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Contaminated cannabis
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So, your rationalisation is: "it can't hurt to have the whole country misinformed about a certain drug?"
The problem is not that it makes cannabis appear more dangerous than it is.
After all, we don't want to encourage people to use cannabis.
The fear, however, is that it will make killer drugs such as alcohol and tabacco appear less dangerous.
A huge amount of people will be left with the impression that cannabis can cause organ failure/put people in comas from this. This will happen because many arseholes who only half read/scaned this article in the redtops will be paraphrasing and bastardising the story when recounting it to their friends in the pub.
Who exactly is hurt by a warning you ask?
You don't issue warnings unless you're certain. You just don't.
As an ex-journalist I can tell you that within that industry it is a mortal sin to speculate as to the facts of a story. If people read something in a newspaper, it often gets passed on as fact.
Here's the thing: In this country we have a particularly warped perception of the harm associated with various drugs. The way the media reports on these drugs is key.
It is very important in my opinion that stories concerning drugs should be reported accurately, and without hysteria.
I would argue that the harm to society caused by drugs is magnified when there is a warped perception of the harms associated with certain drugs.
people look at the legal drugs versus the illegal drugs, and many automatically assume that the illegal drugs must be more harmful then the legal ones, hence the different categorisation.
In fact alcohol causes more than four times more deaths in ireland than all of the legal and illegal drugs combined. But because Ireland's media and cultural traditions have whitewashed the recorded stark figures and painted alcohol as "great fun for everyone", Irish citizens don't even see it as a drug anymore.
Alcohol is still treated as a drug in other countries, and their deaths from it are lower.
Stories such as this one serve to further warp the perception of harmfulness associated with cannabis, and will no doubt be misconstrued in a thousand different myths going forward.
In a paper I read before written by a scottish PHD student, newspaper reports relating to drug deaths over a 10 year period were examined.
in this period, almost every single death from ecstasy in scotland (approx 26 iirc) was published, while only one in approximately every 260 (iirc) deaths from paracetamol was published.
This gave the impression that ecstasy was a very dangerous drug. Even though the data suggests it is relatively safe, and much safer than paracetemol.
More importantly, however, this unbalanced reporting of drugs has created a dangerous lack of awareness regarding how dangerous paracetemol can be.
My point in all this is that although no-one will die as a direct result of the reporting in this case... it does feed into a very dangerous culture of misinformation regarding the harmfulness associated with various drugs.
This culture of mis-information contributes to addiction and ultimately death on a daily basis.
This has nothing to do with the dangers or lack of dangers associated with smoking cannabis in general. This is about a particular batch of cannabis that it was feared was contaminated with an additional substance which was toxic. If people want to use that as an excuse to avoid cannabis in general then that's their perogative. I'm sure there's plenty of people that still stay away from the Tesco beef too. There is no misinformation, it's a warning of a possible legitimate danger. If it had been a contaminated batch it may have saved lives. If there wasn't a contaminated batch then no harm is done. You're so intent on defending cannabis use you are completely blind the the possibility that there can be bad stuff out there, just like with alcohol, beef, baby milk and every other product.
As to your idea that the media see it as a mortal sin to specualte, I've never heard such absolute bull****. Have you ever read a paper?0 -
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Smirnoff vodka is quality controlled. A bottle can be traced to it's supplier and manufacturer...
So is beef and that turned out to be horse...
Where is the outrage and warnings about the dangers of aerosols? Surely it is vital to make people aware of real dangers instead of imaginary ones because they suit an agenda.0 -
Boombastic wrote: »So is beef and that turned out to be horse...
Right. And there was a recall and a warning on many products as a result, even products that had no evidence of contamination. Why? Just in case.Boombastic wrote: »Where is the outrage and warnings about the dangers of aerosols? Surely it is vital to make people aware of real dangers instead of imaginary ones because they suit an agenda.
They are written on them. But if you want more simply enter the term "solvent abuse" into either google or youtube. It's generally included in all drugs talks too.0 -
Right. And there was a recall and a warning on many products as a result, even products that had no evidence of contamination. Why? Just in case.
