What about alcohol then? Should it be banned . Utter propaganda bs.
I’m a legal patient in NI now (UK medical cannabis is a thing now) and I’ve never felt better
The tldr is that legalisation has led to more problematic use in lower age ranges(in the states). There are no citations as it’s a letter to the editor. Signed by a few (15ish) doctors.
Shur there’s nothing like the threat of a lifelong criminal conviction to help your mental health.
Posting this piece on this sub will have only one uniform response.
If this post was in total praise of cannabis, it would be lauded and praised. Given that it’s the opposite, despite the fact that it’s citing direct experience of the medical professionals who are signatories to it, it will be slammed.
Yes it can make prior mental health problems worse, which is why the health service should be better at detecting this not misdiagnosing, not only looking at other ways of treating the issues and once someone is aware they have these conditions, helped and support people to stay away from cannabis. It shouldn’t be banned.
As we can all think of other things humans consume that cause many health and mental issues, what we all should really start doing is supporting each other more, try to understand respecting each other more and treating each other like adults.
By the governments own actions of prohibition, the illegal market is the only winner from this, the end user ends up with a non quality controlled substance and possible jail time, as do other people in the chain of supply.
There are other things too around peoples personal opinions, around things about who should get to do what and the likes which has always baffled me even from a young age, as long as no one does anyone else harm or steals and breakers their stuff.
Leave’em be.
This should be of no surprise.
The IMO has published many position papers on the danger of alcohol and drug dependency in Ireland and has never advocated for a relaxation of any restrictions around any of these substances.
Why would they?
Legalise reefer
Bobby Smyth is a dinosaur.
Every single currently illegal drug should be legalized.
Who is the government to tell me what I can and cannot put into my own body of my own free will? Is it not my body, my choice?
It should be legalised because it’s hilariously easy to get. Irish people smoke more weed than Dutch people, everyone in college is doing it and teens don’t have much trouble getting it either.
There could be an argument for prohibition if prohibition actually worked. But it doesn’t.
A doubling in hospital discharges specifically relating to alcohol, rising from 9,420 in 1995 to 18,348 in 2018 (with this figure excluding emergency department data);
A 45% rise in alcohol-related chronic diseases and other chronic conditions between 2005 and 2018;
A doubling in bed days for alcohol-related conditions, from 56,264 in 1995 to 177,892 in 2018.
So where is the letter these doctors wrote for alcohol??
They say more people under 25 are looking for treatment for cannabis than alcohol…but this is misleading as alcohol has a time lag effect. So you can drink and drink all you want through your 20s without major issues….but as time goes on your liver etc starts to fail. In the case of cannabis is tends to have a very negative effect on people with mental health issues or those with a family history of mental health issues like schizophrenia…but cannabis doesn’t cause schizophrenia it brings it to the surface and makes the symptoms worse. These people might not get the help they need because of prohibition and misleading data.
A lot of bare statements here that could do with citations so we can assess whether the interpretations being pushed are really borne out.
For instance, this glosses over causation/correlation aspect to mental health issues and drug use – a fairer and less partial comment would have acknowledged that self-medicating can just as easily be seen as a consequence of the lack of adequate mental health services. And internationally you might find people who wouldn’t have admitted using drugs to a health professional in the past being more open when it’s no longer driven underground by criminalisation.
Either way, I’m not clear what standing a bunch of GPs have to recommend that the criminal justice system is the appropriate means of dealing with what they describe as a public health issue – even if we accept all their premises.
As I understand it all they’re proposing is less emphasis on prison and more diversion in possession cases, which (a) isn’t decriminalisation and (b) doesn’t address the more fundamental issue of why the criminal justice system should be centred in the first place, considering its abject failure to date and its general unsuitability as a healthcare body.
Weak sauce here, seems ideologically driven more than anything else. It’s clear that prohibition has failed and trying to pretend that essentially more of the same will get better results is close to Einstein’s definition of madness.
__Cannabis remains the most common substance generating demand for addiction treatment by people under 25 years old__
I would like to know how many seeking treatment are doing so spontaneously and how many are being ordered to do by Irish judges as part of the farcical drug possession song and dance prevalent in the Irish legal system. I would imagine that this would be an important distinction.
I would also be keen to know how many cannabis-related ER visits were caused by synthetic cannabinoids and other novel substances concocted by the black market – it is shocking that these so called specialists avoid to even acknowledge this.
Also how many people caught “drug driving” were actually impaired as opposed to have had smoked some weed two days prior?
There’s a lot of fuzzy math and obfuscation – it makes you wonder whether they even believe on the half assed argument they are presenting. Ir perhaps they are being spoon fed these talking points and are doing the best they can with what they have – garbage in garbage out, I guess
I don’t disagree with most of what they’re saying, but surely legalisation is still a better alternatieve than prohibition, even if legalisation does lead to an increased use and increased health issues? Legalisation would help sidestep other issues like waste of Garda/court services time, create employment and deprive organised crime of a notable revenue source. IMO that would be worth the potential downside of increased use.
