Legalize it - Yay or Nay?

[Sky]

I will support legalizing marijuana. It will make some sort of dent in the cocaine market and definitely affect demand......

inb4 some moron talks about gateway drug because other morons have no self control.

[X2]

There was a great documentary on CNN just the other night that was put together by Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Finally the truth is coming out... cancer treatment, seizure treatment, low levels of impairment seen in normal users, potential for addiction very low (psychological only, no evidence of chemical addiction as with cigs or alcho), no significant withdrawal symptoms....

only problem is that anything the government get involved in gets immediately tainted with radioactive feces...

[Jahflame]

I saw that. Legalization is imminent. Marcia Henville also did an episode of Point Blank where she covered certain aspects of the ganja trade on sunday 11th aug. I found her presentation sadly lacking in pertinent content and her choice of individuals to interview was also very poor.

[fouljuice]

It had something on news last night where I think I see/hear Anand or someone talking about possible decriminalization of certain drugs.

But I really not sure because, during that point in time Flow was phoqing up and the tv audio/video was real poor.

[K74T]

It had something on news last night where I think I see/hear Anand or someone talking about possible decriminalization of certain drugs.

But I really not sure because, during that point in time Flow was phoqing up and the tv audio/video was real poor.

Yeah, didn't watch that part, I just saw it on the headlines

[kevcam]

Dookeran: T&T should weigh new marijuana policy

Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Dookeran said yesterday Government should find a way to decriminalise the use of drugs like marijuana. “We should find ways and means to decriminalise the operation and the use of drugs,” he said during a signing ceremony on agreements between Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala.

The conversation during the ceremony turned when Guatemalan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luis Fernando Carrera Castro, raised the concept of decriminalisation as a type of policy reform with the hope it would curb the organised crime system that has been built up around global drug trades. That new approach would treat recreational or experimental drug use in a manner more similar to how the tobacco industry was currently treated.

“Today we are losing many of our young people to organised crime and to drug traffickers because we cannot manage the problem correctly,” Castro added. The Organisation of American States’ declaration on the drug problem, which Dookeran said he was in full support of, encourages “the consideration of new approaches to the world drug problem in the Americas based on scientific knowledge and evidence.”

Although Dookeran was careful not to specify whether T&T would be putting measures in place to legalise any forms of narcotics, such as marijuana, he did endorse the OAS declaration and said the T&T Government would “try to translate those policies into action by the relevant bodies. “I think the concept was to decriminalise as opposed to legalising it,” Dookeran said.

Castro pointed out Uruguay’s recent bill to legalise the production and the sale and consumption of marijuana, which was passed on July 31 in the lower house of congress. The bill will make Uruguay the world’s first nation to create a legal marijuana market, he said. “We’re encouraged by this,” said Castro, who highlighted the need for a multi-lateral approach to the problem, with an international agreement on policy instead of single countries changing their laws.

He referred to the problem as being “a human issue.” “We believe that in the long term, recreational consumption of drugs will continue to exist but we can regulate the market and we can control it so that organised crime does not take our young people,” he said.

http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2013-08- ... ana-policy

[Jahflame]

All yuh know is this post that make Dookie say dat eh lol

[JoeBama]

The way to go is to treat, not charge
Seetahal on decriminalising simple possession of marijuana:
By Jensen LaVende

Story Created: Aug 15, 2013 at 9:25 PM ECT

Story Updated: Aug 15, 2013 at 10:27 PM ECT

SENIOR criminal lawyer Dana Seetahal says she is in support of decriminalising simple possession of marijuana.

On Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran said the State should find ways and means to decriminalise the operation and the use of drugs.

Dookeran added that the concept is to decrimi­nalise, as opposed to legalising it.

He was speaking at a signing ceremony for agreements between Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala.

In a telephone interview with the Express on Wednesday, Seetahal said what usually happens is that the offence is not prosecuted, as opposed to it being lega­lised.

Seetahal said people who are users are usually the ones charged with simple possession.

She said she was of the belief that the way to go is not to charge, but to treat them. She was also in favour of a drug rehabilitation court.

Seetahal said former commissioner of prisons John Rougier said a quarter of the prison population was there due to offences related to simple drug possession.

She said there is no need to draft new legislation, but instead establish policy not to prosecute those charged with simple possession.

She added that special consideration should be given to those who are in possession of a small quantity of mari­juana and are held close to a school.

[kurpal_v2]

X2, from a literal sense, any marijuana found naturally occurring in the Hindu-Kush valley from Afghanistan to pakistan, over northern india, is called kush...by extension, any commercial strains sharing genetics from these 'kush' plants carry the name...

cannabis indica is the subspecies native to that area, and only grows naturally there, sativa is found everywhere else practically. the indica plants from this area were used for making hash and usually were more potent than most other strains, so, the name stuck and was associated with 'real haaaad ting bai'

Swear all these dealers have either "kush" or "high grade"

[JoeBama]

The genus Cannabis contains two species which produce useful amounts of psychoactive cannabinoids. Cannabis indica produces a higher level of Cannabidiol (abbreviated CBD) relative to THC (the primary psychoactive component in medical and recreational cannabis). Cannabis sativa, on the other hand, produces a higher level of THC relative to CBD.[4]

Medical use of sativa is associated with a cerebral high, and many patients experience stimulating effects. For this reason, sativa is often used for daytime treatment. It may cause more of a euphoric, "high" sensation, and tends to stimulate hunger, making it potentially useful to patients with eating disorders or anorexia. Sativa also exhibits a higher tendency to induce anxiety and paranoia, so patients prone to these effects may limit treatment with pure sativa, or choose hybrid strains.[5]

Cannabis indica is associated with sedative effects and is often preferred for night time use, including for treatment of insomnia.[6] Indica is also associated with a more "stoned" or meditative sensation than the euphoric, stimulating effects of sativa, possibly because of a higher CBD-to-THC ratio.[7]

Many strains of cannabis are currently cultivated for medical use, including strains of both species in varying potencies, as well as hybrid strains designed to incorporate the benefits of both species. Hybrids commonly available can be heavily dominated by either Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica, or relatively balanced, such as so-called "50/50" strains.

