Blind man asks to be charged with cannabis possession to challenge law

4zn76tysfajdxp · 24-01-2014 04:39PM

Seedy Arling wrote: »

What pain is this man in and why does he need marijuana to help him?

Can't feel the vibes. He can't appreciate The Grateful Dead the same way anymore. Tragic, really.

mikom · 24-01-2014 04:40PM

Seedy Arling wrote: »

Lay off the weed man. You're not your usual comedic self. 4/10.

4/20

scoobydoobie · 24-01-2014 04:43PM

Not to mention the fact it was demonised for the sake of big bully companies in the u.s, that and the corrupt officials who made it possible by spreading lies, they made a good job of it too, like they have with plenty of things.

weisses · 24-01-2014 04:44PM

humanji wrote: »

You're 100% right. We should keep cannabis illegal and make all those things illegal too.

FFs no more binge eating after smoking a joint ?

cruel man ....cruel

Seedy Arling · 24-01-2014 04:45PM

Boston Rancid Hill wrote: »

Can't feel the vibes. He can't appreciate The Grateful Dead the same way anymore. Tragic, really.

These threads always seem to draw out people with persecution complexes.

Very odd. Maybe 'da reefer' isnt all it's cracked up to be?

frag420 · 24-01-2014 04:45PM

mikom wrote: »

4/20

HAlf hour to go.........

mikom · 24-01-2014 04:47PM

Seedy Arling wrote: »

These threads always seem to draw out people with persecution complexes.

And the trolls....... don't forget the trolls.

ScumLord · 24-01-2014 06:00PM

scoobydoobie wrote: »

Not to mention the fact it was demonised for the sake of big bully companies in the u.s,

Don't forget racism against Mexicans and African Americans. They're all on the drugs don't you know.

Crea · 24-01-2014 06:30PM

Seedy Arling wrote: »

What pain is this man in and why does he need marijuana to help him?

Valid question - surgery can be done to relieve the pressure caused by glaucoma so not sure what pain he's in tbh.

msg11 · 24-01-2014 06:31PM

Can someone tell me why it is illegal in the first place. Leaving aside the gangland/underworld crime associated with it. Not been funny here but anyone I know that smokes it seems to be fairly paranoid about the world and people. One lad I know used to be a social pillar, guy hardly leaves the house anymore just sits in smoking weed most of the time.

What implications might legalizing it have, will people in prison at the moment for sale or supply of cannabis be let out.

In all fairness some of the people that smoke it that are manly exposed to the public are generally engaging in some other illegal activity. As in I was walking by a car full of young lads and the bang of weed out of the car no doubt in my mind he was about to drive off in that car stoned. I'm all for weed been decriminalized but with that type of crack going on, you can see why it is not as people see it as a bad drug associated with gangs of youths.

Seems to me it's been made out as some sort of miracle plant.

mikom · 24-01-2014 06:39PM

msg11 wrote: »

Can someone tell me why it is illegal in the first place. Leaving aside the gangland/underworld crime associated with it. Not been funny here but anyone I know that smokes it seems to be fairly paranoid about the world and people. One lad I know used to be a social pillar, guy hardly leaves the house anymore just sits in smoking weed most of the time.

What implications might legalizing it have, will people in prison at the moment for sale or supply of cannabis be let out.

In all fairness some of the people that smoke it that are manly exposed to the public are generally engaging in some other illegal activity. As in I was walking by a car full of young lads and the bang of weed out of the car no doubt in my mind he was about to drive off in that car stoned. I'm all for weed been decriminalized but with that type of crack going on, you can see why it is not as people see it as a bad drug associated with gangs of youths.

Seems to me it's been made out as some sort of miracle plant.

Now to show the flaws in your argument lets sub cannabis with alcohol which was prohibited once as well.......

Can someone tell me why it is illegal in the first place. Leaving aside the gangland/underworld crime associated with it. Not been funny here but anyone I know that drinks it seems to be fairly agressive about the world and people. One lad I know used to be a social pillar, guy hardly leaves the house anymore just sits in drinking cans most of the time.

What implications might legalizing it have, will people in prison at the moment for sale or supply of hooch be let out.

