Pot remains Europe's most used drug, agency report says

[webfact]

Pot remains Europe's most used drug, agency report says

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — The European Union's drug agency says marijuana continues to be the continent's most commonly used drug, with almost 79 million Europeans estimated to have tried it at some point in their lives.

That compares with some 15.6 million who have tried cocaine, the second most popular.

The annual European Drug Report published Thursday by the Lisbon, Portugal-based agency said marijuana accounts for 80 percent of drug seizures on the continent and 60 percent of all reported drug law offenses.

The European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction also noted that while recent laws allowing the regulated sale of marijuana in some parts of North and South America have drawn wide interest and debate among drug experts, attention in Europe is still centered on the drug's potential health costs.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-06-04

[inzman]

Wish they would consider the health costs of alcohol. Not to mention the costs to society from its use.

[impulse]

Not even close to alcohol.

Which, make no mistake, is a drug. Or a poison.

Edited June 4, 2015 by impulse

[catterwell]

Legalise marijuana please!

[krisb]

Please don't legalize marijuana.

[stevenl]

Please don't legalize marijuana.

I can think of many reasons to legalise it, not many not to legalise.

What is your reasoning?

[7by7]

Not even close to alcohol.

Which, make no mistake, is a drug. Or a poison.

Which is an argument for banning alcohol, but not one for legalising cannabis

The health risks of cannabis are well researched, well known and can be as severe, or worse, than those of alcohol.

Cannabis: the facts

DrugFacts: Marijuana

The Adverse Effects of Marijuana (for healthcare professionals)

I smoked a lot of cannabis in my late teens and 20s. I don't seem to have suffered many noticeable ill effects; except for blanks in my memory from that time!

But a friend at that time developed schizophrenia and spent several years in and out of mental hospital before killing himself.

Was this due to his cannabis use?

From what his doctors said at the time, and as can be seen from the above articles, whilst his schizophrenia was probably latent, his cannabis use could easily have been the trigger for his illness to surface and was probably a major factor in it's severity.

His illness and suicide certainly had an effect on me, and I haven't touched the stuff since.

If you think cannabis use is harmless, you are kidding yourself.

[7by7]

Please don't legalize marijuana.

I can think of many reasons to legalise it, not many not to legalise.

What is your reasoning?

How about my post above?

[Ulysses G.]

Not even close to alcohol.

Which, make no mistake, is a drug. Or a poison.

Which is an argument for banning alcohol, but not one for legalising cannabis

The health risks of cannabis are well researched, well known and can be as severe, or worse, than those of alcohol.

I am not a fan of pot OR alcohol. I virtually never touch either one, although I did when I was younger. However, I think that pot should be legal - mostly because it is so much safer than alcohol.

New Study Finds Marijuana Safer Than Alcohol Or Tobacco

February 24, 2015 | by Justine Alford

http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/new-study-suggests-risks-marijuana-use-have-been-overestimated

[stevenl]

Please don't legalize marijuana.

I can think of many reasons to legalise it, not many not to legalise.

What is your reasoning?

How about my post above?

Yes, that's one argument.

[Andaman Al]

People smoke cigarettes to get their nicotine fix. Many people can not give up, there are huge health risks. Why is there a difference with cannabis?

[uksomchai]

Please don't legalize marijuana.

I can think of many reasons to legalise it, not many not to legalise.

What is your reasoning?

How about my post above?

The post above tells me nothing more than that the person had some mental health issues and nothing to say it was down to smoking cannabis. I presume the man also drank alcohol, drank coffee smoked cigarettes ? If so you can just as easily link anything he also did to his death if you so wanted. The trouble with these reports is that none of them bear any resemblance to my actual experience of the drug or those that smoke it. Now either I and the many people I know that use or used this drug are simply very lucky or there is something wrong with what I am being led to believe.

The Government has been trying to scare people from taking drugs since the pointless so called war on drugs began. Lying to the public in other words. it is what Governments do on many occasions.

