Charity urges rethink on cannabis

[Cranky]

Subject: UK: Charity urges rethink on cannabis


Source: BBC


Wednesday 04 Jan 2006


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The Home Secretary has been urged by a health charity to look at the
mental health risks of cannabis, rather than "fiddle with its legal status".

In a letter to Charles Clarke, Rethink called on him to devote resources
to reducing the risks of the drug.

Cannabis was downgraded from a Class B to a Class C drug in 2004, making
most cases of possession non-arrestable.

The Home Office said Mr Clarke was due to respond soon to an Advisory
Council on the Misuse of Drugs review.

'High-risk groups'

The charity wants him to support new research into the relationship
between severe mental illness and cannabis, and the most effective ways
of reducing use.

It is calling for government policy to tackle cannabis-dealing around
mental health facilities, similar to that for dealing around schools.

Rethink chief executive Cliff Prior said it did not want a knee-jerk
reaction of stiffened penalties from the Home Office.

That, he said, "will only lead to further confusion amongst high-risk
groups and could lead to thousands of people being dragged through the
courts rather than supported through health and social care".

Report in

"We want to see Mr Clarke reacting imaginatively by handing
responsibility for a huge public information campaign to the Department
of Health whilst facing down siren calls to further criminalise users.

A Home Office spokesman said: "The Advisory Council on the Misuse of
Drugs has recently reported to the home secretary.

"They have been considering evidence on possible links between cannabis
and mental health problems.

"The Home Secretary is considering their report and will respond in due
course."

[Cranky]

maybe the same charity wants to look at the fact that peeps suffering with derression or mental health probs are prescribed highly addictive drugs like i was.

how do they come up with this shit thats what i want to know???

crock of shit

cranky

[Shadows]

My wife is bipolar and for the past 2 months she has been pounded with different medications to treat it. 1 that caused persistant nausau, 1 that if taken in too high a dose could cause a fatal rash and a few others that didnt have pretty side effects.

Her dr reccommended she stop smoking MJ while first taking the meds, so she could see that they were working. Her dr also mentioned alot of Bi-Polar patients take MJ for their symptoms, which is why she had to stop with the MJ.

The meds take 5 weeks to become active in her system and if 1 dose is missed she starts over at scratch. I'll tell ya, if not for having a constant supply of MJ at her disposal (and mine) we'd both be declared crazy!

[Cranky]

was only yesterday i was reading up about depression and insomnia and came across bipolar.after reading about the symptoms i goto go back to the docs and have a word cuzz it sure sounds as if its something i may be suffering from.

Ive read that bipolar is easy miss diagnosed alot of the time for depression so i want to look into this abit more.....

mj for me is the best thing out there for depression and anxiety if yas asks me...1 spliff and alls aye ok ...2 mins before the spliff my heads going at 90 mph......

;)

cranky

[Shadows]

Bi-Polar is diagnosed as extreme highs and extreme lows. Depression alone would mean just the extreme lows, but bipolar takes those lows to a whole new dimension. There are days where my wife mentally cannot get out of bed from the depression and the anxiety keeps her up all night.

But thats just the depression side of it. The highs lead her to do unrational spontanious things, mostly involving money and buying crap. They also make her react to good things like she won the lottery, but it could be as small as a new ashtray in her car that does it.

Bi-polar is not something to be fooled with. If its something you think you have get checked fully. The only downside is there isnt much they can do but ask you questions and get a responce. Blood test wont show which hormone isnt at the proper level, or confirm that bipolar is even your issue.

Cranky, for your sake bro I hope its not the case.

[Mr Burns]

This re-classification has been on the radio all today Cranks. Those not in the UK can hear it on radio 2 live here. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/

I don't think it will be re-classified. The new conservative leader talks about legalising cannabis if he gets in power (I know, they all lie!) and he had Bob Geldoff backing the party on other issues. Basically, with a younger opposition to the Labour party I think Labour won't want to lose the votes to the Conservatives. They'll leave it class C which for all of us will be a huge huge advantage. That way, if the conservatives get in it'll be a lesser step to legalisation than if inheriting a re-classified B from Labour?
I think if Labour have an inkling they'll not get in for another term, they'll re-classify it to B. They'd hardly want to give the conservatives a shallower step and a huge portion of swayed voters by legalisation.