In all fairness some of the people that drink it that are manly exposed to the public are generally engaging in some other illegal activity. As in I was walking by a car full of young lads and the bang of alcohol out of the car no doubt in my mind he was about to drive off in that car drunk. I'm all for alcohol been decriminalized but with that type of crack going on, you can see why it is not as people see it as a bad drug associated with gangs of youths.

Seems to me it's been made out as some sort of miracle drink.

Yet you and I, msg11, can have a quiet drink at home, or in a pub, without being a problem to society and being criminalised for it.
.
.

ScumLord · 24-01-2014 06:45PM

msg11 wrote: »

Can someone tell me why it is illegal in the first place.

In the US it was the cotton industry that pushed through the criminalisation of cannabis to eliminate hemp as a competitor. Of course hemp is a completely different plant but it also helped that Mexicans smoked it and Americans of the time were notorious racists.

In the middle east religion can be blamed, Egyptians wanted it banned.

there were no medical reasons for the ban other than undesirables also used the drug.

Not been funny here but anyone I know that smokes it seems to be fairly paranoid about the world and people.

You probably know more people that smoke it and don't tell you than you realise. It's only the people that don't care about their position in society that don't try to hide it from other people.

What implications might legalizing it have, will people in prison at the moment for sale or supply of cannabis be let out.

There aren't really a lot of people in jail for sale and supply of small to medium amounts. Generally the people involved at the top of the drug trade commit a lot more serious crimes to protect their trade and even if drugs were legalised tomorrow we couldn't overlook the other crimes committed by gangs.

Seems to me it's been made out as some sort of miracle plant.

In many ways it is, as a medicine it has a ridiculous amount of ailments it can treat. As a fiber it can be made into clothes, building supplies and in general is a natural replacement for many oil based products.

The criminalisation of hemp is just moronic.

msg11 · 24-01-2014 07:05PM

Then why is it not legal. Is it a case of if the government could ban alcohol tomorrow and get away with it they would so there keeping cannabis closed off.

mikom · 24-01-2014 07:09PM

msg11 wrote: »

Then why is it not legal. Is it a case of if the government could ban alcohol tomorrow and get away with it they would so there keeping cannabis closed off.

It remains illegal at present due to the fact that politicians feel it will lose them votes if they came out in favor of it.
This will change, hopefully as it has in the states.

yawhat! · 24-01-2014 07:13PM

For medical use it should be available without question. Lets see how Washington and other states in the US get on for a couple of years before any attempt to legalize here!

Spunge · 24-01-2014 07:56PM

seamus wrote: »

Pretty sure heroin is good at that too. Better than cannabis, in fact. Why cannabis and not heroin?

That's a rhetorical question, don't answer it. On what basis is, "I am suffering and this alleviates my suffering", grounds to challenge the law?

Perhaps he's taking the case as being in contravention of Art. 5 of the ECHR, and that the illegality of cannabis means that he is unable to treat his condition in a reasonable way, leaving his liberty and security at threat?

Generally there are one of two reasons you make a deliberate challenge to the law:

1. To attempt to prove that the law in question itself is illegal because it conflicts with conventions, rights, etc.
2. To gain a platform to make a point - to show the pointlessness of the law, or whatever - but in the full knowledge that your challenge won't succeed because you have no legal basis on which to mount the challenge.

That's what I'm asking. I agree with legalisation, I just don't see much substance in this challenge. It seems like he's bringing a case to court and his hope is that whatever solicitor is assigned to him, will be able to help him figure out why the law cannot be enforced.

Ironically the legal painkillers he gets are most likely a lot closer to heroin than cannabis. (and in the case of things like oxycodone, some addicts prefer oxycodone to heroin, they are basically the same thing)

MadsL · 24-01-2014 09:15PM

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Ming did and got laughed out of it. It's not going to change from the Top down so this guy is correct to chip away from the bottom, i'll be with him the day I retire, i'll use my state pension just like he's using his disability.

Ming made a balls and a show of himself on it frankly.

This man is challenging the law, not proposing setting up a quango. Ming should take heed that the main challenge is the denial of the right to medicate using a plant that grows freely.

Beaucoupfish · 24-01-2014 09:26PM

Best of luck to him. Legalisation is coming. It's just a matter of when.

I'm sick of waiting on a phone call from a bloke when I could just go to a dispensary, pay a fair price for good quality and pay tax on it.

seamus · 25-01-2014 11:55AM

Beaucoupfish wrote: »

Best of luck to him. Legalisation is coming. It's just a matter of when.