Cannabis strains with relatively high CBD-to-THC ratios, usually indica-dominant strains, are less likely to induce anxiety. This may be due to CBD's receptor antagonistic effects at the cannabinoid receptor, compared to THC's partial agonist effect. CBD is also a 5-HT1A receptor agonist, which may also contribute to an anxiolytic effect.[6] This likely means the high concentrations of CBD found in Cannabis indica mitigate the anxiogenic effect of THC significantly.[6]

[JoeBama]

"Victoria", the United States' first legal medical marijuana plant grown by The Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana

A 2002 review of medical literature by Franjo Grotenhermen states that medical cannabis has established effects in the treatment of nausea, vomiting, premenstrual syndrome, unintentional weight loss, insomnia, and lack of appetite. Other "relatively well-confirmed" effects were in the treatment of "spasticity, painful conditions, especially neurogenic pain, movement disorders, asthma, [and] glaucoma".

Preliminary findings indicate that cannabis-based drugs could prove useful in treating adrenal disease, inflammatory bowel disease, migraines, fibromyalgia, and related conditions.

Medical cannabis has also been found to relieve certain symptoms of multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injuries by exhibiting antispasmodic and muscle-relaxant properties as well as stimulating appetite.

Other studies state that cannabis or cannabinoids may be useful in treating alcohol abuse, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, collagen-induced arthritis, asthma, atherosclerosis, bipolar disorder, colorectal cancer, HIV-Associated Sensory Neuropathy, depression, dystonia, epilepsy,digestive diseases, gliomas, hepatitis C, Huntington's disease, leukemia, skin tumors, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Parkinson's disease, pruritus, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psoriasis, sickle-cell disease, sleep apnea, and anorexia nervosa. Controlled research on treating Tourette syndrome with a synthetic version of THC called (Marinol), showed the patients taking the pill had a beneficial response without serious adverse effects; other studies have shown that cannabis "has no effects on tics and increases the individuals inner tension". Case reports found that cannabis helped reduce tics, but validation of these results requires longer, controlled studies on larger samples.

A study done by Craig Reinarman surveyed people in California who used cannabis found they did so for many reasons. Reported uses were for pain relief, muscle spasms, headaches, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, depression, cramps, panic attacks, diarrhea, and itching. Others used cannabis to improve sleep, relaxation, appetite, concentration or focus, and energy. Some patients used it to prevent medication side effects, anger, involuntary movements, and seizures, while others used it as a substitute for other prescription medications and alcohol.

[Jahflame]

If you had to choose between a high driver or a drunk driver, which would you pick?

[noshownogo]

Fifth Gear did a segment several years ago which suggested that a high driver, one who smoked cannabis, was less likely to get into an accident than his drunk counterpart.

[Jahflame]

I would choose the high driver once he doesn't have any more on him.

[pete]

I'd prefer neither of them drive to be honest.

1/4 of the prison population is people on small possession?

Would/could they be freed if this is decriminalized? That's a lot of people our tax dollars are paying to feed and train to be hard criminals for a sheit law.

[Yodins]

Did someone delete my posts?

[Jahflame]

There are also people in prison for possession that could be making valuable contributions to our society instead of being locked up for a plant. It's a stupid law initially put in place by selfish, stupid people and perpetuated by even more stupid people who blindly follow any law they are told to obey like sheep.

Whether they legalize it or not, they can never stop it, so they may as well choose logic over history and get with the damn program. Bunch a self serving bastards.

[lostallos101]

a next thing too, hemp on the whole is a super useful thing, amount of uses for that including health can be put to great use. We can become pioneers for the world tho Amsterdam has it legal already

[Jahflame]

There is absolutely no good reason for weed to be illegal.

[zoom rader]

Not this chead again.

[bluesteel29]

a next thing too, hemp on the whole is a super useful thing, amount of uses for that including health can be put to great use. We can become pioneers for the world tho Amsterdam has it legal already

cannabis is tolerated in Amsterdam not legalized.

[Yodins]

a next thing too, hemp on the whole is a super useful thing, amount of uses for that including health can be put to great use. We can become pioneers for the world tho Amsterdam has it legal already

I wonder if hemp worse to smoke than cigarettes since it eh have no filter?

[Jahflame]

Neither of them are any good to smoke, but hemp/beedies are supposedly less toxic than cigarettes. However I heard they does kill yuh tow-tee so...

[bluesteel29]

Neither of them are any good to smoke, but hemp/beedies are supposedly less toxic than cigarettes. However I heard they does kill yuh tow-tee so...

beedies are tobacco rolled in a leaf...dont know y we in trini call it hemp