The Cannabis Catastrophe (Pot softens brains: Stoners don't care)

The Daily Mail [UK] ^ | January 26 2003 | Melanie Phillips

[quidnunc]

As David Blunkett contemplates the chaos and fury triggered by his decision to downgrade the law on cannabis, he could do worse than consider the case of Dominique Lansdowne.

Eleven years ago, when she was 18, the former care assistant from Swindon started smoking cannabis once a week. ‘After a couple of weeks, I found it was addictive’, she said. ‘As soon as you start you get the feeling you’re completely relaxed and calm, but then you crave it. I used it more and more until I was smoking it every day. Then I couldn’t work because I was too stoned all the time. I was so paranoid I couldn’t leave the house.

‘I haven’t worked for the past six years. I lost all my friends and nearly lost my family. I couldn’t afford to pay my mortgage, my house was repossessed, I had to live in a hostel. I was in hospital three times, and couldn’t cope at all in the community. I had no social skills left. My life was in tatters. I didn’t stop completely until two years ago.

‘I still take anti-psychotics, antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs, and will probably have to take medication for the rest of my life. I’m positive cannabis was the cause; I became paranoid as soon as I started smoking it. I’ve known hundreds of people who smoke it; all of them have some kind of paranoia or a problem, whether they recognise it or not.’

All of which makes it truly extraordinary that this Thursday, cannabis will be downgraded from a class B to a class C drug.

The Home Secretary’s move has delighted the drug legalisers — but astonished and horrified those like Dominique, who know the truth about its effects.

Tory leader Michael Howard has boldly declared that a future Conservative government will reverse the policy. Yet Mr Blunkett’s so called ‘reform’ has already caused many people mistakenly to believe cannabis is now legal or safe to use.

Despite ministers’ desperate insistence that it remains illegal and dangerous, putting cannabis in the same category as slimming pills, painkillers, tranquillisers and anabolic steroids sends the inescapable signal that it is not very dangerous after all.

Dominique Lansdowne knows what nonsense this is. Before she used cannabis, she had not even smoked tobacco; afterwards she also tried speed, LSD and ecstasy. ‘I would never have touched hard drugs if I hadn’t taken cannabis. Reclassification is really dreadful and sad because the government is saying cannabis isn’t that bad and so people are going to take it thinking it’s not going to do them any harm.’

-snip-

[eboyer]

You made your point just fine.

The lesson I learned is you anger very easy and you accuse anybody that disagrees with you of being a pothead.

And you also either deliberately lied about the tie between Islam and MJ, or you were just ignorant. In either case I am happy to correct you on this mistake. Disinformation makes for a horrible exit strategy.

[Monty22]

No, I proved that if islamics toked up they wouldn't be anymore peaceful.. And in fact, according to Webster the opposite happens.

I gladly leave the thread with my original point well cemented. Thanks.

[muawiyah]

Although this news comes from UK this sounds like your typical Canadian.

Laid back. Relaxed. Ready to just let it flow. But, on the other hand, totally paranoid about what the United States is doing behind his back, or might do, or might even think about doing.

Hey, Mexicans have a lot of that too! Go out in the villages and they are really laid back until somebody tries to jump there women then they get paranoid, and if you're lucky you get out of town before he starts thinking that Americans want his women.

MJ mus'be our secret weapon, eh?!

[Cultural Jihad]

What, that Muslims are not friendly? Was this your point?

Cannabis is tolerated in all of Islam (which it is not) and all Muslims smoke pot (which they do not) and since some terrorists who are hiding behind the facade of Islam commit attrocities that therefore they were high on pot and therefore pot does not induce peacefulness and friendliness?

Sheesh. It's a good thing that there are terrorists out there trying to destroy our nation, for whatever else would the pro- and anti-drug people ever do for arguments otherwise?

[Lazamataz]

Your language is out of control.

[Monty22]

Hey, I think the entire argument sucked that pot would somehow make us safer against islam if they used it more.

That's why I trashed it.

[muawiyah]

Islamics using pot? Do you question the theory that "Hashish" and "Assasin" have a common origin in Arabic?

BTW, it's not a theory, and yes Islamics have used pot down through the centuries for various evil purposes, e.g. getting so toked up they'd kill their own mothers, maybe you, certainly your dog.

Wow, man, you study that Islamic history and they'll tell you all about what pot does to totally destroy a civilization. Sure it takes a bit of time but look at the Middle East today.

Do you want to leave that as your legacy for your grandchildren?

[Cultural Jihad]

Oh, that was missyme talking.

[eboyer]

here is your original point:

"uhhhh, islamics are very pro-pot and use it frequently."

I fail to see how a pre-crusade definition of assasin has proven anything.

You do anger easily though?

[P.O.E.]

I contend that watching the Weather Channel too long will soften your brain.

[missyme]

What's that suppose to mean???

[Monty22]

I've lost too many friends and relatives to even pot use to not get angry on the subject now.

[missyme]

I will tell you this if the Cowboy would of left the Indian alone to smoke his Peace Pipe instead of throwing Al-Co-HOL there way which they call "Fire Water" they would be alot better off... All kidding aside Indians have a high rate of Alcoholism and craziness from it.

[eboyer]

I've lost more family from a combination of alcohol and gun's then anything. Yet as a conservative I won't fight to ban them.

Islamic nations tend to rule based on ethics. Conservative nations don't. Or atleast didn't......

[Kermit the Frog Does theWatusi]

Reefer Madness alert. Up and coming - masturbation will make you go blind.

[Kermit the Frog Does theWatusi]

missyme wrote: I think all Muslims should become "Pot Heads" listen to The Who and practice yoga. What a mellow world we would have...

LOL!

[Monty22]

ethics? Like beating and killing their women? Like killing the converts that leave islam?

What are you talking about?

[Xenalyte]

What about those of us with black thumbs? I can kill cactus and aloe vera. Can't we work out a deal where (say) we can "buy" from someone else who's good at growing, perhaps not with cash or legal tender but by barter? I'm aces at all kinds of activities that don't involve keeping plants alive.

[Cultural Jihad]

Do you question the theory that "Hashish" and "Assasin" have a common origin in Arabic?

I believe that allegation of its word origin is open to interpretation among scholars, or so I have seen in my quick glances on the subject. Islam condemns the use of any and all intoxicants, and apparently there have been many debates over the centuries about the properties of hashish and whether it should so be classified as an intoxicant or not. Hence various Islamic cultures reverted from tolerating or condemning its use as unIslamic from time to time.

[Monty22]

Which islam rejects it, the one that says to kill any raped woman? Or the one that says to kill nonbelievers? Or the one that says to decapitate converts from islam?

Or the one that says you can have 4 wives, but old mo could have 12? Or the one that says slavery's ok for the non believers?

Which islam exactly? I was just saying that them being more pro drug won't help. They already use, and they already kill.