cannabisnews.com: Ministers Advised To Legalise Cannabis Cafes Ministers Advised To Legalise Cannabis Cafes Posted by FoM on November 19, 2001 at 13:09:54 PT By David Bamber, Home Affairs Correspondent Source: Daily Telegraph The Government's senior advisers on drugs will recommend this week that legalising cannabis and selling it through a network of licensed cafes would end many problems associated with its use.A report is to be released on Tuesday by Drugscope, which is part of the Government's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs - the body which advises ministers on drugs policy. It will say that Amsterdam-style drugs cafes would cut deaths and reduce the health problems associated with all drug use. The cafes would also, the report states, destroy the link between cannabis and hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin.Drugscope's experts believe that the battle to stamp out cannabis use can never be won. Their report has already caused concern to ministers because it suggests going much further than the intentions already announced by David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, to downgrade the classification of cannabis and stop police arresting people found with a small amount of the drug.The report, which was written by Mike Ashton, the editor of the scientific journal Drug and Alcohol Findings, says: "More liberal policies towards the possession and use of small quantities of cannabis do not seem to have increased cannabis use."Regulation may also break the linkage between cannabis and other illegal drugs, thereby disrupting the link between the cannabis market and the market for other illegal drugs.The probability of progression on to other illicit substances may therefore lessen. It is also reasonable to assume that following regulation, cannabis may replace alcohol as the drug of choice among a segment of society."Should this occur, then the total damage to individuals and society may possibly be less, as the medical and social risks of alcohol have been shown to outweigh those of cannabis."The report examines six options for future Government policy, ranging from complete prohibition to giving the drug away free.Oliver Letwin, the shadow home secretary, said that the Tories would oppose the creation of legalised drug cafes. He said: "This idea sounds bizarre, I cannot anticipate the Conservative Party backing this proposal."A Home Office spokesman said: "Mr Blunkett has already said that there will be a review of policy towards cannabis and indicated it could be reclassified. The results of the review have not been decided."Newshawk: JordanSource: Daily Telegraph (UK)Author: David Bamber, Home Affairs CorrespondentPublished: November 18, 2001Copyright: 2001 Telegraph Group LimitedContact: dtletters telegraph.co.ukWebsite: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/Related Articles & Web Sites:Drugscopehttp://www.drugscope.org.uk/Dutch Experiencehttp://www.dutchexperience.org/Roll Up at Britain's First Cafe for Dope Smokers http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11318.shtmlPolice Say: Sell The Drug in Shops and Pubs http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11317.shtmlWhy Britain is Going Dutch http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11175.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #11 posted by Lehder on November 20, 2001 at 19:46:50 PT at least it was a nice sunset I took the trouble of watching the news tonight, local and national. Nearly all the commercials urged pill popping and offered a health-breaking farrago of side effects from bleeding stomachs and heart damage to diarrhea, insomnia and drowsiness, whatever you like. Whatever George Bush is swallowing causes weight loss and darkening beneath the eyes: his face is thinner and he looks tired. The half-hour local news show allotted a full ten minutes to two football players in a traffic stop for speeding and loud music. That's to be expected from 25 and 26-year-old healthy guys. So what was the deal? Well, it's unbelievable, but marijuana was found in the vehicle.And I wrote a complimentary e-mail to Madeleine Bunting, an English journalist who's received loads of obnoxious correspondence from American superpatriots enraged by her thoughtful discussions of Afghanistan:Over the past few days, I've been ordered on to a strict diet of my words. A stream of emails arrived from American readers with plenty of advice (get laid, get pregnant, shut your fat legs, shut up) and prognostications for my future (you'll be fired). One told me that I made them feel sick: "untouched by our tragedy, yet [you] feel the right to criticise our country's actions". One asked if "you have a molecule of shame or humility within your entire being?" and promised to pray for me. http://commondreams.org/views01/1119-04.htmI provided a link and invited her to read our comments here at cannabisnews. Somebody's gotta see that Americans are not all pill-demented mad dog crusaders. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by Jeaneous on November 20, 2001 at 13:45:58 PT: Watching closer I see that when you really watch him... he goes from being really jazzed to really floppy. Wonder if he's tweeking and then drinking for the down...When you listen to him speak he's fumbling again. He repeats the same things over and over.The night I saw him looking drunk was his last return from Camp David after meeting Putan. Wonder if they had a few friendly shots of vodka.I plan on watching him. Bush under the influence in the situation that our country is in makes me very nervous. