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The Daily Blog » The Great Cannabis Debate by Kathy Gyngell
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- Add comment | Back to Daily Blog (Archive) Written on 07-May-2008 by policystudiesGordon Brown’s much anticipated decision to reclassify cannabis to Class B put tinder to the media powder keg last week - setting off a series of less than dispassionate responses from the great and the good. In a particularly lengthy and scathing dismissal in the Guardian, Simons Jenkins described this forecast move as ‘pseudo tough’, one that flew in the face of science and even as one that would even deliver a boost to the illicit drugs market. Professor Colin Blakemore, the country’s arbiter of what is science, weighed in on Sunday with the accusation that this would be Gordon Brown’s hamburger moment and that hysteria was getting in the way of science.
But in their thousands plus words of argument they avoided engaging with the issue that lies behind public demands for reclassification – that cannabis is very bad news indeed for young people and for parents’ ability to bring them up. Both ignored the most interesting thing about the evidence invited by the ACMD: the total agreement from all sides that first and foremost cannabis is a harmful substance and that more needs to be done to educate the public - especially the young - of the danger to the mental, physical, and emotional health of users. Yet Blakemore did not view cannabis as being of particular concern – not beyond alcohol and glue sniffing – selecting the fact that only one 11-year-old in 150 has tried cannabis in the last year. He ignored other statistics which make his general argument about cannabis use being on the decline, less than sufficient to discount the significance of the concerns voiced.
These are that:
- Britain is unique in Europe in the extent of cannabis use by young people. In Bulgaria, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Turkey the prevalence of first cannabis use by the age of 13 is 0 – 4%. In all other European countries it is 5% – 8 % except the United Kingdom. Here the figure is 13 %.[1]
- A large representative survey of 17-year-olds in France has shown that two thirds of respondents who smoked cannabis for the first time before the age of 12 were daily cannabis users by the time they were 17, whereas those who did not start smoking cannabis until the age of 16–17 were mostly occasional smokers.[2]
- While the numbers of children using cannabis between the ages of 11–12 and 15–16 increases just twofold in other European countries in England the increase is 15 fold - an order not seen in anywhere else.[3]
These are not facts to make either Gordon Brown or any other sensible British parent sanguine.
The debate about what is ‘science’ and what counts ‘evidence’ when trying to make policy ‘evidence based’ can go on for ever. Few would pretend that the scientific base of the British drugs classification system is itself scientifically adequate let alone relevant in light of the complex realities of multiple substance abuse and mental health co-morbidity. Many would find the restriction of the notion of drug ‘harm’ to a narrow pharmacological interpretation, primarily adjudged by mortality, insufficient. Where for example would schizophrenia risk and mental illness fit into this system? The fact is they won’t and can’t. Where are probabilities of the negative social, educational and health outcomes and later drug dependence of early drug taking to be placed in this classification? The fact is they can’t be. Yet it is these that are the concerns of the parents, families and friends of those affected. Does one obsolete pharmacological classification system mean these concerns are to be ignored in overall thinking about drug use risk?
Sadly while the ACMD remains wedded to a narrow interpretation of drugs harms debate is unlikely to progress. Appealing to this official view of science makes it all too easy to sidestep the social and moral issues and the destructive repercussions of drug using behaviour. It allows one drug to be weighed against another when the reality is for those who use, ‘if you can’t get the drug you love, you get the drug you are near’ – alcohol included.
Instead of denying the problems caused by cannabis use or indeed any other drug journalists and academics would do well to give their thinking powers over to the most enlightened and effective ways to enforce the law, protect the young and support parents at their wits end. They must recognize that the end goal of drug policy is to establish the most effective way of restricting drug use, particularly to children and that, unpopular it may be, the evidence would seem to point in the way of prohibition, not legalisation, of being tough, not of being liberal.
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written on 08-May-2008
saramcgrail [http://www.saramcgrail.co.uk] says:
Hi Kathy, While I agree with you that the terms of reference of the ACMD in exploring the harms of cannabis (which to me cannot be achieved without looking at our response) I cannot see how you have or can support the following conclusion: "hey must recognize that the end goal of drug policy is to establish the most effective way of restricting drug use, particularly to children and that, unpopular it may be, the evidence would seem to point in the way of prohibition, not legalisation, of being tough, not of being liberal.". I cannot see any evidence that increased use of the criminal justice system will reduce the harms and dangers related to cannabis use at all. Would you care to elucidate?
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written on 08-May-2008
Mary Brett says:
The response from the ACMD is not really surprising since it had no experts in psychosis or even cannabis and the drug charities represented were all of the libertarian variety.
