Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 - Impact Assesment. Petition (30,000 signatures already)

[CrazyColaist]

https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/45969

Sign it if you think you should have freedom.

I dont agree with heroin and crack but cannabis and mdma should be legalized (Y) Cannabis helps me eat & sleep. And dont say well thats from cannabis. cause i had it before i even smoked it & started it cause it helps.

This is a petition by Caroline Lucas who's an MP so her voice will actually mean something.

You gotta be a fully brit to sign it.

[Empired]

Think I'm just gonna have to jump in here and say I genuinely don't care what happens. I don't know that much about it anyway. Just because it's illegal doesn't mean people will stop using it but just because it's made legal doesn't mean it's totally safe. Plus it's possible that people will start to overuse drugs if they're legalised, which is hardly going to be healthy for their health or their bank accounts...

[-:Undertaker:-]

As a libertarian I would like to see all drugs one day legalised. However, I don't take in this rubbish we're fed that cannabis is a safe drug (which I myself used to believe) and regard it as highly dangerous, indeed it's a gateway drug.

While I would like to see drugs legalised completely (I think you should have the freedom to be as stupid and reckless as you want provided it doesn't affect other individuals) I wouldn't back legalising any of them until the National Health Service (NHS) has been abolished. With state health care the problem is that you can sit smoking as much dope as you want and when your mind is gone, you overdose and so on - state health care means everybody else who looks after themselves and who doesn't engage in such stupidity has to pay for you.

Privatise state healthcare, then i'll back drugs being taken off the criminal offences book.

[MKR&*42]

I strongly support decriminalisation of every drug , especially MDMA which hasn't conclusively been proven to cause any damage afaik.

I find it ludicrous alcohol is legal yet the likes of recreational drugs are not.

[mrwoooooooo]

no, people are stupid and dont know their own limits

[AlexJRiley]

Dont care either way, but if they legalise it, people will start driving high and there will be a lot more road traffic accidents.

[AgnesIO]

Don't legalise them. The issue for me, is people will be MORE LIKELY to start using them if they are legal. If someone wants to be a **** and take them, that is their own fault - but by legalising them I think you are giving the message that people should start taking them - something I am strongly against.

[Daltron]

Interesting.. but I don't know that this petition will get the matter anywhere where the people singing it want it to be idk

[AgnesIO]

Interesting.. but I don't know that this petition will get the matter anywhere where the people singing it want it to be idk

Can I assume you meant signing, not singing? :L

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi1nxu-Sy-w

Full debate on drugs here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCxDrfs4GtM

[FlyingJesus]

Dont care either way, but if they legalise it, people will start driving high and there will be a lot more road traffic accidents.

Driving whilst intoxicated would still be just as illegal since it involves the safety of others in a direct way

[Kardan]

I'd like to keep them illegal thanks.

[AlexJRiley]

Driving whilst intoxicated would still be just as illegal since it involves the safety of others in a direct way

Yeah but as soon as it become a legalised habbit, then it'll increase the likelihood of a road traffic accident whilst intoxicated.

[Kardan]

Yeah but as soon as it become a legalised habbit, then it'll increase the likelihood of a road traffic accident whilst intoxicated.

Certainly will!

[FlyingJesus]

If a person is likely to drive while intoxicated then they'll do so whatever's available to them - people with a brain and some regard for other peoples' lives simply won't. Having more flavours of ice-cream in a shop won't make me buy any if I've gone there to get toilet roll

[Nistez]

Well, legalizing weed is indeed a very controversial topic. First of all, I don't think we fully understand all the concepts of marijuana. Twenty years ago, doctor would recommend smoking (tobacco) as a way to relax those who were under stress and etc, but today we know that smoking causes disease and sometimes even death. What we know for now is that weed helps in many cases where no other artificial medicine works, therefore its uses should be considered by people that know that they might encounter issues we do not yet understand in the future.

But that's just my opinion :p

[CrazyColaist]

some peoples opinion is abit short minded. people who smoke cannabis dont cause as much crap as people who drink.

[Kardan]

some peoples opinion is abit short minded. people who smoke cannabis dont cause as much crap as people who drink.

