h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Damn

Well nearly sane then! sane on occasions

Mel

the only problem is that with the way politics is involving itself in law and research any research that is done will either be carried out in a manner designed to prove or disprove a predefined set of objectives, or any results that are obtained will only be reported or presented in a manner to acheive the same end.

Unfortunately, what we need is an honest, unbiased, uncorrupted news medium willing to publish and be damned to make sure the populace is educated. Equally unfortunately, we also need a populace which wants to be educated.

And you wonder why some of us take drugs.....

Maybe we ought to sort out the education system in General while we're at it

Mel

admiration, mel, admiration

*recalls Ali G asking an mp why they don't teach useful 'maffs' at school, you know, eigths, sixteenths and all that*

True mel, we scientists often have difficulty in getting our message across to the public. But the press has a lot to answer for (not just the telegraph!) sensationalist headlines such as "cannabis gives you cancer" sell more papers than "illegal drug quite benign with few or no long term side effects".

The other problem is with the media and politicians is that they get crucified if they even hint at a pro-drug agenda, unfortunatly asking for a sensible debate on the issue is often seen as being soft on drugs. Still in america things are much worse.

If you do want to educate yourself (a bit) about cannabis go to the new scientist website, there is quite alot of sensible well balanced discussion of the latest research in the special cannabis section.

I might well do someone v close to me used to do cannabis, I have to admit I played a major, slightly emotional blackmailing part of the fact they no longer do, a lot of their friends still do however and I'd be interested to at least be armed with the facts should a debate comes up, which I can see in the not too distant future

Mel

Just to say managed a week off it! cant wait 'till tonight tho

I just did a week without too, might even go for a second,
just because I can.

Ali, I think the UK media is rather more receptive now than they were a few years ago, and I hope the 'Reefer Madness' kind of reporting stays a thing of the past.

You can do a week......Can you do 2?

Go on, dare you

Mel

Easy!
Alcohol on the other hand...............

That I could do!

Mel

Yup, potholer that is true the media is getting better, I mean there was a pro-decriminalisation article in the times last week, before we know it the telegraph may even have somthing sensible to say. Still I'd bet if a politician came forward with pro-cannabis view they'd get a torrid time in the press.Fir example if you live in scotland you will be familiar with Tommy Sheridan who is hounded by "the daily record" for his pro legalisation views, the newspaper makes out he is some stoned madman for this belief (probably because he is a staunch socialist and therefore must be mad).

I have to admit but I try to ignore the spin the press puts on things, look at the way they are going on about child killers, they'd have the death penalty back in if they could.

Mel

Has anyone noticed when people are smoking weed in a movie, they're always sucking on a miniscule stub? Where in reality joints are bigger than normal cigarettes.

Also, is it true that outside the Netherlands, you are considered a pothead if you carry hand-rolling tobacco? If so, in which countries (and which not)?

Thirdly, what do you think of the connection between smoking weed and smoking cigarettes? When I started smoking weed, I took up smoking cigarettes for a while. After a few months I quit smoking cigarettes, but I'm still in for a blow now and then.
How many people took up smoking weed after smoking cigarettes, how many started smoking cigarettes after weed, how many smoke only weed?

The assumption is not automatically there in most parts of the uk (though please correct me if you've faced otherwise), though many of the people I know who smoke both weed and tobacco do smoke roll ups.

As for smoking weed leading to smoking cigaretts or vice versa, I don't smoke either so can't help you there!

Mel

I started smoking cigarettes as a result of smoking cannabis at college - this was undoubtedly the stupidest thing I ever did in my life.

I havn't started smoking cigarettes, but do smoke cannabis.....
BCNU - Crescent

People always used to assume my hand-rolling tobacco was "wacky baccy", usually in good humour (maybe hoping I'd share it with them), but I have known people to be asked to leave some places because someone thought they were rolling joints. Not sure if this still happens here(UK),as hand-rolling seems to be more common than it used to be.
I gave up smoking tobacco about six years ago by buying myself a pipe and smoking only hash. It worked a treat. Nowadays it would only take a couple of puffs on a joint to make me fall over and feel quite ill, but I could happily smoke my hash-pipe all day and feel fine (though perhaps a bit lethargic ).

*Before anyone assumes*
No, it's not an excuse to be wrecked all the time, nor is it nescessary. It only takes a little, I was in full-time work and I did it without anyone ever noticing so I cant have been *too* stoned.
I know this is only my personal experience but I wish more people were aware that smoking cannabis does not *have* to mean smoking tobacco and that the cannabis is not the only drug in your joint.

TSF