One of the main problems for children and parents is the current Government drug education policy. This is harm reduction, not prevention. Children as young as 7 are given "choice". Choice is not be an option - drugs are illegal. Since their brains will not complete development till they are in their twenties they are incapable of making critical life decisions - nor should they. Adults are there to protect kids, not abandon them to drugs. Would we give them choice to steal or spray graffiti? Their choice will often be to take a risk as the "risky" parts of the brain develop before the parts that urge caution. They talk of "safer" ways to take drugs. No drug, legal or illegal can be guaranteed safe. FRANK is available for information and advice. Physical dependence on cannabis and a possible "gateway" theory are both denied despite evidence to the contrary. One of my pupils phoned FRANK. The advisor didn't know what THC was and told him that alcohol would just enhance the effects of cannabis - in fact it could be fatal - an overdose of alcohol is often avoided when a person is sick, THC suppresses the vomiting reflex. In a survey, only 40% of young people and 44% of adults thought that the people at FRANK knew what they were talking about.
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written on 08-May-2008
saramcgrail [http://www.saramcgrail.co.uk] says:
Mary, as you well know, there is no reliable evidence of a gateway theory and none of physical dependence. Children and young people are required to make critical life decisions on a daily basis, and most of them (the huge majority in fact) do this very well. The job of the responsible adult is to ensure that those decisions are not overwhelming for the young person and that the young person has as much accurate information as possible to enable them to make informed choices. To remove drugs from this normal development of independence and growth into adulthood is both irresponsible and counterproductive. Your talk of compulsion is no doubt attractive to some but its doomed to failure.
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written on 25-May-2008
JimEllisForPresident [http://webjam.com/jimellisforpresident/jimellisforpresident/] says:
My comment on this is that cannabis as medical use for the terminally ill should be legal, however I do not support its legalization . On the other hand I do not think that anyone should be in jail for its possession, The answer to decreasing drug and alchohol abuse is a socio-economic one. We need top strengthen the middle class and raise the poor from poverty. Increase in drug use,apathy, fanatacism, fundamentalism rather than true faith, all these are signs and symptoms of a society which prospered and then got complacent. complacentcy allowed the corruptly rich and greedy to exploit all aspects of our society and govt. So when the middle class and poor heed my call to run for every office with free grassroots internet campaigns we will then look after our well being in the way that rich corporate elitists have failed to. Whether globalists, or sovereignists, they have all failed to enhance the lower classes, and stolen from the majority for the sake of the very very few. They have created a false illusion that one need to be a very wealthy person to run for office. Indeed one need only to express their ideas and ask others to pass them on via the web. An email can circulate the entire USA in less than three weeks. So please folks, pass this blog on and ask all to forward it. This disabled veteran is still fighting for democracy by fighting global war profitteers to stop the bloodshed and see society renewed. A renaiscance of democracy, enhanced middle class and science and art is soon upon us when Jim Ellis gets elected President of the USa in Nov 08 by massive popular write in vote. I support two great sons on only 24,000.00 dollars annually. (Twenty four thousand dollars only) and am running on principle only, no paypal, no donations accepted! To prove the poor and middle class can be self determining, to prove we are intelligent! To prove Americans can reclaim oour govt from the corrupt Bush-Cheney Cabal! Trusting in God and knowing that if they assinate me they only prove their corruption, thus they must allow me to run, and protect me even, lest they create a political martyr. So when people ask me, Jim are you afraid? I say no with trust and confidence in God almighty, as well as the reality that even the corrupt arent that stupid as to make their schemes so apparent. So people all must rise up and in the next five months run write in campaigns for every Senate, House and Federal job up for election! Godd will always triumph over evil when good people stand up for themselves and each other! Amen! Type in qoutes on your browser: "Jim Ellis For President" and my older blogs as well as newwer ones on webjam.com will appear. Just dont look for me on the news, bwecause the corporate syndicated media in America thus far refuses to publish my ideas even as news! For those who don't know it, that is because the CFR (council on Foreign Relations) has amoung its meembers the media CEO's and major newscasters, all of whom are trying to ensure the Dem and Repub corporate financed party candidates get elected. Ignore them by writing me in, rather than not voting, because GW Gone wRong Bush wants you to not vote so party hacks can elect his corporate party financed counterparts. Since only 5-10 of voters actually vote for them, that means 90% of the party boycotters are just waiting to hear of me, pass my name on, and vote for "jim Ellis/Fa1thful1@aol.com"! Thanks for reading this nonpaid for, FREE message authorized message by Jim Ellis!