But they absolutely correct in that the health issues surrounding cannabis use are massively downplayed all the time. I see it all the time with “it’s just a plant” and “it’s never done me any harm” type comments acting as if it’s completely harmless.
And as an aside, they’re medical practitioners. Of course they’re going to say cannabis use is not good for your health, because it isn’t. The same practitioners would tell you losing weight is a good idea if you’re obese, not to drink too much and get regular exercise.
It’s what medical practitioners do.
Legalisation is absolutely the answer. Works for tobacco and alcohol. The Americans ran an experiment in banning alcohol in the early 20th century, and thought better of it.
I feel that people here also gloss over the fact that frequent cannabis users tend to live a lifestyle that is not particularly health, as cannabis tend to spike food cravings, particularly fatty, and sweet foods. Not to mention, being high is much nicer while lying on the couch, instead of being in the gym.
High cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, gall bladder stones, fatty liver, overweight, joint issues, digestion problems,and all the other issues that come with eating too much calories as well as lack of excercise. That has to put a strain on healthcare system.
Hopefully, the Citizens Assembly sees through these carefully timed, citation-lacking *opinion* pieces.
Irish people are weird
Kids drinking from a young age, every under age sporting event win celebrated in the pub, lads drinking 7 nights a week and maybe 15 or more pints a day on a Saturday or Sunday and this is all seen as normal.
Want to smoke a bit of cannabis
‘CANT BE DOING THAT’
We have 6000 deaths a year from tobacco smoking and around 1500 deaths a year from alcohol use. Both are legal recreational drugs.
It’s not unreasonable to argue that legalising a drug that is known to be harmful will lead to it being used more and causing more harm.
People are Morons.
Drugs are everywhere. Whether they remain illegal or not the majority of younger generations will take drugs over Alcohol or Tobacco.
The Old Boys Club are severely out of touch.
Neither is criminalization. Right now with it illegal it’s incredibly easy to purchase, and not regulated whatsoever.
A certain level of common sense and logic is not being adhered to with these types of arguments. People are not gonna stop smoking weed just because it’s illegal. Better have smoking purer stuff that’s also not funding organised crime.
After so many years they’ve only managed to find 25 doctors to agree with them politically. How many doctors are then in favour of full legalization?
23 comments
Wrong.
What about alcohol then? Should it be banned . Utter propaganda bs.
I’m a legal patient in NI now (UK medical cannabis is a thing now) and I’ve never felt better
The tldr is that legalisation has led to more problematic use in lower age ranges(in the states). There are no citations as it’s a letter to the editor. Signed by a few (15ish) doctors.
Shur there’s nothing like the threat of a lifelong criminal conviction to help your mental health.
Posting this piece on this sub will have only one uniform response.
If this post was in total praise of cannabis, it would be lauded and praised. Given that it’s the opposite, despite the fact that it’s citing direct experience of the medical professionals who are signatories to it, it will be slammed.
Ah good old prof Bobby Smith, seen here [with his weird reefer madness poster.](https://i.imgur.com/VneKEDu.jpg)
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK425748/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK425748/)
Yes it can make prior mental health problems worse, which is why the health service should be better at detecting this not misdiagnosing, not only looking at other ways of treating the issues and once someone is aware they have these conditions, helped and support people to stay away from cannabis. It shouldn’t be banned.
As we can all think of other things humans consume that cause many health and mental issues, what we all should really start doing is supporting each other more, try to understand respecting each other more and treating each other like adults.
By the governments own actions of prohibition, the illegal market is the only winner from this, the end user ends up with a non quality controlled substance and possible jail time, as do other people in the chain of supply.
There are other things too around peoples personal opinions, around things about who should get to do what and the likes which has always baffled me even from a young age, as long as no one does anyone else harm or steals and breakers their stuff.
Leave’em be.
This should be of no surprise.
The IMO has published many position papers on the danger of alcohol and drug dependency in Ireland and has never advocated for a relaxation of any restrictions around any of these substances.
Why would they?
Legalise reefer
Bobby Smyth is a dinosaur.
Every single currently illegal drug should be legalized.
Who is the government to tell me what I can and cannot put into my own body of my own free will? Is it not my body, my choice?
It should be legalised because it’s hilariously easy to get. Irish people smoke more weed than Dutch people, everyone in college is doing it and teens don’t have much trouble getting it either.
There could be an argument for prohibition if prohibition actually worked. But it doesn’t.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40266119.html
A doubling in hospital discharges specifically relating to alcohol, rising from 9,420 in 1995 to 18,348 in 2018 (with this figure excluding emergency department data);
A 45% rise in alcohol-related chronic diseases and other chronic conditions between 2005 and 2018;
A doubling in bed days for alcohol-related conditions, from 56,264 in 1995 to 177,892 in 2018.