But does that make it ok?

[CrazyColaist]

But does that make it ok?


mutual

im just saying thousands of lives would be better. and i dont think people would want to go for coke or ketamine etc if cannabis is legal

[Kardan]

mutual

im just saying thousands of lives would be better. and i dont think people would want to go for coke or ketamine etc if cannabis is legal

And how many would be worse off?

It's a bit like saying: "Make child sex legal, it will make thousands of lives better off..."

[FlyingJesus]

I don't think there are any claims that sex with children has any health benefits though

[Kardan]

I don't think there are any claims that sex with children has any health benefits though

Ahh, I was thinking more along the lines of pleasure and happiness as opposed to health benefits :P

[Firehorse]

I think the government is stupid not to legalise them, they're missing out on a cut of a multi-billion pound industry. Legalising and taxing recreational drugs could solve the financial deficit.

Legalising it would also remove the crime aspect around dealing, and the drugs themselves would be safer as the production would be policed (no more mixing cocaine with washing powder or spraying cannabis with liquid glass).

[-:Undertaker:-]

I think the government is stupid not to legalise them, they're missing out on a cut of a multi-billion pound industry. Legalising and taxing recreational drugs could solve the financial deficit.

And who pays for the doped up, stuttering idiots who have ruined their mental health and are incapable/don't want to work? the same applies to healthcare as I mentioned earlier. Unless welfare is at the same time stripped back, people won't take responsibility for their own actions - something we see when people describe drug addiction as a 'disease' rather than what it is - a selfish action.

Again, I think people ought to have the right to be selfish and ruin their lives - but not if the rest of us are going to be forced to pay for their stupidity.

[Firehorse]

And who pays for the doped up, stuttering idiots who have ruined their mental health and are incapable/don't want to work? the same applies to healthcare as I mentioned earlier. Unless welfare is at the same time stripped back, people won't take responsibility for their own actions - something we see when people describe drug addiction as a 'disease' rather than what it is - a selfish action.

Again, I think people ought to have the right to be selfish and ruin their lives - but not if the rest of us are going to be forced to pay for their stupidity.

I hardly think it will make a difference. The amount of people who already take drugs regularly is insane, and I doubt that figure will change more than about 5% if these drugs were legalised. The fact is it's already happening, so you either let it be an illegal practice and pay for the damage or take control of it. The money made by taxing recreational drugs would heavily outweigh the cost on the NHS, it's the same with cigarettes.

[Kardan]

I hardly think it will make a difference. The amount of people who already take drugs regularly is insane, and I doubt that figure will change more than about 5% if these drugs were legalised. The fact is it's already happening, so you either let it be an illegal practice and pay for the damage or take control of it. The money made by taxing recreational drugs would heavily outweigh the cost on the NHS, it's the same with cigarettes.

So the government should only care about profits and not the well being of people?

And it's not just the NHS cost that will go up. What about the drugged up people that vandalise buildings? Crash cars and damage roads? And if drugs do become regulated, who is going to do that for free? There's a lot more to think about than simply NHS costs.

And do you have any source for thinking that the amount of drug users will only go up by 5%?

I think if you look at numbers of how many people use drugs and compare it to how many people drink alcohol (and perhaps how many people have been a regular smoker), the numbers are vastly difference, more than 5%.

[-:Undertaker:-]

I hardly think it will make a difference. The amount of people who already take drugs regularly is insane, and I doubt that figure will change more than about 5% if these drugs were legalised. The fact is it's already happening, so you either let it be an illegal practice and pay for the damage or take control of it. The money made by taxing recreational drugs would heavily outweigh the cost on the NHS, it's the same with cigarettes.

It isn't just NHS costs though, it's the fact that you'll end up with many people sitting around having destroyed their brains, speech and thinking power to the level of a dummy - not only do they then rely on state healthcare - but also their welfare (income, housing etc) from cradle to grave.

[Andeeh]

The Goverment won't do anything for a while I feel, they repeatedly ignore experts advice on the impact of these drugs and whether they should be reclassified, hell even America are ahead of us legalizing marijuana in Colarado and Washington under State law as well as hundreds of medical cannabis dispensaries across many states in the US.

