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Last updated: Thursday 29 Oct 2009
1XTRA NEWS: THE REAL TALK OF THE STREETS
Should cannabis have been reclassified?
Cannabis joint
Professor Nutt says cannabis is less dangerous than alcohol & cigarettes
The government's been criticised by its most senior adviser on drugs over the decision to reclassify cannabis from a Class C drug to Class B.
Professor David Nutt claims ecstasy, LSD and cannabis are all less dangerous than both alcohol and cigarettes.

He says he's not happy that his advice on reclassifying cannabis was ignored.

Last year worries about the links between high-strength cannabis and mental health issues led to the government reclassifying it as a Class B drug, despite disagreement from official advisers.
Do you agree with Professor Nutt?

Or was the government right to reclassify cannabis?

Do you think cannabis is less dangerous than cigarettes and alcohol?

odee
it is known for drink and fags to be more dangerous than ganja. The plant also has many medical factors within it. But just like alcohol it can be abused to an extent where the user suffers from personal experience, it should be used not abused.

RJ80
There is no doubt in my mind that cannabis should to be decriminalised. There have been very few deaths due to it's use (dubious ones at that!) so it is far less dangerous than alcohol or tobacco. With regards to mental illness, I think stress will claim more victims than cannabis ever will. legalise it, control it, tax it. Less money in criminal hands, less kids getting hold of it, less public money spent on trying to stop it and higher quality weed. Everyones a winner!

Ziggy
Legalize the erb.. its natural unlike all these man made drugs.. it makes u feel relaxed therefore no worrys!!BURNIN MARIJUANA 'PON D CORNA, KEEP ME CALMER, MAKE ME SMARTER. SNM!

James Goodman
Legalize it.I smoke cannabis daily and find it helps me to relax after work and college.Cannabis enables people to self medicate with a natural herb which so many people smoke today in secrecy to ensure that others do not judge them as a "drug addict".By legalizing cannabis the government will be able to remove millions of untaxed pounds from terrorists, gangs and other shady characters.It is very easy for someone who has never really smoked cannabis to say "Its harmful and dangerous". Cannabis is soo commonly used in todays society..Everyone could do far worse for themselves than smoking a few jay-reefers :) Peace out 1xtra

LCA SUPPORTER
CANNABIS SHOULD BE LEGALISED - LETS TAX THE WEED AND HAVE THE 1/5 PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY WHO SMOKE OR HAVE SMOKED CANNABIS WITHIN THE LAST YEAR CONTRIBUTE TO THE ECONOMY; INSTEAD OF FUNDING WHO KNOWS WHAT

angel
yes i totally agree, what they need to do is make it legal like in amsterdam. anything doctors us to treat patients is obviously fine i personally smoke it to get rid of period pains and im fine. those who have smoked weed then gone on to harder drugs are drugies from a longer time and would try anything weed is not 2 blame...

John
It should have remained a class C. The liberal democrats will legalize it.

Thom Allen
Cannabis is not a safe drug, but by lying about it politicians will make people think they are lying about heroin and crack as well.

Jade
I Think That it should not change as people are still gonna smoke it and sell it in example cocaine Class A And People Still go and buy it as they need there fix so i think it dont matter what class a drug is its not going to stop People Smoking it

barry
i have smoked pot into my 40s and still do ,i feel fine no mental problems .in my late 30s i quit tobacco and alcohol this was the best thing i ever did!the problem in my eyes is education .i admire proffesor nut for standing up to the goverment and speaking the truth youth of today dont need this misinformation.its not safe but compared to tobacco and alcohol it is .what we need is to educate people on the different types of weed out there and theres 1000s all different strengths and different effects .its also true as with many things in life that somepeople pre dissposed to mental conditions should not be doing any of these drugs legal or not .big up westwood!

katrina
i have multiple sclerosis and cannabis is the best thing thats has helped me. I get really bad spasms and cannabis is the only thing that stops it .............I think cannabis should be made legal and do it like amsterdam, they have it under control so why cant we...............

pablo-p
First..i must say to the politicians give back MR NUTTS his job...second....i suffered with cronic pain in my back an leg ...i have been going to doctor for medication ..taking all those pain killers make me sick..when i smoke a spliff it does the job better ...saving the NHS millions....legalise it.. eat before smoke...like the doctor says eat before taking tablets....paplo-p.....

barry patrick
IT's a funny world, where live in Australia, it's illegal, except in one state and the capital territory Cannberra, where how politicions work, i guess its less harmful there. barry patrick

kotch
I strongly agree with Dr Nutt, i have experienced both sides of the arguement, ive been out on a night where all i have done is drink and have the occassional cig, and ive had nights where ive done a few E's and what i found is that on the morning after drinking and smoking i feel bad, my throat hurts and i have a constant headache, where as on a night when i had a few E's i woke up feeling clear headed, had a better time, remembered more of the night and only had a bit of muscle ache from all the dancing, i also smoke weed on a daily basis, and find it a much more social than drinking, more calmer, funnier and all round relaxing, i will continue to do the drugs i do wheather they are reclassified or not, i will stand by my beliefs

Dan
Amazing, first the drug advisory council recommend that cannabis should be a class c, the government ignore this and classify it to class b. Professor Nutt agrees it should be a class c, again the government ignores this advice. Keep looking Gordon, maybe someone somewhere will give you the answer you want... what next? an unelected prime minister destroying OUR country or a man responsible for leading us into an illegal war being touted as the president of Europe...no never !!