So where is the letter these doctors wrote for alcohol??
They say more people under 25 are looking for treatment for cannabis than alcohol…but this is misleading as alcohol has a time lag effect. So you can drink and drink all you want through your 20s without major issues….but as time goes on your liver etc starts to fail. In the case of cannabis is tends to have a very negative effect on people with mental health issues or those with a family history of mental health issues like schizophrenia…but cannabis doesn’t cause schizophrenia it brings it to the surface and makes the symptoms worse. These people might not get the help they need because of prohibition and misleading data.
A lot of bare statements here that could do with citations so we can assess whether the interpretations being pushed are really borne out.
For instance, this glosses over causation/correlation aspect to mental health issues and drug use – a fairer and less partial comment would have acknowledged that self-medicating can just as easily be seen as a consequence of the lack of adequate mental health services. And internationally you might find people who wouldn’t have admitted using drugs to a health professional in the past being more open when it’s no longer driven underground by criminalisation.
Either way, I’m not clear what standing a bunch of GPs have to recommend that the criminal justice system is the appropriate means of dealing with what they describe as a public health issue – even if we accept all their premises.
As I understand it all they’re proposing is less emphasis on prison and more diversion in possession cases, which (a) isn’t decriminalisation and (b) doesn’t address the more fundamental issue of why the criminal justice system should be centred in the first place, considering its abject failure to date and its general unsuitability as a healthcare body.
Weak sauce here, seems ideologically driven more than anything else. It’s clear that prohibition has failed and trying to pretend that essentially more of the same will get better results is close to Einstein’s definition of madness.
__Cannabis remains the most common substance generating demand for addiction treatment by people under 25 years old__
I would like to know how many seeking treatment are doing so spontaneously and how many are being ordered to do by Irish judges as part of the farcical drug possession song and dance prevalent in the Irish legal system. I would imagine that this would be an important distinction.
I would also be keen to know how many cannabis-related ER visits were caused by synthetic cannabinoids and other novel substances concocted by the black market – it is shocking that these so called specialists avoid to even acknowledge this.
Also how many people caught “drug driving” were actually impaired as opposed to have had smoked some weed two days prior?
There’s a lot of fuzzy math and obfuscation – it makes you wonder whether they even believe on the half assed argument they are presenting. Ir perhaps they are being spoon fed these talking points and are doing the best they can with what they have – garbage in garbage out, I guess
I don’t disagree with most of what they’re saying, but surely legalisation is still a better alternatieve than prohibition, even if legalisation does lead to an increased use and increased health issues? Legalisation would help sidestep other issues like waste of Garda/court services time, create employment and deprive organised crime of a notable revenue source. IMO that would be worth the potential downside of increased use.
But they absolutely correct in that the health issues surrounding cannabis use are massively downplayed all the time. I see it all the time with “it’s just a plant” and “it’s never done me any harm” type comments acting as if it’s completely harmless.
And as an aside, they’re medical practitioners. Of course they’re going to say cannabis use is not good for your health, because it isn’t. The same practitioners would tell you losing weight is a good idea if you’re obese, not to drink too much and get regular exercise.
It’s what medical practitioners do.
Legalisation is absolutely the answer. Works for tobacco and alcohol. The Americans ran an experiment in banning alcohol in the early 20th century, and thought better of it.
I feel that people here also gloss over the fact that frequent cannabis users tend to live a lifestyle that is not particularly health, as cannabis tend to spike food cravings, particularly fatty, and sweet foods. Not to mention, being high is much nicer while lying on the couch, instead of being in the gym.
High cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, gall bladder stones, fatty liver, overweight, joint issues, digestion problems,and all the other issues that come with eating too much calories as well as lack of excercise. That has to put a strain on healthcare system.
Hopefully, the Citizens Assembly sees through these carefully timed, citation-lacking *opinion* pieces.
Irish people are weird
Kids drinking from a young age, every under age sporting event win celebrated in the pub, lads drinking 7 nights a week and maybe 15 or more pints a day on a Saturday or Sunday and this is all seen as normal.
Want to smoke a bit of cannabis
‘CANT BE DOING THAT’
We have 6000 deaths a year from tobacco smoking and around 1500 deaths a year from alcohol use. Both are legal recreational drugs.
It’s not unreasonable to argue that legalising a drug that is known to be harmful will lead to it being used more and causing more harm.
People are Morons.
Drugs are everywhere. Whether they remain illegal or not the majority of younger generations will take drugs over Alcohol or Tobacco.
The Old Boys Club are severely out of touch.
Neither is criminalization. Right now with it illegal it’s incredibly easy to purchase, and not regulated whatsoever.
A certain level of common sense and logic is not being adhered to with these types of arguments. People are not gonna stop smoking weed just because it’s illegal. Better have smoking purer stuff that’s also not funding organised crime.
After so many years they’ve only managed to find 25 doctors to agree with them politically. How many doctors are then in favour of full legalization?