If you drink alcohol, yet you are against other drugs...

If alcohol was made illegal in the morning would certain people in this thread remain on their high horse and chose not to consume it because it was illegal? Or would they complain that their freedom to alter their consciousness (in a responsible manner of course) was being unjustly encroached upon by the government?

The drugs laws in the this country are a joke. It has made the situation worse. Serious reform is needed, but it doesn't seem like we are capable of mature debate on the topic.

Sindri wrote: »

if you look at Afghanistan and see how the use of heroin as risen substantially since the war began, along with the population of Kabul, things will not be good there for a very long time.

Wouldn't the rates of use in Afghanistan be related to poverty, war stress, lack of education and general hopelessness? I guess what I'm saying is that perhaps it's the circumstances leading to the opiate abuse and not vice versa?

Opiates are extremely dangerous and highly addictive and I think, practically, their legalisation would be the knell for the socially disadvantaged. Crime and poverty rates would soar I think.

The counter argument to this is that if opiates were legalised the price would come down drastically so addicts would be less likely to need money from crime to feed a habit.

Another counter argument is that if half the money spent on prohibition was spent on addiction services, regulation, and public information campaigns on the potential harm of drugs that the rates of users would be reduced over time.

If anyone has ever been addicted and has abused opiates in that they were not functional users of opiates you would understand.

Was on Codeine for 6 weeks with severe back pain and hated the side effects and weird buzz off it. I think it's an opiate?

I would only be in favour of legalisation of opiates on certain conditions, two important ones would be:

That we had a proper system for treating users - we don't.

That they could not be advertised.

I'd agree that the more potentially addictive the drug the more it should be hard to acquire but I'd still rather it was removed from the 'sphere of business' of street thugs and that addicts are treated as people in need of help rather than criminals.

paddyandy wrote: »

The Mentality is different .

Exactly. Alcohol users are far more irresponsible

foxyboxer wrote: »

Oh how I long for the day when I go to a dinner party and be asked.

"Will you have just a line or a speedball foxy?"

:rolleyes:

At dinner party, "Will you have just a line or a speedball foxy?"........ will be treated with the same upturned nose as "Will you have a tequila slammer or a flaming sambuca shot".
That is unless the parties you frequent consist of a supermacs shnackbox.

TheZohan wrote: »

Had a look at that graph about how addictive drugs are, to be honest I was very surprised at cannabis. I was a regular smoker a few years ago, when I decided to quit it was a pain in the ass and I only smoked one or two j's a night.

I quit caffeine about a month ago and had banging headache for two days after.
I similarly was without green for a while and had neither a pain in the head or ass.
Weird that.

mikom wrote: »

I quit caffeine about a month ago and had banging headache for two days after.
I similarly was without green for a while and had neither a pain in the head or ass.
Weird that.

Ah yeah, I'm like a bastard without my coffee. The only thing that would stop me drinking several cups each day would be a hangover. I'd take a j over a nights drinking anytime but unfortunately that's not the way society is set up over here.

Sindri wrote: »

Not really, alcohol can have medicinal benefits.

So does cannabis, morphine, LSD...

ntlbell wrote: »

well if I'm crying in pain of chronic disease x

alcohol in moderation won't be of any medical benefit.

but if in the situation cannabis or any HTC based product relives me said pain.

why would drinking in moderation here be of a a more medical benefit

Medical benefit is not down exclusively to pain.

That is just funny that you thought so.



FIND THE LINK READ THE THREAD.

ntlbell wrote: »

I never mentioned exclusivity.

so you can't make a general statement about alcohol being of a more medical benefit.

funny..right.

Yes you can as it actually has more medical benefits than marijuana, or morphine or LSD.
:pac:

GAWD, READ THE FUCKING LINK OR ARE YOU INCAPABLE OF NAVIGATING THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE INTERNET?

You'll never change some people's views on recreational drugs and I don't think any of them will ever be made legal.

We go out every weekend, get ridiculously drunk, pass out ,wake up and laugh it off saying it was a great night, this obviously can't be good for your health, but we see it as the norm.

If you were to call someone an alcoholic who is always up for a session or craving a pint, they jump down your throat. Then they think it's alright to label someone a stoner just because they enjoy a few joints at the weekend.