Thank you for the article from the BBC. While fascinating in itself, the Government report focuses on recreational use of drugs. ("How do we send a message to young people if it's not based on evidence?") However, in using drugs to alleviate pain - my primary interest - the level of danger is only one factor among many in deciding which drugs to use. (a) Therapeutic doses are usually smaller than street doses. I don't want a high, I just want analgesia. (b)I accept the risks in the dangerous drugs which I am currently prescribed. I am far more interested in their effectiveness. And if cannabis is effective for my pain, I would like legal access to it.

CJMorgan, our own mouth piece of the fatuous.

It always surprises me how those with nothing to contribute are so quick to criticize any opinion which flies over their head.

Cevelia “Cannabis is, after all, the topic of this article and I’m searching for the lone lurking logical argument that may be able to convince me that cannabis should not be decriminalised.”

From several other posts here, parallels and similarities have been drawn between alcohol and cannabis.

Alcohol and cannabis, one poster commented can both result in schizophrenia and I for one have no problem acknowledging the dangers of excessive alcohol abuse. Although my family has never be blighted by such things, people close to me have suffered the effects of other family members who have not been able to manage their alcohol consumption.

In the instances I am thinking, use of cannabis and some intravenous drugs were also problems.

I would personally not be negatively effected if access to alcohol was far more restricted than it is today.
I would personally not be negatively effected if access to cannabis was far less restricted than it is today.

We have legalized prostitution (something else I have never take opportunity to indulge). The problem with prostitution is, apparently it encourages engagement in more serious crimes.

One justification for allowing alcohol and not allowing cannabis which I could think of is

The use of cannabis is more likely to encourage greater experimentation in other illicit drugs than alcohol.

And this was the finding of

http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:37681

“All three types of drug use were associated with higher rates of other substance use problems, with cannabis having the strongest association. Conclusions. The use of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis are associated with different patterns of co-morbidity in the general population.”

Of course another problem is the use of cannabis in combination with alcohol.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/helthrpt/stories/s120940.htm

so I guess we can have either cannabis or alcohol but cannabis shows a higher incidence of escalation to other ‘substances’ (and I think they mean drugs of dependency, not washing up liquid).

Try googling “cannabis alcohol”

Lots of references there.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/helthrpt/stories/s120940.htm
I have only gone as far as grade 10 in europe which is probably equivalent to university entry in Australia and I could have told you as 15 year old in the sixties what this Prof. Pearslon is saying in this link.

Dear Individual
No-one is disputing that drugs are dangerous - and can be even more dangerous in combination. The original article was asking whether the benefits in pain control outweigh the dangers. That question grabbed my attention as I constantly look for better ways to control my pain.

Col,

I think a lot of evidence of this 'Gateway Drug' theory, is due to having to buy the Gateway drug from an illegal source. This illegal source will quite likely have other illegal drugs on offer. If the drug is made legal, a lot of the "Gateway Drug' rational disappears.

I agree with Ted. I use Controlled Drugs for pain relief, if someone else got hold of these drugs they would be committing a criminal offence, that is as it should be.

Can cannabinols be used to replace opiates in amalgesia? Possibly. But we don't know because of the irrational arguments put forward by some in this topic.

I have no access to cannabis and would not actively seek it out, but if it could possibly help why should I be denied it?

It was suggested to me by my oncologist. :)