"I can't do this job without a little grass" - N Kennedy Esq.

[ahinton]

Some contributors might be quite surprised at how common indulging in "a little grass" is among musicians of all stylistic persuasions. Personally I'm in favour of it, compared to dangerous habit-forming substances like tobacco and alcohol. Of course that may just be the brain-rot talking.

!!!

I have scant patience with those who moralise about indulging in "a little grass" from time to time, whether or not or to what extent it might be addictive to some, but it is something I've never done simply because it just doesn't appeal to me and never has done, any more than has tobacco smoking, beer and certain some wines and spirits. Indulging in what I'd like to think is moderation in fine cognacs/armagnacs, malt whisky or Pineau des Charentes, or gin and tonic, or other wines that do appeal suits me just fine. And that's definitely what remains of my rotting brain talking!

[ahinton]

Incidentally, impartial, REALLY impartial info on all kinds of legal and illegal substances/drugs, is quite hard to come by.

Money talks, and it talks VERY loudly in the Pharmaceutical world.

As indeed it does in the worlds of tobacco and alcoholic drinks marketing...

[teamsaint]

As indeed it does in the worlds of tobacco and alcoholic drinks marketing...

yup.

And of course, I shouldn't really have said REALLY impartial. It either is or isn't.
I must be stoned !!

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

http://azarius.net/news/306/Carl_Sagans_essay_on_cannabis/

[Beef Oven!]

The Howard Kirk school of thought is cool and trendy, but a chat with one's local MHU CPN might shed a different light.

But, as has already been mentioned, it's early days for a proper understanding of the health impact of grass etc.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

the science of grass as a causative factor in early adult psychosis is a serious issue and deserves far better study than the propagandising by concerned quacks .... the propensity to self medicate may be one factor; psychosis is very often a dna inheritance - [not referenced in this literature] a propensity to take drugs or end up living simply where they are prevalent are 'family factors' so let us not just mount our moral high horses and charge eh .... on this logic we would ban cars, alcohol and tobacco, not to mention guns and going to work as a miner, sailor, etc

a small number of vulnerable people with serious mental health difficulties have been smoking pot for some time wow let us ban it then we can all feel good and not notice that the incidence of psychosis continues unabated but the research budgets and establishment budget for consultants had been protected ...

new 'home grown' practices have noticeably increased the strength of the psychoactive elements in grass in many European cities ... and this is certainly a nasty risk factor .... large or strong doses of anything are often harmful and more so with any regularly repeated intake .... indeed this was the standard research methodology in the fifties which could be summarised as eating a ton of mary j every day will kill you ... the propaganda about marijuana since the nineteen twenties in the USA and UK by the authorities has been shameful in the extreme .... the USA drug authorities are especially mendacious in their own budgetary cause ....

one might also expect that the pattern of use has changed .... all day intake by dysfunctional young men who are NEETS and living in poor areas are high risk .... but they are unlikely to be only using mary j eh? what else might be in the pipe? bottle? tablets? needle?

meanwhile the experience of millions, and the informed views of other scientists and medics are discounted completely .... wars are great for department budgets, right wing politicians and gung ho nationalism .... war on terror, war on drugs .... mostly just excuses for more staff, more power and more kit for the boys in charge .... this debate goes around and around, my first go was in the sixties ....

legalization of grass would bring many benefits [portion control, quality assurance etc] but the revenues from taxing it will probably succeed where rationality fails in influencing a change in the law ....

[Beef Oven!]

Howard Kirk, a comfortable armchair and good old 'two-wrongs make a right' and off we go into a SWSO sunset.

Banning cars? Inconvenient, but

Ban cigarettes

Bit too early to decide about grass.

Sadly, people with 'mental health difficulties' cannot be dismissed as 'a small number' anymore and they are by no means all 'vulnerable'.

Cool lifestyles for cool people can have grave consequences.





.

[BBMmk2]

Here's a question, I've seen before. but just wondered what you guys think?

What about if all drugs were legalised and a strict protocol of usage? Would'nt that be better and less expensive to run than how it is now?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

What about if all drugs were legalised and a strict protocol of usage? Would'nt that be better and less expensive to run than how it is now?

Yes, it would - the substances would be subject to strict quality control regulations (none of the "additives" of the illegal trade) and taxed to raise revenue. The expense of Policing the illegal trade would vanish, and wipe out the gangster trader in one fell swoop.

[Beef Oven!]

Yes, it would - the substances would be subject to strict quality control regulations (none of the "additives" of the illegal trade) and taxed to raise revenue. The expense of Policing the illegal trade would vanish, and wipe out the gangster trader in one fell swoop.

If all this goes through, could someone make sure lager and kebabs are banned?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

If all this goes through, could someone make sure lager and kebabs are banned?

Oh, as a matter of course!

[barwickgreen]

Any argument about marijuana must take note of the huge change in the drug itself. Those in influential positions who have taken a relaxed view of it don't really understand that the fairly gentle grass and hashish of their university years in the 70s has been replaced with a human-engineered substance called skunk, which has been associated with all manner of serious psychological problems. I would say the difference would be that of real ale to bathtub gin, or J Collis Brown's Mixture for colicky diahorrea to lysergic acid.

[barwickgreen]

I also note that Kennedy could be questioned about ballot fraud.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Any argument about marijuana must take note of the huge change in the drug itself. Those in influential positions who have taken a relaxed view of it don't really understand that the fairly gentle grass and hashish of their university years in the 70s has been replaced with a human-engineered substance called skunk, which has been associated with all manner of serious psychological problems.

Good point. Taking production out of the hands of the criminal dealers would ensure that the more dangerous drugs would be less likely to reach the public.

[Beef Oven!]

Any argument about marijuana must take note of the huge change in the drug itself. Those in influential positions who have taken a relaxed view of it don't really understand that the fairly gentle grass and hashish of their university years in the 70s has been replaced with a human-engineered substance called skunk, which has been associated with all manner of serious psychological problems. I would say the difference would be that of real ale to bathtub gin, or J Collis Brown's Mixture for colicky diahorrea to lysergic acid.

I think you've drawn our attention to one of the most important issues regarding this matter.

The gentle blow some of us might have indulged in at university in the 70s bears no relation to the skunk that is ruining the mental health of an alarmingly large number of, particularly young, people today.