I don`t understand why we are against legalizing drugs. We sell all kinds of things that are `harmful`. Try dealing with someone who has drank a bottle of whiskey, or someone who has lung cancer. Maybe we should ban fast cars in case people crash, dangerous sports or sugar.
They are all harmful, cause huge expense to the NHS and bring in loads of tax revenue.

For medicinal purposes yes, but otherwise I think it is fraught with danger.

In my opinion the UK government (of whatever hue),should legalise drugs pot but not cocaine. Does anyone know if there are any stats which have compared how those killed
by drunk drivers and by those who have smoked pot? If the government decriminalised pot think of the tax they could rake in . . .

For instance, a friend and fellow boat owner smokes pot because of his condition. The marina owners ignored it as he told them of his health probs. Walking in his shoes I'd have done the same.

How many people are driving under the influence of cannabis though? A spliff before breakfast then drive to work and reactions are not what they should be.
Other people are put in danger.

And cannabis is not a 'nice safe drug' - cannabis is not just one strength but comes in different strengths and stronger strains developed all the time.

There is some evidence to suggest that stoned subjects exhibit increased risk-taking and impaired decision-making, and score worse on memory tasks—and residual impairments have been detected days or even weeks after use. Some studies also link years of regular marijuana use to deficits in memory, learning, and concentration.

I worked in a drug an alcohol team and it was certainly very distressing to see these young addicts at the clinic pregnant and with babies in pushchairs. They came for professional help with their addictions and were prescribed methadone (which unfortunately is equally addictive). Some of the females had fallen into prostitution to pay for their habit, or were in a violent relationship where she was forced to work on the streets for her partner. Hard drugs...Heroin, Cocaine etc NEED to stay illegal. Decriminalising Cannabis I agree with, there are alot of people out there who use it as a natural pain killer. Recreational use in their own homes would work. The government would benefit because they could tax it. Controlled by the pharmacies/gp's it makes common sense. In Spain it is legal to "Grow your Own" for your own personal consumption, why not here in the UK? There would be less burden on the courts, jails, NHS, police forces...and much more. Alcohol is legal and very dangerous. I would prefer it if the government concentrated on educating adults and children from an early age. Most young people want to "try" something that is not allowed. These are just my thoughts as a mother of 4 children, and thankfully NOT a cannabis user.

Good point Sue.

I think the idea of legalising drugs is to be able to exert some control and to spike the guns of the criminal gangs. It's not being touted as a cure for addiction, which I imagine is as old as mankind.

I understand you can buy benzodiazepines in large quantities on the net. Doctors try to prescribe very small quantities to try and stop medication being diverted. People who are prescribed benzodiazepines are often on daily collection of their prescribed dose from the chemist to try and prevent diversion.

mumofmadboys I understand that. That is my point - legal drugs available on prescription, are being misused. So, there's an unregulated street market for them, despite the fact that they're legal, because people want them and don't get what they want from the doctor.

Granny knot.GPs do occasionally prescribe benzodiazepines such as diazepam but prescribe it in small quantities for short term use only. People who abuse benzodiazepines use vast quantities such as nine or ten tablets per day, sometimes more so they have to buy them black market then.

If people know they can get 'clean' drugs legally from a centre/GP/pharmacy most will likely choose to do that rather than run the risk of using drugs that have been cut with other substances. Someone who worked in the emergency services told me that he'd had to treat an addict whose heroin had been cut with one of those Harpic toilet block things. Imagine injecting Harpic into your veins!

Illegal prescription drugs are an issue but if there is less of a market for illegal drugs the drug gangs are less likely to bother trading in the U.K.altogether.

I have GillT57 that's why I commented

This is a very complex issue, and it's not black or white.

I do agree with decriminalisation in principle.

But, why is there a big street market for licit prescription drugs like benzodiazepines? Because there is. So whatever the legal status of a drug is, it seems there will always be a "black (or street) market".

Bluebelle just read through the carefully considered posts on here, many from people with experience, either personally or professionally. Criminalisation of drug use does not work. Drugs being legal does not mean everyone will start using them anymore than the legal availability of alcohol and tobacco mean that I am smoking or drinking myself to death.

I m not at all sure why people are under the impression that legalising drugs will stamp out all the illegal use do you really think an addict will queue up at the pharmacy when the next door neighbour is offering them some under the counter stuff

Agree with both sentences, f77ms

I am blown away by the majority of enlightened , intelligent posts on this thread .
I also agree that the most harmful , health and family destroying drug is alcohol.

I have worked with drug addicts for years until two years ago. I agree with decriminalisation of drugs. It is noteworthy that countries who have decriminalised drugs have far better outcomes for drug addicts eg Portugal. The police also waste a lot of time running around after bits of cannabis etc and it does little good. If alcohol was new today it would probably be illegal.

Yes night owl is right in saying heroin isn't addictive from the first use. I have a friend, now in her 50's who used heroin regularly at the weekends during her teens and twenties. She was a poly drug user. She gave up the drug use without the involvement of any statutory agencies by the time she was in her mid 30's. She always worked in a professional career and continues to do so now, as well as being a loving mother and grandmother.
This is anecdotal of course, but it's consistent with so many other stories of ordinary folk who live amongst us. 30 years ago I'd have been opposed to the legalisation of drugs, including cannabis. Life and work experience has led to me forming the view that criminalisation isn't effective. I agree with night owl's suggestion that the whole question of legalisation needs to be considered carefully to break the connection with crime, poverty, prostitution and needless deaths. As I typed that, I could see a number of young men but mostly, young women I knew when working, all of whom are now dead.

I beg to differ grannypiper, heroin is most definitely not addictive from the very first use. There are many 'functioning' heroin users who can control their habit, very much like alcohol users.

As for alcohol, foetal alcohol syndrome causes terrible disabilities in children and these can occur at very low levels of parental use. In fact it could be argued that alcohol is far more harmful to unborn babies than other drugs but no one is suggesting it should be made illegal. I think the whole question of legalisation of other drugs needs to be considered carefully to break this horrible connection with crime, poverty, prostitution and needless deaths.

It's dreadful for a baby to start off life addicted to drugs, no one denies that. But legalising drugs won't make that any worse. In fact, it could improve their chances because the mothers would be on the radar of the health services and perhaps supported to come off drugs while pregnant or at the very least have the right services available when the baby arrives.

Of course they are human beings, i didnt say otherwise, my concern is for the babies born addicted.

Legalising drugs and making them available, legally, to those who need them will not turn the rest of society into a drug addicted mess. Just because something is there, it doesn't mean every one is going to use it. I have a drinks cupboard full of gin, vodka, brandy etc and it sits there month after month with nobody touching it; I don't feel drawn to drink it all just because it is there, and if I have a Gin and Tonic I don't empty the bottle. People take drugs for a variety of reasons, just as some people drink too much, or smoke or eat too much, and of these it is only drugs which have to be obtained illegally.

Grannypiper, legalising drugs would bring them under the control of authorities, which they patently are not at the moment. No one would be selling heroin in the corner shop but it would mean children could be monitored and actions taken to help and support them.

I too have worked with drug addicts and their families. Some of the parents care deeply about their children and would do anything for them not to end up in the same position as the parents have found themselves in. At the end of the day, they're all human beings.

This is one of those occasions where an edit button would be good. We could add food to the list of addictions couldn't we. Parents who are preoccupied with their own needs are simply not emotionally available to their children. They are often unable to provide for their children's basic needs. Legalising drugs may in fact help reduce the problems children with parents who are addicted to illegal drugs face. Countries where drug dependence is seen as a health, rather than criminal problem, seem to have better outcomes than we do in the UK.