Ben
Cannibis May Affect The Human Body But Whats The Rate Of Crime Coursed By Cannibis Its Very Low And If Its That Bad How Can The Goverment prescribe methadone To People And Put Tax On Fags So They Make Monney From People Dieing. Its Twisted Just Cuz Its Tax Free Dosent Make It illegal Just Means They Carnt Get There Gardens Done. Bless

Jawjee
tbqh, it should have an age restriction on it, if people say that alcohol is legal.. it is illegal to give or sell it to someone under the age of 18, so technically.. people are comparing it to alcohol which they shouldnt. Even though kids would still smoke it, i bet they only smoke it cause there mates have got 'um into it.

Lisa
If cannabis was made legal at least it could be moderated. There are so many types of cannabis out there that have been tampered with and have added chemicals and been sprayed with this and sprayed with that. Yeah it makes the high better but if it was made legal then at least people would know what they are smoking. im suprised its not legal...another thing for the government to over tax us on.

Hungrey
i think cannabis should be legal plus i know that mps smoke it and sniff anyway

Aston
i think they should make it legal no o ne aint gonna quit just beacuse wat they say

ashish buddhdev
Wag waan 1XtraPersonally i think that cannabis should be made legal!It is not a gateway drug so shh!Further more, every time i turn on the news i only c the so called negative effects of cannabis port-raid by the media, what about the positive properties of the substance? cannabis has many medicinal purposes including the treatment of; epilepsy, asthma, anorexia and it is also used for pain relief. Am bare mash up now like so add me on msn init an we can talk about the subject in depth another time, that is more suitable and convienient 4 both u and i, peace out brudda 1 luv xmake cannabis legal 2 end the recession ...

YOU WANT TO REED THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
shame on the pm sham on the govment in the 60,s herb was grown on the land ie it came from places like africa mexico and thailand and jamaica, the land grown pure types have a happy up nice not to strong buzz. It's like a pint of beer but will make you happy - so you will not want to wee on war memorials - this country is shamed around the world for how we drink too much! Because plants are no longer imported from such places they're too strong and heavy. The buzz is heavy and down so this is what we see on the street. They are designed to grow with big yields and fast turanaround! Coffee shops would mean that all the good types would be on the menu again and all the real benefits for people who are ill could get what thay need. Like wine some is good, some is not so good. Even the hevy strains can help people with medical problems like insomana etc. With things like spice which is a nasty synthetic cannibis which is very bad and realy realy dangerous and strong, when its banned it will just be replaced. End this silly silly war on drugs. Mr Brown be bold do the right thing like Obama and Cameron. lol :) NINJA

Daniel
I beleive that cannabis is not as dangerous as alcohol in any way. Just look at the amount of deaths cigaretts and alcohol have caused as compared to the whole sero amount of deaths caused by cannabis. But it's all good because the government got their hands on them first and managed to tax them :/ don't you think it's funny how the government make money by selling us things that destroy our body and eventually kill us haha THEIR the drug dealers.

foxyfox
I think everything in moderation. If you smoke too much over a long period of time there is a chance you may have psychotic episodes, the same as if you get lagging on a regular basis there is a chance you may become dependent and destroy your liver.

Gavinda Singh
Agree that Cannnabis should never be a class b and desputable weather it should be a illeagal to even buy, in regards to the alcohol testing strengh and effect would be classed as A. However i don't agree with the LSD because out of all those drugs that has serious psychological damaging effects on the brain BIG

jay
i think cannabis should be legal, many people die each day from drink and medically nobody has ever died just from cannabis and i have research this . alcohol is bad for you.

wooski
If cannabis had been introduced into teh country as early as tobacco or alcohol it would never go through any of this, it would be legal in the same way as alcohol is.
its a fact that the death rate from alcohol and tobacco is in the thousands every year and tobacco causes cancer every year due to all the chemicals, there is not a real definate case of death due to cannabis smoking in history and the only research that says it kills brain cells is flawed,
hooking a gas mask to an ape and pumping it with cannabis smoke for long periods of time until it dies does not show anything about smoking weed, it only shows what we already know, inhaling no oxgen will kill you.



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