[AgnesIO]

The Goverment won't do anything for a while I feel, they repeatedly ignore experts advice on the impact of these drugs and whether they should be reclassified, hell even America are ahead of us legalizing marijuana in Colarado and Washington under State law as well as hundreds of medical cannabis dispensaries across many states in the US.

"Even America"? Don't see why this is so incredible.

---

The argument that it would bring money in from taxes is flawed. I'm sure legalising every weapon in the world would help bring in taxes if they were allowed to be sold to any Tom, **** or Harry. Should we go ahead and allow people to purchase AK47's?

[FlyingJesus]

There is a huge difference between a substance whose main purpose is for individual gratification on a temporary basis and an item whose only purpose is bringing death. Likewise there is a huge difference between drug users and drug abusers, which people somehow don't seem to realise

[AgnesIO]

There is a huge difference between a substance whose main purpose is for individual gratification on a temporary basis and an item whose only purpose is bringing death. Likewise there is a huge difference between drug users and drug abusers, which people somehow don't seem to realise

You missed my point. I was merely stating that just because something might make more in taxes, doesn't make it a wonderful idea.

[Stephen]

Petition won't do anything

doubt any of the big guys will want to risk a such a huge blow to their reputation

The government will continue to ban stuff and spout lies just to show the brainwashed public that they're attempting to do something. They don't even listen to their own advisory council and look at david nutt who got sacked for speaking his mind the truth

[Firehorse]

So the government should only care about profits and not the well being of people?

And it's not just the NHS cost that will go up. What about the drugged up people that vandalise buildings? Crash cars and damage roads? And if drugs do become regulated, who is going to do that for free? There's a lot more to think about than simply NHS costs.

And do you have any source for thinking that the amount of drug users will only go up by 5%?

I think if you look at numbers of how many people use drugs and compare it to how many people drink alcohol (and perhaps how many people have been a regular smoker), the numbers are vastly difference, more than 5%.

The whole point of legalisation is that it cares for the well being of people, it means that drugs would be regulated the same way other pharmaceuticals are, meaning people would know what they are consuming. Cannabis alone is not dangerous, over consumption/dosing and contaminants are what make it dangerous, exactly the same as legal pharmaceuticals.
Cocaine is very often mixed with washing powder in order to increase the dealer's profits, so people are currently consuming all kinds of poison without knowing.
The spraying of cannabis with micro-granules of glass to increase the weight of the product, and thus the profit to the dealer, has become more common; inhaling hot glass residue is certainly not healthy. If anything causes damage to someone, either physically or mentally, it's more likely to be the glass vapour than the cannabis.

The legalisation of cannabis, ecstasy and cocaine would reduce the number of people turning to "legal highs" which have inconsistent effects and can be exceedingly dangerous as they are majorly undocumented.

The drugged up people that vandalise buildings, crash cars and commit other such crimes already exist. Making a drug legal will not change the type of people we have in society. In the same way alcohol is regulated, restrictions are already in place on what a person can do when intoxicated.

If somebody wants to get high, they get their stuff from a dealer and get high; whether it's legal or not doesn't make a difference to who chooses to get high, it's just the difference between a drug dealer making the profit or law-abiding society making the profit.

Alcohol was never outlawed in the UK, and during the prohibition in the USA alcohol was still consumed at similar levels after the first couple of years which is reason to believe the impact for other drugs will be similar. Alcohol has always been more widely consumed, even when cannabis was legal it was not consumed as heavily as alcohol.
Just because it's legal doesn't mean it has to be advertised as healthy, same goes for cigarettes.

Also like I've said previously, the financial benefits to society would FAR outweigh the costs. A 2010 study from Cato estimated an annual boost of $8.7 billion USD to the American economy if cannabis was legalised, when scaling this to the size of the UK population in proportion to that of America it would mean a boost of 2.001 billion each year, then when you bring into consideration that America's equivalent of VAT is less than half our rate this would effectively double that estimate.