They are written on them. But if you want more simply enter the term "solvent abuse" into either google or youtube. It's generally included in all drugs talks too.
There was a recall months after the issue was identified. If cannabis was regulated it too would also be traceable, but a lot of people are against this and prefer instead to support the legislation which allows gangland criminals to profit and murder...why?
Still not enough awareness if there are people ending up in hospital, people in their twenties with children, who 'should' have this information. Why are we still selling them freely? There are other less dangerous alternatives0 -
This has nothing to do with the dangers or lack of dangers associated with smoking cannabis in general. This is about a particular batch of cannabis that it was feared was contaminated with an additional substance which was toxic. If people want to use that as an excuse to avoid cannabis in general then that's their perogative. I'm sure there's plenty of people that still stay away from the Tesco beef too. There is no misinformation, it's a warning of a possible legitimate danger. If it had been a contaminated batch it may have saved lives. If there wasn't a contaminated batch then no harm is done. You're so intent on defending cannabis use you are completely blind the the possibility that there can be bad stuff out there, just like with alcohol, beef, baby milk and every other product.
As to your idea that the media see it as a mortal sin to specualte, I've never heard such absolute bull****. Have you ever read a paper?
You say "There is no misinformation ... If it had been a contaminated batch it may have saved lives".
The operative word here is "if".
The cannabis (if there ever was any) may well have been adulterated. But this is something that has been going on for years, as you should know after reading this thread.
I'm not defending cannabis. That is a different debate.
What I am doing here is attacking ignorance surrounding cannabis. You are guilty of this.
Cannabis is adulterated in Ireland. Ive had to smoke it for years. I know exactly what Im talking about.
but the stuff it is adulterated with will not put you in hospital overnight. it will cause serious damage long-term... over and above the damage caused by smoking in the first place.
But nobody gives a ****. Nobody has ever given a **** about it.
They don't test seized cannabis in crime labs in order to find out what is being mixed into it.
The government/HSE doesnt give a ****. They have never treated this as a serious issue. That's why it annoys me when the first time this ever became a national issue is when there is a sensational story that is inaccurate.
It should be sparking a debate about the welfare of people affected by addiction, but instead it will turn into a "warning to those stupid enough to smoke cannabis".
There have been "bad batches" going around for years. Where were the public awareness campaigns?
What we have here is a kneejerk reaction from people who are ignorant to the relevant subject matter.
As for your comments about me ever having read a newspaper....
Any time I have ever written/edited a story about people that were killed or hospitalised, if I didn't know what the cause was, I didn't guess.... you don't speculate about things like that. This is the standard practice in the industry.
Newspapers need to be sure of their facts. I'm talking about respectable broadsheets here. They don't make stuff up generally.
If they have information that is in the public interest, but cannot 100% verify it from multiple sources, they will not present it as fact.0 -
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You say "There is no misinformation ... If it had been a contaminated batch it may have saved lives".
The operative word here is "if".
The cannabis (if there ever was any) may well have been adulterated. But this is something that has been going on for years, as you should know after reading this thread.
I'm not defending cannabis. That is a different debate.
What I am doing here is attacking ignorance surrounding cannabis. You are guilty of this.
You are the one that is mixing the two issues. And then you have the audacity to call me ignorant? You are using arguments from the legalisation debate to support your point here. The warning was not about cannabis in general. it was quite specific and limited it to cannabis sold in one of three counties.Cannabis is adulterated in Ireland. Ive had to smoke it for years. I know exactly what Im talking about.
but the stuff it is adulterated with will not put you in hospital overnight. it will cause serious damage long-term... over and above the damage caused by smoking in the first place.
But nobody gives a ****. Nobody has ever given a **** about it.
They don't test seized cannabis in crime labs in order to find out what is being mixed into it.
The government/HSE doesnt give a ****. They have never treated this as a serious issue. That's why it annoys me when the first time this ever became a national issue is when there is a sensational story that is inaccurate.
It should be sparking a debate about the welfare of people affected by addiction, but instead it will turn into a "warning to those stupid enough to smoke cannabis".
There have been "bad batches" going around for years. Where were the public awareness campaigns?
What we have here is a kneejerk reaction from people who are ignorant to the relevant subject matter.
