraid is equally unlikely to happen,

I wish all those that seek or like the idea of legalisation would actually do some research into what "legalisation" would involve and what the UK would have to do in relation to the conditions of the single convention to get it, the single convention explicitly forbids it's signatories

from legalising any drug whereas it is absolutely toothless in regard to decriminalisation which is why the majority of countries that have introduced change have all used decriminalisation, legalisation is costly and would need agreement from a number of other countries

and involves changing the law, decriminalisation is the removal of criminal penalties for possession and involves nothing more than an instruction from the Home Office to police to not enforce the misuse of drugs act with regard to cannabis,

but hey it suits the powers that be that so many are demanding something which will never happen while ignoring the possible that has

a number of international precedents that shows it is possible.

Word!

[namkha]

re. Hughie's point:

Uruguay has a system being set up with state regulation, production under license etc. and is in full contravention of the conventions, but still going ahead anyway --- 'where there is a will there is a way' etc.

Bolivia likewise with coca production - it withdrew from the UN narcotics conventions then re-acceded

the issue isn't the UN per se, it's the will of the government - I don't think any British gov't would go down the road of those Latin American states, for a million reasons

that said, in 2016 the UN will have a massive review of drugs laws ---

and by then we'll have had two more years of US states going over to legalisation - likely California, Alaska, Oregon, and several of the eastern states by then I would guess - Maine maybe, Pennsylvania etc.

on a practical point, I agree that in the UK campaigning for decriminalisation makes more sense as an attainable goal (I'd expect we will get it before this decade is out)

but on a moral question, the other question people need to ask is - are they ok with living with an illegal market and all that entails?

the thing that really bothers me personally is the abuse and slavery that goes on with the Asian gangs controlling a lot of the production of what gets smoked in the UK

there are many hundreds - perhaps into the thousands - of kids locked up on cannabis farms around the UK

until legalisation comes along, that is the reality we have to live with in the UK --- that cannabis prohibition has brought slavery - and sometimes murder - of innocent kids to these shores... kids who have been trafficked 6000 miles around the world, often raped, always living in fear for their lives, and the lives on their loved ones back home...

not nice...

for anyone interested in the history of how this all happened I blogged this a while back

Won't you please think of the Vietnamese slave children?

http://therealseedcompany.wordpress.com/2013/12/02/wont-you-please-think-of-the-vietnamese-slave-children-2/

Edited March 9, 2014 by namkha

[brer]

http://www.gwpharm.com/Home%20Office%20licenses%20research%20into%20medical%20uses%20of%20cannabis.aspx

The UK licensed 5000 plant perpetual.

[Guest luang]

^^

It's legal already in the UK if you meet the nhs criteria or have the cash to go private.

Edited March 9, 2014 by luang

[McHazy]

I couldn't give two flying fucks what they do I will just keep on doin what am doin

Hazy

[FrankieK420]

I think it will be Ian Driver is one of the first politicians to actively seek decriminalisation/legalization in the UK as long as more and more of this happens then I can see it being made legal/decriminal within the next 5-10 years. The thing that a lot of people don't know in this country is that it was legal for a hell of a lot longer than it has been illegal. In fact for about 90-100 years it was the basis of nearly every medicine.

But we all smoke dope anyway, don't we? I don't think many of us really care that it is illegal we have our own moral compasses the law is outdated.

Doesn't the law still stand that a hackney carriage must carry a bail of hay? I don't see the police pulling over black cabs and dishing out fines for those without the "necessary" hay on board.

Keep doing what your doing, stay safe.

Frankie.

[Hughie Green]

You might not be a criminal from it but you could be made one though a fine and none payment of also it won't stop them taking it and busting people still and handing out fines.

I see what your saying but then they could change whatever they want really. Like the banks, they could have let them go to the wall but other countries wouldn't have been pleased. They don't have to make all these cuts but claim they have to balance imaginary books to please others.

I don't care which one they do, but one would be nice. The the division I see and sometimes the anger between the people that want either makes me sad and think it will never happen until someone unites us all.

Not in the slightest bit angry about decriminalisation vs legalisation, frustrated perhaps that the majority of people wanting legalisation

don't know what they are talking about, the majority of countries that have done something about it have gone for decriminalisation rather than legalisation because it doesn't breach the single convention yet they still pump out the idea that legalisation is comparable to decriminalisation when one has an international treaty forbidding it while it says practically nothing about decriminalisation,

so lets demand the one that has not happened and has the most problems associated with it.?

Edited October 2, 2014 by Hughie Green

[dave cheese]

after today's lies in the news's......

not anytime soon.

[bigganjabud]

I dont really care either way i got a grow and thats the way its staying regardless of legalities or the amount the government wanna tax it

How about fuck them im doing me as they clearly dont care if we live or die not once in my lifetime has any mp knocked my door and asked if my cuppboards needed filling or was my central heating bill causing me to skrimp on something else

So i been growing for years for my own reasons with it being illegal im hardly about to change my mind if the legalise it

Do it or dont its not gonna botger me none