[Empired]

no, people are stupid and dont know their own limits
I actually totally agree with this. Plus by legalising drugs we are encouraging people who wouldn't otherwise have done drugs to try them.

[Mark]

The knock on effect wouldn't be a positive one so I won't be signing

[Stephen]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkcO_wJ9yKo&t=12m25s

[Kardan]

The whole point of legalisation is that it cares for the well being of people, it means that drugs would be regulated the same way other pharmaceuticals are, meaning people would know what they are consuming. Cannabis alone is not dangerous, over consumption/dosing and contaminants are what make it dangerous, exactly the same as legal pharmaceuticals.
Cocaine is very often mixed with washing powder in order to increase the dealer's profits, so people are currently consuming all kinds of poison without knowing.
The spraying of cannabis with micro-granules of glass to increase the weight of the product, and thus the profit to the dealer, has become more common; inhaling hot glass residue is certainly not healthy. If anything causes damage to someone, either physically or mentally, it's more likely to be the glass vapour than the cannabis.

The legalisation of cannabis, ecstasy and cocaine would reduce the number of people turning to "legal highs" which have inconsistent effects and can be exceedingly dangerous as they are majorly undocumented.

The drugged up people that vandalise buildings, crash cars and commit other such crimes already exist. Making a drug legal will not change the type of people we have in society. In the same way alcohol is regulated, restrictions are already in place on what a person can do when intoxicated.

If somebody wants to get high, they get their stuff from a dealer and get high; whether it's legal or not doesn't make a difference to who chooses to get high, it's just the difference between a drug dealer making the profit or law-abiding society making the profit.

Alcohol was never outlawed in the UK, and during the prohibition in the USA alcohol was still consumed at similar levels after the first couple of years which is reason to believe the impact for other drugs will be similar. Alcohol has always been more widely consumed, even when cannabis was legal it was not consumed as heavily as alcohol.
Just because it's legal doesn't mean it has to be advertised as healthy, same goes for cigarettes.

Also like I've said previously, the financial benefits to society would FAR outweigh the costs. A 2010 study from Cato estimated an annual boost of $8.7 billion USD to the American economy if cannabis was legalised, when scaling this to the size of the UK population in proportion to that of America it would mean a boost of 2.001 billion each year, then when you bring into consideration that America's equivalent of VAT is less than half our rate this would effectively double that estimate.

You do raise some good points, so I'll be quick and just bring up a few things.

Making drugs legal won't entirely get rid of 'fake' products... People will still go and get cheaper cigarettes and not know what they're smoking... Likewise for drugs.

Technically if you legalised the drugs, more people would be using "legal highs" as cannabis etc would be classified as legal highs, would they not? :P Now, putting my pedantry aside, why would make drugs legal push people away from these current legal highs we have? Half say it will stop people from using other drugs, the other half say it's a gateway drug. Personally, I have no opinion on this since I'm pretty much clueless on the front.

Drugged up people do exist, but my point is that we are only allowing the numbers of these people to go up. Drink driving is more common than driving under the influence of illegal drugs. Why? Simply because more people drink.

I don't think comparing the US alcohol ban in the 1920's has much relevance in a drugs ban in the 21st century in the UK. Entirely difference scenarios.

Once again, the US and the UK are different. Whilst I agree it *could* make a profit, is it really worth it?

[CrazyColaist]

And how many would be worse off?

It's a bit like saying: "Make child sex legal, it will make thousands of lives better off..."

not really cause child sex isnt healthy & its immoral

whats so immoral about a plant?
what makes us so big to dictate what is nature and whats not.

[Kardan]

not really cause child sex isnt healthy & its immoral

whats so immoral about a plant?
what makes us so big to dictate what is nature and whats not.

Drugs aren't healthy either... And I consider drugs to be immoral, but surely morality is different for each person? I'm sure you'll say you don't find drugs immoral.

[CrazyColaist]

Drugs aren't healthy either... And I consider drugs to be immoral, but surely morality is different for each person? I'm sure you'll say you don't find drugs immoral.

You take drugs when you have hayfever and when you have a headache. why cant i take cannabis to help my depression? i think i woulda been dead by now cos i was so suicidal when i was a kid.