I'm sick of waiting on a phone call from a bloke when I could just go to a dispensary, pay a fair price for good quality and pay tax on it.

"Dispensary". I would hope that by the time my kids are my age, cannabis will be available in exactly the same way that cigarettes currently are.

Although I guess there's an argument that having "dispensaries" creates jobs.

Irish Steve · 25-01-2014 02:13PM

seamus wrote: »

"Dispensary". I would hope that by the time my kids are my age, cigarettes will be available in exactly the same way that cannabis should be.

Although I guess there's an argument that having "dispensaries" creates jobs. saves lives

FYP

seamus · 25-01-2014 02:21PM

Irish Steve wrote: »

FYP

I'm not sure what you mean?

I'm not talking about pharmacies. Controlling cannabis sales through a specific outlet won't save lives.

Irish Steve · 25-01-2014 02:21PM

Crea wrote: »

Valid question - surgery can be done to relieve the pressure caused by glaucoma so not sure what pain he's in tbh.

FFS, read the article about the guy. Age 30, and due to glaucoma, he is not just blind, HE NO LONGER HAS EYES. Phantom pain, among other issues, and there is a clear implication that cannabis might have helped save his sight as it's an anti inflamatory.

Irish Steve · 25-01-2014 02:22PM

seamus wrote: »

I'm not sure what you mean?

I'm not talking about pharmacies. Controlling cannabis sales through a specific outlet won't save lives.

maybe not. Controlling tobacco products would.

renegademaster · 25-01-2014 02:49PM

yawhat! wrote: »

For medical use it should be available without question. Lets see how Washington and other states in the US get on for a couple of years before any attempt to legalize here!

ya what? you do realise American are waking up to the fat their government has been lying to them about medicaal and recreational cannabis use for 77 years? since last weekends statement from Obomber where he revealed smokign cannabis is no worse than smokign cigarettes or drinking alcohol prohibitionists have been getting very angry at their government for lying to them and keepign cannabis as a shedule 1 controled substance!!

the american food and drug administration own the patent on the psychoactive chemicals THC and CBD found in cannabis and the patent states they've got it for the medical use of the 2 chemicals! funny how they can put something in the "not got any medical use or benefit" category while knowing it's got so many medical uses and benefits!!

whupdedo · 25-01-2014 02:52PM

I never knew smoking cannabis was good for your eyesight

genericguy · 25-01-2014 03:58PM

whupdedo wrote: »

I never knew smoking cannabis was good for your eyesight

Yeah without it he might go blinder.

seamus · 25-01-2014 04:06PM

Irish Steve wrote: »

maybe not. Controlling tobacco products would.

Would it? Basically impossible to O.D. on tobacco too.

Do you think people would give up cigarettes if they had to go a special shop to buy them? I don't. You'd just see the return of the tobacconist.

If you sold cannabis everywhere and restricted the sale of tobacco to certain outlets, then you might make a difference.

ScumLord · 25-01-2014 04:19PM

seamus wrote: »

If you sold cannabis everywhere and restricted the sale of tobacco to certain outlets, then you might make a difference.

I think cannabis legalisation that allowed the sale and consumption of cannabis through a public outlet would encourage safer use of cannabis.

If we allowed cannabis use in a public building like a coffeeshop, nobody would be allowed to smoke it because we have the smoking ban (which would be extended to include burning cannabis). That would mean people would have to eat or vaporise it in a public setting. By encouraging them to use cannabis without tobacco it might help people kick the tobacco habit.

Smoking cannabis on it's own is different from smoking a cannabis/tobacco joint. You do get a hit from the tobacco and you do miss it.

Arthur Beesley · 25-01-2014 09:03PM

What is the relevance of him being blind?

bajer101 · 25-01-2014 09:18PM

Arthur Beesley wrote: »

What is the relevance of him being blind?

Did you read the article? Cannabis helps relieve the phantom pain caused by losing his eyes. There are also studies that show that cannabis could have actually helped treat the initial condition that resulted in him losing his sight. It is also good propaganda in that the law as it stands will result in a blind man being jailed for using an illegal substance for pain relief.

Blind man asks to be charged with cannabis possession to challenge law

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