You are talking about deliberately tampered with cannabis. It's very possible that it can be contaminated accidentally due to where it is stored. You are of the belief that they should have waited til two comatose women gave them full information on the drugs they took. While waiting for that many people could have used the same contaminated batch. It was the right call based on the information reported. They weren't doing it to sell papers or push an agenda. It was a health warning. plain and simple.As for your comments about me ever having read a newspaper....
Any time I have ever written/edited a story about people that were killed or hospitalised, if I didn't know what the cause was, I didn't guess.... you don't speculate about things like that. This is the standard practice in the industry.
Newspapers need to be sure of their facts. I'm talking about respectable broadsheets here. They don't make stuff up generally.
If they have information that is in the public interest, but cannot 100% verify it from multiple sources, they will not present it as fact.
There are no respectable broadsheets in Ireland.0 -
No. The point is if there is contaminated cannabis going around it is best to make cannabis smokers aware of this fact.
It has nothing to do with misinforming people of the dangerous of cannabis, and everything to do with informing them of potential contamination.
Are you opposed to informing people about contaminated water supplies lest they interpret it as water itself being dangerous?
The post I made above covers pretty much everything I want to say, but it's a long post so I'll recap:
I am not defending cannabis... that is for another debate.
I am attacking ignorance, as well as the promotion of ignorance.
I am the only person, as far as I know, who has been trying to raise awareness about this issue for the past number of years, so please don't come along years later (after seeing one article) and try to spread awareness about something you haven't a clue about.
I am on your side in a sense. We all want to see the harm caused to people reduced. But I am arguing that this story (and the hysteria surrounding it) will actually serve to worsen the situation.
But unfortunately, your analogy with the water thing is a bit childish, and demonstrates to me that the points I made went over your head.0 -
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Yes, it is, but I suspect while many people will support the notion of issuing public health warnings to prevent harm, most would not agree with actually doing anything to solve the problem.
Smoking anything (including cannabis) is bad for you. We all know that.
But shouldn't we (as a society) strive to reduce the harm for everyone, even if they take drugs?
My point is that issuing a public safety announcement is an empty gesture. It will not work. Addicts will take whatever they can get. If every single bit of cannabis in Ireland was contaminated, people would still smoke it. So a public warning is not going to work.
You believe that informing the public that cannabis may be contaminated is a good idea in order to protect potential users.
But this stance doesn't make sense unless we are going to actually going to try and solve the problem as well. This problem is caused by cannabis being illegal (black market).
For example, I think that even if legalising cannabis in order to eradicate the contamination is unrealistic, maybe showing some leniency towards individuals growing a couple of plants could be some sort of compromise.
I think we should be always trying to reduce the amount of harm caused by drugs in society, and if some of those solutions consist of measures that on the face of it seem like concessions to cannabis users, then so be it.
But what irritates me is when people agree in principle that we, as a society, should reduce the harm caused by drugs. But then refuse to entertain measures that would actually make a difference, purely because it involves relaxing a law relating to drugs.0 -
But unfortunately, your analogy with the water thing is a bit childish, and demonstrates to me that the points I made went over your head.
Then what is your point? You seem to be arguing against an entirely fictitious problem.- The Gardai suspect the was contaminated cannabis being sold in that region.
- They made a statement to that effect.
- It was reported on.
- Nobody was misinformed.
If this is your point then it's wrong.But this stance doesn't make sense unless we are going to actually going to try and solve the problem as well. This problem is caused by cannabis being illegal (black market).
It definitely makes sense to warn people of dangerous produce even if those produce are illegal.
It would be entirely irresponsible to do otherwise. And you don't need to legalise something to let people know it could kill them.0 -
Then what is your point? You seem to be arguing against an entirely fictitious problem.
- The Gardai suspect the was contaminated cannabis being sold in that region.
- They made a statement to that effect.
- It was reported on.
- Nobody was misinformed.
Well, if we follow on from your analogy...
Two people got sick and were put in intensive care after drinking water from a reservoir. The HSE suddenly issue a warning not to drink the water.
I have no problem so far, except it turns out that the water was never safe to drink because it had always been contaminated.