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by Lehder on November 19, 2001 at 19:31:39 PT drunk? I wondered only fancifully about his month-long vacation in Texas, inappropriate for a president in office only six months. Did he go there to drink? To dry out? His job must be taking a psychological toll, since he's taking orders and taking credit for programs and wisdom not his own. The job is over his head, and I wonder if the contradictory roles of, publicly, great leader and, privately, amateur bat boy might make him feel stupid or unappreciated sometimes. Perhaps he needs something to fill the emptiness inside him. Dr. Russo has described Bush's disease as "untreated", and Bush claimed that he quit drinking in a sudden discovery of maturity blossoming from devotion to Jesus or to his wife, or some similar delusional malarky that suggested unresolved alcoholism.I would not recommend marijuana as a harmless alternative in his case, if indeed he's been drinking, because it would not offer the feelings of genuine power that he possibly craves and therefore could not alleviate an alcohol dependence. Amphetamines or even his old standby cocaine might be more suitable alternatives. It's a sad story, and I would sympathize with his plight were he not in such a powerful position of harmfulness to others. He would have been happier as a wealthy gentleman-cowboy, kickin' ass and tellin' spiteful stories at a Texas watering hole; or a good 'ol boy playing with his baseball team. Life is unfair. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by FoM on November 19, 2001 at 18:21:42 PT I saw something odd too It was a while ago but I saw Bush get up from a big dinner with important guests and he had a glass of something in his hand. That isn't unusual but I know that I hold a glass of coca cola differently then when I drank and held a glass of alcohol. That might not be true for everyone but lots of people seem to hold a drink of alcohol more loosely then you would a soda. Check it out sometime if you catch him drinking at a dinner on the news. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by mayan on November 19, 2001 at 17:17:14 PT Jeaneous Strange that you say that Jeaneous, a couple of weeks ago he was shown getting out of his chopper & I said to my friends,"He looks drunk!" All of my friends said,"He does!" Bush was kind of holding his arms out & struggling to keep his balance. It could have been the thrust from the props but I don't think so...his face was very red & he had this goofy look on his face like he was butt wasted! Whatever he was high on, it wasn't just life! He's probably been celebrating the power-elite's successful hi-jacking of our government. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on November 19, 2001 at 17:07:34 PT It wouldn't surprise me Jean and Lehder, I always wanted to think that if a person says they are off drugs and or alcohol that they were but I don't believe that people always will tell us the truth. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Bush drank alcohol. If he drank as much as we think he did in the past he could never become a safe casual user of alcohol so if he does drink we have much to worry about. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Lehder on November 19, 2001 at 17:00:45 PT drunk? I sure wish I had seen that, Jeaneous. It's curious that we havn't heard a peep from the kiddies in along time. I guess they only study now, all grown up. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Jeaneous on November 19, 2001 at 16:55:59 PT: Speaking of Drunk Did any of you see Bush get off his helicopter last night?? He wouldn't look into the camera at all, walked different and just looked buzzed. Wonder if he went off the wagon....as bad as it sounds if he slips into his alcoholism things could actually get worse than they are.... :/ Nasty thought... [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by biggreen on November 19, 2001 at 13:40:59 PT i just wanna hear what the goverment has to say why is marijuana illgale why what is the big deal , i know what it is the longer the people we voted to make sure this contry stays happy and well and the way we want it ,those people have disided to make there pockets fatter i guess that works for them but why aren't my pockets getting fatter i know it's b/c i am a dumb ass but i still think that they have no right to pull up the weed enless there is some way people can hurt some1 with weed and i can hear the cops saying (yeah that man got beat to death with a pot plant)will i am going to go buy lots of pot oh wait i don't have to b/c the goverment is never going to stop weed from being around, and just for future info when marijuana was 1st made illgale it was b/c people thought that it made the user go carzy sebce that was wrong maybe we have a chance of truning a few more laws [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on November 19, 2001 at 13:35:43 PT Lehder Purple nosed that's good. I can look at the politicians on tv and I can see most of them must swim in alcohol. People don't make wise choices why under the infuence of alcohol and they look like they drink a lot of the time. We have a friend who went to Washington to lobby for a big motorcycle club and he is a man of the world but he was shocked how much alcohol flows in DC. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Lehder on November 19, 2001 at 13:25:17 PT marijuana is NOT an intoxicant "It is also reasonable to assume that following regulation, cannabis may replace alcohol as the drug of choice among a segment of society."That's right, and it will be a safer, quieter, more intelligent, better Britain. The U.S., which values violence and ignorance above all else, will remain the unpleasant paradise of boozers and purple-nosed bigots. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment