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 b0red5tiff
THE CANDY KING
Registered: 09/16/06
Posts: 7,019
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 Geoff Ogden: Confusion over this dangerous drug has gone on far too long
#8397282 - 05/13/08 03:24 PM (3 months, 22 days ago) |
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THE announcement by the Home Secretary that the classification of cannabis is returning to its pre-2004 position of Class B is to be welcomed. The timing for the Prime Minister is unfortunate.
Some will suggest that the decision, one that is likely to be popular with the public, is to get Gordon Brown out of a hole following last week's election results. That is unfair. He announced last July his intention to review previous decisions.
The whole muddle could have been avoided. The longer the uncertainty, the greater the confusion for the public, young people, parents, teachers and the police. That confusion and chaos can be tracked to the stubbornness of David Blunkett when the then Home Secretary announced plans in October 2001 to reclassify the drug to Class C when giving evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee.
It was a complete U-turn and was received with shock by those working operationally in drug enforcement, education and treatment. I gave evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee some days after Mr Blunkett and, in doing so, highlighted the concerns of headteachers, youth workers and many others about the mixed messages that reclassification would send out.
I referred to the many deaths that I had reviewed of young drug users who commenced their drug career on cannabis, despite this gateway theory being constantly challenged by academics.
Also giving evidence was Brian Paddick who was Brixton's police commander at the time. More recently, he was the Liberal Democrats' mayoral candidate in London.
It was his "softly, softly" experiment in Brixton on cannabis that so influenced Blunkett. Our views differed significantly and members of the committee, including a young David Cameron, closely questioned us. Interestingly, Mr Cameron did not detract from the conclusions of the committee months later in its final report which recommended not only changes for cannabis, but also for ecstasy. David Blunkett's immediate successor, Charles Clarke, attempted to rectify the position in January 2006 but was thwarted by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs whose members were never likely to change the views that they had expressed in 2002.
After asking the Advisory Council again to review the classification of cannabis, the Prime Minister and Home Secretary cannot be surprised that they came back recommending no change.
It left the Government with no alternative other than to ignore that advice and seek Parliamentary approval to return cannabis to its former Class B status.
Many will argue that cannabis use by young people has dropped. That may be the case – but it probably has more to do with social trends, and other activities by young people, rather than the lower classification over the past four years.
What is very clear is that the consequences are very serious for the many young people who take the drug in the form of the more powerful "skunk" variety, particularly with regard to their mental health, learning, sport, physical activity and longer-term employment prospects.
The number of cases of young people harming themselves, or committing terrible crimes of violence through mental illness made worse by cannabis use, has increased over the past four years. The evidence linking cannabis to psychiatric illness has continues to mount. The market has gown considerably, as witnessed by the discovery of hundreds of cannabis farms in the UK.
The planned reclassification also poses issues for the police service. The service is used to policy U-turns and will respond positively, albeit at a time when its resources are already stretched.
Enforcement in relation to possession of cannabis will quite rightly follow, but the opportunity for discretion should remain. A power of arrest for possession has always been in place. Until now, the presumption has been not to use this power. That will have to be reviewed.
Members of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs will feel aggrieved that all their recommendations have not been accepted. They should not be.
Never again should confusion be allowed to occur on the whim of a single Cabinet minister. While the return of cannabis to Class B status must go ahead, and quickly, there is an opportunity to review the whole classification system and membership of the Advisory Committee. There are too many members. It should be reduced in size, but with greater links to the regions where real evidence of harm can be gathered.
The Government's own Select Committee on the use of scientific evidence reported two years ago that policy and law should reflect the science, but additionally the harm which drugs can cause to individuals and communities.
If this had been the case in recent years, there may have been a case for milder cannabis to have a lower classification than the stronger skunk variety.
The move by the Government is to be welcomed, despite its lateness. Anti-drug work now requires a sharper focus through Crime and Disorder Partnerships. It is not difficult. Be clear about harm, educate the young, target the suppliers, treat the addicted and restore clarity.
Geoff Ogden was head of Humberside CID before becoming the drug action team manager for Hull and the East Riding.
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***if you're reading this then you're already asleep***
***if we're gonna kill each other how are we gonna live forever? if we're gonna live forever how are we gonna kill each other?***
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Divided_Sky
Ten ThousandThings
Registered: 11/02/03
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Loc: The Shining Void
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Re: Geoff Ogden: Confusion over this dangerous drug has gone on far too long [Re: b0red5tiff]
#8397350 - 05/13/08 03:41 PM (3 months, 22 days ago) |
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Oh shit! Look out of for the dread narcotic Skunk! More lethal and addictive than cocaine and heroin combined! It turns men into murderous criminals and women into brazen hussies!
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1. "After an hour I wasn't feeling anything so I decided to take another..."
2. "We were feeling pretty good so we decided to smoke a few bowls..."
3. "I had to be real quiet because my parents were asleep upstairs..."
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PreyToGod
Seeker of Eyes
Registered: 01/23/08
Posts: 71
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 Re: Geoff Ogden: Confusion over this dangerous drug has gone on far too long [Re: b0red5tiff]
#8397367 - 05/13/08 03:46 PM (3 months, 22 days ago) |
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if only they would try it once...
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"We live together, we act on, and react to, one another but always and in all circumstances we are by ourselves... By its very nature every embodied spirit is doomed to suffer and enjoy in solitude."
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DrOli
Biochemist
Registered: 08/27/07
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Re: Geoff Ogden: Confusion over this dangerous drug has gone on far too long [Re: b0red5tiff]
#8397393 - 05/13/08 03:53 PM (3 months, 22 days ago) |
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Quote:
b0red5tiff said:
The Government's own Select Committee on the use of scientific evidence reported two years ago that policy and law should reflect the science, but additionally the harm which drugs can cause to individuals and communities.
.
Science will show the harm of which the drugs cause. Not the daily mail.
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Gastronomicus
3 Oh! 3
Registered: 03/31/05
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Re: Geoff Ogden: Confusion over this dangerous drug has gone on far too long [Re: Divided_Sky]
#8397434 - 05/13/08 04:06 PM (3 months, 22 days ago) |
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Quote:
Divided_Sky said:
Oh shit! Look out of for the dread narcotic Skunk! More lethal and addictive than cocaine and heroin combined! It turns men into murderous criminals and women into brazen hussies!
Especially if the coloreds get their grubby hands on it. Save the children! Kannabis Kills!
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Obama/Biden '08
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Irieforester
Head to toe inH2O
Registered: 03/10/08
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Loc: That state seperating fro...
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Re: Geoff Ogden: Confusion over this dangerous drug has gone on far too long [Re: Gastronomicus]
#8397463 - 05/13/08 04:15 PM (3 months, 22 days ago) |
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one of the most biased articles on cannabis I've ever had the displeasure of reading
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I am still and forever learning
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hockeyplyr1057
Stranger
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Re: Geoff Ogden: Confusion over this dangerous drug has gone on far too long [Re: Irieforester]
#8397588 - 05/13/08 04:48 PM (3 months, 22 days ago) |
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i wanna try some of this "skunk" weed i keep reading about sounds
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todesengel
Eater of Days
Registered: 08/04/05
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Re: Geoff Ogden: Confusion over this dangerous drug has gone on far too long [Re: hockeyplyr1057]
#8397922 - 05/13/08 06:39 PM (3 months, 22 days ago) |
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Well the gateway theory is correct... I mean, I know I would have never tried other drugs if I never tried weed.
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learningtofly
Stranger
Registered: 05/21/07
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Re: Geoff Ogden: Confusion over this dangerous drug has gone on far too long [Re: todesengel]
#8397959 - 05/13/08 06:50 PM (3 months, 22 days ago) |
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Did you try cigs or alcohol before weed?
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GnuBobo said:
You're a stupid hippie. That's my point.
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raceandsmoke
Registered: 08/15/07
Posts: 130
Last seen: 26 days, 20 hours
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Re: Geoff Ogden: Confusion over this dangerous drug has gone on far too long [Re: learningtofly]
#8398839 - 05/13/08 09:58 PM (3 months, 21 days ago) |
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ya man i tried weed before cigs and beer and it lead me to other shit, but im glad it did so who cares
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pabloescabar
Stranger thanyou
Registered: 05/02/07
Posts: 383
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Re: Geoff Ogden: Confusion over this dangerous drug has gone on far too long [Re: raceandsmoke]
#8399243 - 05/13/08 11:36 PM (3 months, 21 days ago) |
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Of course marijuana is a gateway drug, thats just because a lot of people don't consider alcohol a drug. I do and I can say that I tried ciggs and alcohol way before weed. I have tried "hard" drugs after trying weed.I figured that all my life I was lied to about how bad marijuana was and I just had a hard time believing that "hard" drugs were as bad as I was told too. 
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Invisible_Woe
CollectingIntellects AndExhaling SolarSystems
Registered: 05/25/07
Posts: 330
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Re: Geoff Ogden: Confusion over this dangerous drug has gone on far too long [Re: pabloescabar]
#8399508 - 05/14/08 01:31 AM (3 months, 21 days ago) |
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i find it funny how me my sister and her friend had a very mind expanding conversation on how people automatically stereotype people and we shared a bunch of ideas and actually learned something....now if we didn't have weed we would have been staring at the TV talking about how fat someone has got...or how a person got drunk...yeah....so there....
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The world is like a ride at an amusement park and when you choose to go on it you think it's real, because that's how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up and down and round and round and it has thrills and chills and it's very brightly colored and it's very loud. And it's fun for a while Some people have been on the ride for a long time and they begin to question: Is this real? Or is this just a ride? And other people have remembered and they come back to us and they say Hey! Don't worry don't be afraid ever because this is just a ride. And we kill those people.Shut him up! We have a lot invested in this ride! Look at my furrows of worry look at my big bank account and my family. This has to be real.
www.zeitgeistmovie.com
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 Coaster
ChemicalResearcher
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Posts: 11,354
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Re: Geoff Ogden: Confusion over this dangerous drug has gone on far too long [Re: Invisible_Woe]
#8399513 - 05/14/08 01:33 AM (3 months, 21 days ago) |
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Quote:
Invisible_Woe said:
i find it funny how me my sister and her friend had a very mind expanding conversation on how people automatically stereotype people and we shared a bunch of ideas and actually learned something....now if we didn't have weed we would have been staring at the TV talking about how fat someone has got...or how a person got drunk...yeah....so there....
owned
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Ophanim
The Molecule'sSpirit
Registered: 10/01/07
Posts: 507
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Re: Geoff Ogden: Confusion over this dangerous drug has gone on far too long [Re: Coaster]
#8400145 - 05/14/08 09:31 AM (3 months, 21 days ago) |
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Wow, that reporter didn't even make a half-assed effort to appear objective. What a fuckwad.
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archetype
Registered: 03/16/07
Posts: 262
Loc: Missouri
Last seen: 6 days, 13 hours
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Re: Geoff Ogden: Confusion over this dangerous drug has gone on far too long [Re: Ophanim]
#8401047 - 05/14/08 02:02 PM (3 months, 21 days ago) |
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I can say that my use of marijuana was never a factor that i considered whenever i've experimented with other drugs. I've graciously accepted a first chance with some drugs, and also turned down a first chance with other drugs. My use of marijuana had nothing to do with it; it was a conscious decision that i made on whether i was willing to experiment with a new substance, a weighing of the harms associated with the drug and the advantages of trying it, and an exploration into my own personal morals on the subject.
I smoke weed because it makes me happy. I dose up, eat mushrooms, roll on extacy, and whatever else i want to do because i enjoy it and i'm comfortable with it - not because i smoked weed first. The gateway theory doesn't make much sense to me.
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All keystrokes performed on this user's account are completely random and are not to be taken seriously.
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pabloescabar
Stranger thanyou
Registered: 05/02/07
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Re: Geoff Ogden: Confusion over this dangerous drug has gone on far too long [Re: archetype]
#8402925 - 05/14/08 10:05 PM (3 months, 20 days ago) |
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Quote:
archetype said:
I can say that my use of marijuana was never a factor that i considered whenever i've experimented with other drugs. I've graciously accepted a first chance with some drugs, and also turned down a first chance with other drugs. My use of marijuana had nothing to do with it; it was a conscious decision that i made on whether i was willing to experiment with a new substance, a weighing of the harms associated with the drug and the advantages of trying it, and an exploration into my own personal morals on the subject.
I smoke weed because it makes me happy. I dose up, eat mushrooms, roll on extacy, and whatever else i want to do because i enjoy it and i'm comfortable with it - not because i smoked weed first. The gateway theory doesn't make much sense to me.
That is the best explanation I have ever heard in response to the "gateway" theory. 
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