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written on 25-May-2008
JimEllisForPresident says:
Please excuse the typpo errors, they are not to my discredit, they are evidence of neurapathy from nerve agent exposure in the first Gulf War, for which the Veterans Admin thus far has failed to fully diagnose and compensate me and so many other veterans. Indeed it was the failure of Both Dems and Repubs to pass a bill I suggested to ensure no veteran would go homeless that motivated me to run for President. I have a very high IQ, faith, and know that entitlements are not our problem as Clinton had a surplus budget without denying entitlements. So please folks realize if you must stick to a party candidate do vote Democrat, it is the Repubs, even with McCAin drawing 58k, 58,000.00 dollars from the VA that continues to cut our veterans benefits. However the DEms must stand up for ALL veterans, especially the disabled. I applaud Honorable Senator Jim Webb's GI bill. Now I ask him to submit a bill that mandates the VA accept civilian health records that the VA resists and then imperils our health with incomplete records just so they deny benefits. Also to fully fund the VA, and pass a federal law that Veterans must be allowed access to all federal funds given to the states for social programs. The reason so many veterans are homeless is because in Virginia for example, welfare and energy assistance is denied upon recieving any military, police, or fire disability funds, crime or arson victim or witness funds! Yet Congress and the White house have the unmitigated gall to live on lavish salaries, benefits and ask for campaign dollars?? Vote them out folks, and lets vote ourselves in. Their children, except for Jim Webb, dont even go to war and they get corporate funding to their parties from the oil war profiteers until they day I become President and end this wrongful occupation. End oil price gouging by declaring it a utility and regulating it. End bank/credit regulations designed to rob the consumer , and foremost end all corporate influence on politics. Mandate free internet campaigns and stop allowing individual contributions too. All contributions of $200.00 or less are not reported or tracked by the campaigns, folks. So stop sending milllionaires money to campaign so they can work for corporate financed parties and then pass legislation that hurts rather than enhances the middle class. One could reasonably say that todays politicians are political whores collecting money from the poor to then screw them! So since the poor and middle class look after themselves, we should govern ourselves! This has been a FREE campaign message by "Jim Ellis For President" ! Http://webjam.com/jimellisforpresident/jimell ... dent/ Jim Ellis braves to run for free, please pass this blog/email for free to all, for freedoms' sake! Amen!
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written on 28-May-2008
AddictionResolution [http://www.addictionresolution.com] says:
Until the disease concept of addiction is accepted by the Establishment, political and medical, these spurious debates about substances will continue to obscure the real message that is repeating through the constitutions of our people and the Constitutions of the global bodypolitic.
Addiction is a hijacker of normality wherever it hits. Internally and externally, in the micro and the macro, individually and collectively - there is a remedy - it is arrived at person by person until when enough people have changed their behavior, the collective eventually changes.
There is no mass solution to the addiction problem although there are recovery principles that can be applied.
Eating problems, financial market turbulence, oil addiction, cybersex and pornography, gambling, alcohol, drugs, work addiction etc etc - terrorism is a form of addiction ... the way to change society? One at a time ... when they're ready. -
written on 17-Jun-2008
mhaville [http://www.treatmentcenters.org/alabama/] says:
At early age children always get involved in drugs because of the lack of guidance from the family and the environment as well. As children grow, whatever they saw they think that it’s all correct especially no adult would supervise. They have an innocent mind that they could easily make decisions without thinking it twice whether to be involve or not to drugs. At present environment children can see in television, hears in the radio or even see it in actual. In order that we can eliminate the usage of drugs the government and the family should really worked in it very hard before the lives and the future of the children would be totally damaged. At my age I can really understand young people why they try drugs at very early age, I’m still young but never in my mind that I would try drugs because my parents had well supervised me as I grow. Being involved in this kind of act has many factors that’s why children’s should always be guided.
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written on 17-Jun-2008
mhaville [http://www.treatmentcenters.org/alabama/] says:
At early age children always get involved in drugs because of the lack of guidance from the family and the environment as well. As children grow, whatever they saw they think that it’s all correct especially no adult would supervise. They have an innocent mind that they could easily make decisions without thinking it twice whether to be involve or not to drugs. At present environment children can see in television, hears in the radio or even see it in actual. In order that we can eliminate the usage of drugs the government and the family should really worked in it very hard before the lives and the future of the children would be totally damaged. At my age I can really understand young people why they try drugs at very early age, I’m still young but never in my mind that I would try drugs because my parents had well supervised me as I grow. Being involved in this kind of act has many factors that’s why children’s should always be guided. ___________ mhaville Alabama Treatment Centers href="http://www.treatmentcenters.org/alabama/">http://www.treatmentcenters.org/alabama/
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written on 27-Jun-2008
JimEllisForPresident [http://www.webjam.com/jimellisforpresident] says:
Presidential Candidate Jim Ellis asks you to read and pass this on!
Thought you might want to read my response to a friends' blog comment. Please pass it on if you will?
Comment from fa1thful1
6/26/08 8:34 PM | Permalink
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When Barack starts a bill to: Impeach bush-cheney et al NOW, End the war NOW, reg gas NOW, Then ..I will support him! Meanwhile(since he won't): Lets all just pass this on...
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