I notice from the BBC that the Government have done another U turn on policy and have reclassified weed as a class B drug.
I have mixed feelings on drugs. On one hand, I feel that people can do what they like, as long as it’s not in front of me (does this make me some form of NIMBY?). Everyone has their right to freedom of choice. That’s what makes this country England as opposed to Burma.
On the other hand, I feel that future generations should not feel that drugs are a good or right choice to make. I want them to be educated and want them to understand that using drugs is not a good thing. No matter how you look at it.*
I don’t have a lot of experience with drugs. In fact. I only have two. Whether this is extraordinary in this day and age, I don’t know. I first smoked a spliff when I was 15. We were at a friend’s house in Kenya. Her parents were slightly more liberal than mine (read: didn’t really seem to care what we got up to) and it was all a bit of an adventure. When we were at school you used to be able to buy 20 ready rolled spliffs, much like you can buy 20 ready rolled cigarettes. I don’t know what type of weed it was, I don’t know if it was strong. I do know that I’m a rubbish druggie. I sat there, on my own, slightly scared. Were they talking about me? Who was that at the door? Was he telling my friends something about me? I sat there, in a paranoid little bubble, questioning everything as my two friends sat there and giggled.
The second time I smoked, we were 17. We had gone down to Cornwall for a pre-A-level holiday. 6 girls, sharing a very basic tent in the middle of a campsite full of other 17 and 18 year olds. The boys next to us were older. They were more experienced. In our eyes, they were Gods. They had bought a huge block of resin (I think that’s what it’s called – you see, even now, I have no idea about drug taking vocabulary!) and we slowly got through it in the week we were there. Again, not particularly pleasant. I ended up, sitting in a black rubber ring, drinking tequila, crying, because I thought everyone else had gone off without me. On purpose. Because they hated me.
I understand that this isn’t the experience for everyone. I realise that people enjoy it and it makes wonderful things happen. But not for me. Even the smell of it nowadays is enough to start me questioning my hair.
I don’t have the answers. If you ban everything, doesn’t that make it more desirable? If you legalise it, aren’t you just asking for trouble?
I think in order to make a choice about this you have to look at a number of things. Who’s using it? Is it just those in the more socially deprived categories or is use spread across the board? What happens to people who use it? What are the side effects? What are the health issues? Are there any instances when it helps/does good?
Re-reading that list of questions I have come up with a very strong case for tobacco to be banned. But then I wouldn’t like that. I’m a smoker.
At the end of the day therefore, it hasto be up to the Government and scientific advisers. They need to make an unbiased and sensible decision. They shouldn’t, however, make one decision and then go back on it a year later.
That’s just confusing.
* And yes, I know, cigarettes, alcohol and coffee are all “drugs” but for the purpose of this post, I’m talking illegal ok? My thoughts on the above can come at another time.
I believe that one day they’ll do a study and find that a “benign” drug like weed is far more harmful than we ever imagined. I certainly took turn for the worse because of it when I was young and I’m betting that I’m not the only one.
I’ve got mixed feelings on the whole thing too.. then again, I was a MAJOR pothead for far too long.
I quit smoking weed about a year ago.. and it’s done WONDERS for my wallet. I quit cigarettes too, because I had initially used cig smell to mask weed smell around the ‘rents/law/neighbors/etc..
so .. why was I still smoking cigarettes, ya know?
We’ll see how long this lasts, but I’ve got the money to buy cigs AND I’ve been around them with no desire to actually light up.
I think that’s a good sign.
I’m pretty sure my wallet will love me even more in the near future.
(Have you read High Society by Ben Elton? It deals with exactly this, and is very interesting…)
The trouble with making drugs illegal is that they are banished to the black market, where there can be no sanctions in place to ensure that the trade does not merge into that of human trafficking and prostitution, etc. However if they were suddenly legalised without any sort of proper information about the risks and stuff, would we be able to cope? I’m not advocating some kind of insane nanny state, but the 24 hour licensing hasn’t really made us any more abstinent or sensible, right? If drugs were readily available would we all just crumble into pock-marked smack addicts overnight?
If you legalised just cannabis you’d have to question how far to take it. Would you then differentiate between gentle weed that makes you just feel a bit, like, zen, man, and then that scary skunk that makes you mental? No, because it’d be too difficult. I suppose if it was legal you might at least know what you were about to smoke, and there would be more information about the potential effects so it might be less scary.
Oh, I don’t know, it’s such a confusing issue. I’m off to smoke some crack with Amy Winehouse.
PS. I did not put that smiley in there. I was trying to close the bracket and the computer thought I was trying to wink at you! Like we have some kind of naughty Ben Elton joke going on between us or something. Do we?
PPS. Thank you for your super-lovely comment!
Unbearable Banishment – I think you’re right. It took long enough for doctors to realise that cigarette smoking was bad for you. I think the risks with cannibis are there too but no one has found them yet (if that makes sense)
Deutlich – your wallet loves you and so does your body. I realise that people do drugs for all sorts of reasons but I’m pleased that you’ve given up. Do you feel better for it?
Leonie – I think you’ve hit the nail on the head however, you could say the same with alcohol I suppose. Do you legalise the lovely beer stuff which makes you all happy and ban the evil whiskey which makes you mad? Who knows. Re: the wink – I was quite pleased with that. It made me feel as if I were part of some little Leonie club along with Ben Elton. Hell, we should start one. Name suggestion?
Nutty and Léonie and Ben (Elton)’s Fun Club! Of Fun!
Hmm…maybe something a touch snappier.