[Kardan]

You take drugs when you have hayfever and when you have a headache. why cant i take cannabis to help my depression? i think i woulda been dead by now cos i was so suicidal when i was a kid.

I actually don't take those type of drugs either :P I think the last time I had paracetamol was when I was a kid and had calpol :P

[Stephen]

You do raise some good points, so I'll be quick and just bring up a few things.
Making drugs legal won't entirely get rid of 'fake' products... People will still go and get cheaper cigarettes and not know what they're smoking... Likewise for drugs.

Technically if you legalised the drugs, more people would be using "legal highs" as cannabis etc would be classified as legal highs, would they not? :P Now, putting my pedantry aside, why would make drugs legal push people away from these current legal highs we have? Half say it will stop people from using other drugs, the other half say it's a gateway drug. Personally, I have no opinion on this since I'm pretty much clueless on the front.

Drugged up people do exist, but my point is that we are only allowing the numbers of these people to go up. Drink driving is more common than driving under the influence of illegal drugs. Why? Simply because more people drink.

I don't think comparing the US alcohol ban in the 1920's has much relevance in a drugs ban in the 21st century in the UK. Entirely difference scenarios.

Once again, the US and the UK are different. Whilst I agree it *could* make a profit, is it really worth it?

unlike cigarettes people would rather pay a higher price for a decent high than a lower price for low quality crap

The law is cat and mouse with legal highs. Would you rather the known and studied chemicals were made available or would you rather dangerous alternatives be released legally into the wild every week? I just don't understand some people's minds when they're against drugs. It's like all common sense when it comes to drugs has been drained from their brains a la government brainwash. My sister went to glastonbury and told me how she was disgusted that her friend took mdma..... but while that person continued their day all chatty, loved up and happy, my sister was drinking alcohol and obviously ended up this stumbling mumbling nauseous mess

The law against drugs was created to protect users and other people from the harms caused by dangerous drugs... but atm it's being used to ban anything that alters a person's consiousness in anyway deemed unnatural

[CrazyColaist]

I actually don't take those type of drugs either :P I think the last time I had paracetamol was when I was a kid and had calpol :P

doesnt matter, you remember ur so anti drugs when ur any of your family ends up in hospital or life support. then u will shut up.

[Kardan]

doesnt matter, you remember ur so anti drugs when ur any of your family ends up in hospital or life support. then u will shut up.

I have no issue with people using drugs for medicine if recommended by a doctor. This isn't what this petition is about though.

[AgnesIO]

doesnt matter, you remember ur so anti drugs when ur any of your family ends up in hospital or life support. then u will shut up.

When my family end up on life support, I don't think I would be enthusiastic about the idea of giving them any form of narcotics.

[Stephen]

I have no issue with people using drugs for medicine if recommended by a doctor. This isn't what this petition is about though.

caffeine isn't recommended by doctors but people use it to help them wake up in the morning

[AgnesIO]

caffeine isn't recommended by doctors but people use it to help them wake up in the morning

As far as I am aware, I can drive a car without any issues no matter how many cups of coffee I have driven before.

[Stephen]

so the law is based on whether you're able to drive a car or not while on it

[AgnesIO]

so the law is based on whether you're able to drive a car or not while on it

No, but I don't want anyone taking drugs if I feel my own safety could be in danger. For alcohol, the law gets stricter and stricter which I don't think is a bad thing. Part of my issue with cannabis would be people smoking it in the street - when someone has alcohol, I don't inhale their fumes, when someone smokes cannabis I do.

The same obviously occurs with smoking tobacco, but I'd make it illegal to stop people smoking when walking in front of me if I could ;l

[FlyingJesus]

As far as I am aware, I can drive a car without any issues no matter how many cups of coffee I have driven before.

Pretty poor point to make tbh, I've driven while on all sorts of things and done just fine but I don't think it's a good idea and would have absolutely no defence if I'd been caught because it was a stupid and reckless thing to do - just because I was (and perhaps would be again) able to do it doesn't mean I'd condone it in any way. It amazes me how many people don't realise that a drug is a drug and legal rulings on a substance do not determine its damage