Gordon Brown: out of his mind on skunk

What exactly has Gordon Brown been smoking? Its certainly a lot stronger than even the finest hydroponically grown Skunk if he thinks that any variety of Cannabis is 'lethal'. Hundreds of thousands of people regularly take it I don't think that I have ever heard about anybody anywhere ever dieing from a cannabis overdose. Cannabis is not 'lethal', it is barely even dangerous.

Gordon wants to send a message by reclassifying Cannabis (against the advice he is being given about its lack of harm). He has already sent a message, he did it on television. Sending messages is what television is for, not the statute books. The statute books are there for laws in order to protect people, not to be filled up with messages from politicians. Or at least they were until Labour came to govern by surfing on a tidal wave of legislative Diarrhea originating in such messages.

For a very small number of people smoking pot can cause mental health issues such as schizophrenia, this has been know for ages. The more THC the higher the risk, if you already have the genetic disposition to be effected this way. Also when smoked tar from the smoke, like with tobacco, can give you an increased chance of getting cancer, but not if you consume it in other forms. On the other hand there are compounds in Cannabis (Cannaboids) that are positively beneficial to health. Cannabis may currently be being bred for THC (which gets you high) content rather than Cannaboids (which make you healthy) but the reason for that is very simple, because it is illegal!

The dealers business model is to get as many people as high as possible, to maximise their profit, with as small a stock of the drug as possible, to minimise their risk. This means only supplying the strongest drug they can get their hands on. It is an entirely rational strategy entirely due the fact that their business is illegal. Where it not illegal there would be other niches available rather than this race for the strongest. Mellower highs, or healthier options with more Cannaboids, maybe specialist brands like Fair Trade ganga, organic pot, and small specialist farmers trading on their superior quality in the same way that wine growers do. This would be far better than the current situation that forces everybody to resort to the guzzling strongest tramp special, since it is all that is on offer.

Prohibition has not worked against any drug, ever. If he really wanted to improve the situation Brown wouldn't be trying to increase the penalties on Cannabis, he would be legalising it.