As for Bi-Polar, it sounds nasty and I wish your wife well ND. I can't say I've ever suffered bad with anything except itchy feet, but I wish her well.

My girl and I were driving across the rock this morning after looking at what was supposed to be a cottage but turned out to be a 10 year old house! Anyway, we were talking about this nonsense taht MJ causes mental illness. I'm sure most of the cases that are observed will be MJ smokers under their study BECAUSE they have mental problems and not RESULTING in mental health problems?
I wonder how it would be if all people being studied for mental health issues were asked what prescribed drugs they were taking? Would the goverment make a link between the multitude of drugs that all these people take or ignore prescribed drugs as "ok cause doctors prescribe them'.

My doctor knows I smoke MJ and he agrees if it works then thats ok. He had to warn me if I felt like this and that I should stop and come and see him but he was very supportive. He believes there is a place for MJ and taht there will be within my lifetime.
I've mentioned before that my doctor knows and people have been horrified. First of all he didn't record it and told me he wouldn't. Sercondly, if criminal proceedings took place because of either a leak or informant regarding health records the case would be thrown out at the first hurdle.
Thing is, if ever I end up in front of the courts I have my back pain and my doctors aknowledgment of taking MJ.

[Cranky]

ya..there was talk of all this shit linking cannabis to mental health probs before they reclassified to c so i cant see how they can turn round now and take it back to class b over the same issues....

the lib dems were all for cannabis years ago but when they got nowhere in the voting they stopped talking about :mad:

one day well get somwhere...the drop to class c was a great step...lets hope it stays this way huh;)

cranky

[Cranky]

well after a week of stress stress stress and anxiety to the max.....no sleep etc no weed,today is my first smoke for 7 days and im half way through a nice fatty and the stress has gone and so has the anxiety2thumbs

i will sleep ok tonight;)

so what ever charity is pushing the gove to rethink the clasification of cannibs back to b can stick that in ya pipe and smoke it!!!

anyways what diff is making it a class b from c gonna make????its still aleagle and peeps are still gonna smoke it.

plonkers the lot of um

cranky

[Shadows]

Not up on the classifications in the UK, but wasnt it registered as a Class 'C' so that posession wouldnt send ya to the clink. Reclassification to a 'B' would mean that they could once again jail you for simple posession. Maybe they realized how much revenue they lost from not having every Tom, Dick and Harry with a J in their posession in court to pay fines.

Im sure they have other reasons, but money is what drives our governments, it has to come in so they can over expend it on the way out.

[Cranky]

Not up on the classifications in the UK, but wasnt it registered as a Class 'C' so that posession wouldnt send ya to the clink. Reclassification to a 'B' would mean that they could once again jail you for simple posession. Maybe they realized how much revenue they lost from not having every Tom, Dick and Harry with a J in their posession in court to pay fines.

Im sure they have other reasons, but money is what drives our governments, it has to come in so they can over expend it on the way out.

think how much the silly fookers could make from taxes on weed if it was to be sold leagaly?it would be a damn site more than what there making from fines;) also the goverment would save cash on not having to put peeps in prison for growing or smoking it!!!

this mental health risk is aload of bollucks...as ive said above,the last few weeks has been real fekin stressfull!i aint been able to think straight or get anything done.also i aint had much weed.due to a good friend grower,this last week,life has been a whole lot easier due to the fact that my mate sorted me out some weed.i been able to get my ass together and go and sort out things that needed sorting out.ontop of that ive had my benifits stopped so thats no cash coming what so ever at the mo but i'm coping with the stress of that due to the fact i have weed.if i had no weed and they stopped my cash ontop of all the other shit thats going on in my life i think my head would of popped.

its life that gives us mental health probs!!!

weed helps us deal with it!!!

aghhhhhhhhhhhhhh fukin cop out thats all this crap is!!!

and to my mate who helped me out with some damn fine weed....cheers bro....your a star;)

cranky