We now the have the totally warped and twisted situation where so called " Legal Highs " that are designed to mimic illegal highs like cannabis are killing people when the drugs they are supposed to mimic have never actually been responsible for a single death

Prohibition has been a total and utter failure and yet the powers that be simply carry on as if they are winning

It is time there was a total rethink on drugs and make education the main fight against drugs not criminalising people for it

[zeichen]

Did anyone notice that the picture for this looked more like moss?

So those that are in favor of legalizing it, What country are you talking about?

Or do you believe that it should be legal globally?

There are arguments that are logical for legalizing it, but then the same logic could be applied to prostitution, steroids, peote, mushrooms, and many other things. Personally, I think the way the US is legalizing it wrong. They should tax it insanely and anyone that buys it should be recorded. My guess is the major shops that sell it are still controlled by cartels and not just legitimate business people. Getting rid of drug dealers and their gangs would be nice but legalizing one drug isn't going to do that. No one just deals pot anymore.

Those that argue against the use of nicotine or alcohol are just silly. None of them are good. Personally, I would like to see all of them erased from the planet. Not illegal but just never existed. The entire world would be better off. Though a lot of wonderful people were made because of alcohol, a lot have been killed because of it also. There is no benefit from cigarettes or tobacco that is one thing I never understood why people do it ever.

[JeremyBowskill]

Did anyone notice that the picture for this looked more like moss?

So those that are in favor of legalizing it, What country are you talking about?

Or do you believe that it should be legal globally?

There are arguments that are logical for legalizing it, but then the same logic could be applied to prostitution, steroids, peote, mushrooms, and many other things. Personally, I think the way the US is legalizing it wrong. They should tax it insanely and anyone that buys it should be recorded. My guess is the major shops that sell it are still controlled by cartels and not just legitimate business people. Getting rid of drug dealers and their gangs would be nice but legalizing one drug isn't going to do that. No one just deals pot anymore.

Those that argue against the use of nicotine or alcohol are just silly. None of them are good. Personally, I would like to see all of them erased from the planet. Not illegal but just never existed. The entire world would be better off. Though a lot of wonderful people were made because of alcohol, a lot have been killed because of it also. There is no benefit from cigarettes or tobacco that is one thing I never understood why people do it ever.

The problem with "insanely taxing" it is you then bring the criminals back into the picture, the same as smuggling gangs bring in tobacco in the UK. Cheaper to buy from gangs than be ripped off by over taxing.

[samuibeachcomber]

World leaders could do with a good dose of cannabis before making their ill judged decisions.....(the war in iraq back in 2003)is a prime example.

[55Jay]

World leaders could do with a good dose of cannabis before making their ill judged decisions.....(the war in iraq back in 2003)is a prime example.

Urban legend has it that Sadaam Hussein was smoking with his best mates when he ordered the invasion of Kuwait with these famous last words:

"Dude, watch this....".

[useronthenet]

In some parts of the world namely Holland, and the USA it's legal to smoke it without any reprisals.

Alcohol IMHO is the biggest killer, with millions of related deaths per year. Perhaps countries should be focusing more on this issue?

[krisb]

Please don't legalize marijuana.

I can think of many reasons to legalise it, not many not to legalise.

What is your reasoning?

Is that your child in your avatar? How would you like me to sit next to him and legally smoke a joint?

Anyone that thinks pot is a harmless drug is crazy.

[krisb]

World leaders could do with a good dose of cannabis before making their ill judged decisions.....(the war in iraq back in 2003)is a prime example.

B.s.

[stevenl]

Did anyone notice that the picture for this looked more like moss?

So those that are in favor of legalizing it, What country are you talking about?

Or do you believe that it should be legal globally?

There are arguments that are logical for legalizing it, but then the same logic could be applied to prostitution, steroids, peote, mushrooms, and many other things. Personally, I think the way the US is legalizing it wrong. They should tax it insanely and anyone that buys it should be recorded. My guess is the major shops that sell it are still controlled by cartels and not just legitimate business people. Getting rid of drug dealers and their gangs would be nice but legalizing one drug isn't going to do that. No one just deals pot anymore.

