Sunday, March 11, 2007

Tripping is an Every Day UK Event

We've often debated drugs on this blog. The UK Events blogger went on a bit of a trip yesterday. Read his story HERE. What a horrifying tale. It's interesting that he says cannabis is becoming more difficult to come by so people are looking for substitutes. Proof that cannabis is a gateway drug I suppose.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Iain,

How is this proof that cannabis is a "gateway" drug? By definition, if cannabis were more freely available these people would not be seeking substitutes. If anything, then, reducing the supply of cannabis nudges people towards taking other drugs.

(And, yes, just because most, perhaps almost all, heroin users have taken cannabis does not mean that all or even a plurality of cannabis users will take heroin. There is an overlap in usage but not a causal relationship between them. Experience deonstrates this: many of us know many people who have, at some point or other, used cannabis: how many heroin users does anyone know? Not so many, I'd hazard.)

Anonymous said...

Ooops, havin gread the linked story, perhaps you're just joking! My bad...

Chris Paul said...

Proof? Are you barking? That's two slightly awry posts on the trot. Have you torn up your temperance society model and hit the bottle?

Anonymous said...

I would put forward the argument that perhaps cannabis only leads on to other drugs because it's being sold by the same person - your drug dealer.

If cannabis were legal and therefore sold in shops & suchlike, the link would be removed.

Now i'm sure there are many arguments against that, but when you look at examples of currently-legal drugs like shisha, ganja, or even alcohol, these do not lead on to more potent drugs. Why? Because as i said, the link is removed.

Chris Paul said...

Model? I think I meant 'membership' or the like.

Anonymous said...

Weak minded people will always be effected by drugs - the only question is how many weak minded people will be how effected by the drugs.

In fact at a more general level any Government is responsible for all those people who suffer when they legalise a substance, service or activity.

For those who don't have a reaction to a drug - it's great for them - but they really don't see the responsiblity for those who will be effected.

Anonymous said...

All it proves is that the guy is a complete idiot.

Oh well, at least he picked something that didn't totally nuke him, like that dumb kid in Germany who is currently in a coma after downing 52(!) tequilas before he even had time to get drunk/sick.

Btw, Iain, I am underimpressed with your straight line through one datapoint. ;(

Alan said...

Read the article.
Very disappointed, was expecting an amusing anecdote about stumbling.

Machiavelli's Understudy said...

It's not often that I disagree with your outlook, Iain, but that last sentence couldn't be any more misinformed.

And as for making a variety of strengths harder to come by- that's only the fault of those paternalists who think they know best for everyone else. Obstruct people from living their lives and they'll only find a way around you, even if it's not your intended outcome.

Best solution? Leave people alone to make the right decisions for themselves. They won't make the wrong decision twice.

Anonymous said...

Machiavell's understudy - I honestly don't care what people put in their bodies. I just don't want them thinking they can drive or walking around the speeding traffic on freeways because they think they're invincible or jumping off high roofs because they think they can fly, and splatting onto an innocent person below.

Otherwise, I have no interest in their welfare. So special colonies for them, perhaps. Financed by "benefits" withdrawn from illegal aliens?

Anonymous said...

Erm, Iain, did you notice that it was a pro-legalisation post? He does describe a slightly weird trip, but isn't making the blanket war on drugs post I expect you'd prefer.

Anonymous said...

I used to try to seek out cannabis, but finding that it was in such short supply I resorted to aspirin and then progressed on to warfarin. It has undesireable side affects though, I can tell you. But at least when I collapse into the gutter the rats don't bother to chew on me for very long.

Anonymous said...

And the moral of this story is - always stick to your usual cannabis dealer rather than try to make a false economy.....

dizzy said...

LSA is the active ingredient in morning glory seeds as well. You can but then at a garden store. Can be good, can be bad... tripping has always been like that. Tripping on your own is a bit silly tho.

Anonymous said...

for help with cannabis dependency:
www.clearhead.org.uk

Machiavelli's Understudy said...

Verity- what on earth are you on about?

Your reply doesn't address anything in my post!

Anonymous said...

Iain, cannabis is only a gateway drug because it's illegal. People try it, realise it's far less bad than alcohol, and assume that other illegal drugs must be too. If it was legalised they would associate it with other legal drugs and would therefore be less likely to move on to other illegal ones.

Anonymous said...

anonymous @ 8:51 PM

I don't know what sheltered world you live in but I know at least 7 people who've used heroin. None of them are addicts and none of them had their lives ruined because of it.

Anonymous said...

"I watched Rory Bremner and found it hilarious (to be fair, it always is anyway)."

Rory Bremner is about as funny as Arse Cancer.
This is what glue-sniffing does to you. Just say no!