C
CrazyCatLady
Guest
During her reign, Queen Victoria was reported to have used it for pain relief and for eons, it’s been a favourite of poets, musicians and writers as a siren for the muses. It can naturally grow almost anywhere and the plant itself has multiple uses from paper and clothing material to a natural medication. Yet despite its various uses, in 1928, it was outlawed in Britain, with smoking going underground, particularly in Jazz clubs in London, with the first cannabis drugs bust being in 1952 at the Number 11 Club in Soho. In the hedonism of the ‘60’s and 70’s, Mary Jane became a popular girl, being endorsed by pop stars and grabbing her place in the alternative culture of decades. The Stones, The Beatles, The Doors- following your idols, experimenting with cannabis and recreational drugs became the rebellious comportment of the age. In the 70’s, with the boom of reggae culture and Bob Marley, Mary got another promotion. Throughout the 80’s, she was a backdrop in the Ska culture and still hung around the alternative music scenes; university students using her as a friend to study with. By the ‘90’s, Mary was filtering through nearly every university and council estate and now, one of her components- CBD- is perfectly legal to buy.
But is that enough? Nearly 100 years since it was outlawed, is it time to rethink and reclassify? What would need to be considered, if cannabis was legalised?
There are currently medical trials underway in various parts of the U.K to test vaping cannabis oil and to measure the effects of THC (as opposed to just having CBD content) in a quest to see if it should be legalised as a medical treatment. The test subjects all have diagnosed conditions relating to chronic pain and/or mental health issues, as well as other medical ailments (e.g.: M.S).
If it was legalised and controlled, surely that would take the supply and demand away from illegal drug dealers and the further criminal links to drug dealing (e.g.: people trafficking, county lines & child drug mules). Moreover, if there were outlets- as they had in Amsterdam and have in the U.S- the strains could be controlled.
An issue with street cannabis is that the user doesn’t know what they’re getting- it could be one with higher CBD content (meaning a relaxed, chilled high) or they could get a THC high strain (meaning anxiety could be induced, more thinking and analysing; paranoia to those susceptible).
However, on the flip side, if it was legalised, would there be more demand? More substance addiction? More mental health issues? Would there still be an underground demand due to fear of use being monitored by the authorities?
Your thoughts!
But is that enough? Nearly 100 years since it was outlawed, is it time to rethink and reclassify? What would need to be considered, if cannabis was legalised?
There are currently medical trials underway in various parts of the U.K to test vaping cannabis oil and to measure the effects of THC (as opposed to just having CBD content) in a quest to see if it should be legalised as a medical treatment. The test subjects all have diagnosed conditions relating to chronic pain and/or mental health issues, as well as other medical ailments (e.g.: M.S).
If it was legalised and controlled, surely that would take the supply and demand away from illegal drug dealers and the further criminal links to drug dealing (e.g.: people trafficking, county lines & child drug mules). Moreover, if there were outlets- as they had in Amsterdam and have in the U.S- the strains could be controlled.
An issue with street cannabis is that the user doesn’t know what they’re getting- it could be one with higher CBD content (meaning a relaxed, chilled high) or they could get a THC high strain (meaning anxiety could be induced, more thinking and analysing; paranoia to those susceptible).
However, on the flip side, if it was legalised, would there be more demand? More substance addiction? More mental health issues? Would there still be an underground demand due to fear of use being monitored by the authorities?
Your thoughts!