Those that argue against the use of nicotine or alcohol are just silly. None of them are good. Personally, I would like to see all of them erased from the planet. Not illegal but just never existed. The entire world would be better off. Though a lot of wonderful people were made because of alcohol, a lot have been killed because of it also. There is no benefit from cigarettes or tobacco that is one thing I never understood why people do it ever.

I'm Dutch, where is was allowed albeit illegal for a long time. And during that time the problems associated with it vastly decreased, because it was 'legal' now.

Unfortunately under pressure from more conservative sentiment from neighbouring countries this 'allowing' is now being vastly reduced, which will IMO lead to more problems in the future.

[maidee]

pot makes people calm down

it was legal at a point till the us WOOD industry deceided it was too much competition and ate into their business

alcohol, makes people agressive and kill other innocents in their (road) rage

yaba & others .... is not called crazy drugs for nothing

[stevenl]

Please don't legalize marijuana.

I can think of many reasons to legalise it, not many not to legalise.

What is your reasoning?

Is that your child in your avatar? How would you like me to sit next to him and legally smoke a joint?

Anyone that thinks pot is a harmless drug is crazy.

I'd make sure you don't. Not because of the joint but because of the second hand tobacco smoke.

Edited June 5, 2015 by stevenl

[stevenl]

World leaders could do with a good dose of cannabis before making their ill judged decisions.....(the war in iraq back in 2003)is a prime example.

B.s.

Thanks for a constructive, well motivated answer.

[stevenl]

Please don't legalize marijuana.

I can think of many reasons to legalise it, not many not to legalise.

What is your reasoning?

How about my post above?

Sure there are problems with it, but far, far less than with other drugs.

Many other studies will show a positive or far less negative effect BTW, so I'm very hesitant to value any of these studies very much.

[WhizBang]

Please don't legalize marijuana.

I can think of many reasons to legalise it, not many not to legalise.

What is your reasoning?

Is that your child in your avatar? How would you like me to sit next to him and legally smoke a joint?

Anyone that thinks pot is a harmless drug is crazy.

Definately LESS harmful than tobacco though.

Perhaps time to make tobacco illegal. I'd vote for that.

[BuaBS]

You don't have to smoke it , better to eat it (brownies)!

[Steely Dan]

In homage to what Sir Winston Churchill said about alcohol - I have taken more out of cannabis than cannabis has taken out of me. It has great cultural benefits as well as arguably some medical uses, which have sadly been under researched due to governments control freakery and inability to say whoops we f>&ked up with prohibition. There are far greater ills in the world which we turn a blind eye to.

[timmyp]

As many have pointed out, alcohol is surely Europe's most consumed recreational drug. Clearly they mean illegal drug, which will hopefully change soon. Anybody that is against pot really is really ignorant as to what it is, and should get some direct experience with it to finally realize that it's not something that threatens society.

If someone is against pot, they should really be against booze, as alcohol is clearly more dangerous.

[Shiver]

Although I'm not a pot user, and wouldn't use it even if it was legal (excepting the potential medicinal uses maybe), I do think it should be legal, with the usual caveats of responsible behaviour and not harming others etc.

Edited June 5, 2015 by Shiver

[impulse]

Not even close to alcohol.

Which, make no mistake, is a drug. Or a poison.

Which is an argument for banning alcohol, but not one for legalising cannabis

(Good links, but for brevity...)

If you think cannabis use is harmless, you are kidding yourself.

My recommendation would be to treat them consistently, as the drugs they both are. If you're going to publish drug use statistics, don't gloss over the #1 (by far) drug of choice. If only to put marijuana and other illegal drug use into context.

I neither drink, nor smoke pot any more. On a personal level, I don't care whether they're legal or not. But just as I don't begrudge my neighbors a beer or toddy after work, neither do I begrudge my neighbors a bone. And I think they should be able to choose either without fear of getting arrested for only one of their options.

I'm against outlawing booze simply because history has shown prohibition to be a fool's errand. History is also showing that the "war on drugs" has destroyed far more families and communities than some of the the drugs themselves, pot being one of those. Better to legalize it, control quality and distribution, tax the beejeezus out of it and take the money out of the drug lords' pockets and put it into the tax roles. Same as they do with booze.

Edited June 5, 2015 by impulse