My problem is why did the HSE not listen to the fact that the water was unsafe to drink until (they believe) it put two people in intensive care?0 -
And you don't need to legalise something to let people know it could kill them.
Missing my point again. cannabis smokers know that a lot of it is contaminated already. Announcing it is more of an arse-covering exercise than anything for the HSE.
It's the absolute least they can do without having to question any of the crazy policies that prevail.0 -
cannabis smokers know that a lot of it is contaminated already. Announcing it is more of an arse-covering exercise than anything for the HSE.
What? This was a specific incident that could potentially have resulted in the death of smokers.
As health professionals they have an absolute responsibility to make the public aware of this regardless of the legality surrounding cannabis.
Jaysus, I swear you just have a chip on your shoulder.It's the absolute least they can do without having to question any of the crazy policies that prevail.
Cannabis isn't legal. That's not the Gardai's responsibility, nor the HSE's. Our safety however is.0 -
Jaysus, I swear you just have a chip on your shoulder.
Ad hominen.
Fact of the matter is, Police put 1 and 1 together and got 6. Everyone was misinformed. Hysteria successfully increased. A bad days work.
If anyone thinks that this was in the public interest I would politely suggest they think again.0 -
It's not an ad hominem.Ad hominen.
The police used what information was available to them to come to a likely cause and, recognising the potential for further injury, made the public aware as soon as possible.Fact of the matter is, Police put 1 and 1 together and got 6. Everyone was misinformed. Hysteria successfully increased. A bad days work.
Do you think the Irish legal system has some personal vendetta against weed?If anyone thinks that this was in the public interest I would politely suggest they think again.
We have a pretty lax court system when it comes to prosecuting growers who aren't otherwise criminals.
And the Gardai are more than happy to use their discretion as well, I've seen plenty of them turn a blind eye as long as nobody is causing trouble. And it's not just the odd Gardai who do it either, as anyone who has ever been to an LCI march will attest to.
The Gardai, and the Irish courts, are not the Ministry of Truth.0 -
Two women are said to be in a life-threatening condition in hospital after consuming cannabis which may have been contaminated or mixed with another substance.
Both are in their 20s and are in the intensive care unit of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Co Louth.
One of the women became ill on Monday night. It is understood that she has not regained consciousness since being admitted to hospital and is on a life support machine.
The second woman became seriously ill in the early hours of yesterday morning.
It is believed that the women had taken cannabis.
The side effects they've suffered are not usually associated with this drug.
Gardaí raided two houses in Co Louth, one of which is in Drogheda.
An amount of cannabis is being tested to establish if it was contaminated.
Garda Superintendent Gerry Smith of Drogheda Garda Station said: "We are concerned that other people who use cannabis may suffer the same effects." http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0530/453502-two-in-intensive-care-over-contaminated-cannabis/
As the story above goes ? Wondering how the cannabis could get contaminated ? unless it was home grown and sprayed with some sort of petacide ? First time I have heard of this sort of effect from smoking cannabis.Anyone have any idea,s what caused this ?
A bbc news story has said that the cannabis was not contaminated but it did not give further details.
Pure cannabis is generally not contaminated or is it spiked rarely.
Hash is completely different it can be made out of anything that looks like hash and it may contain cannabis but who knows.0 -
cherryghost wrote: »This wouldn't happen if cannabis was legal and controlled.
This wouldnt happen if people didnt smoke the stuff.0 -
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Well that ain't going to happen. Humans enjoy getting high.Big Bottom wrote: »This wouldnt happen if people didnt smoke the stuff.0 -
Hey, when the news broke about the two stoners in a coma....i was thinking, Get me some of that ****.
Or half expecting to hear they woke up with a major case of the munchies.....0 -
The responsible thing to do would have been to confirm what had hospitalised the two, and then put out a warning to other users that there could be something wrong with a certain supply.
This didn't happen.
What happened was someone guessed (and was way, WAY off) what happened, and the medja ran with it.
If there was something up with certain drugs, a media alert could/would be appreciated, and save lives. As it is, I'll stick to other, peer based review sites, that have no agenda other than users sharing and reporting good/bad/otherwise drugs.0
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