The toman diaries

Should Cannabis usage be illegal?

mandag, oktober 13, 2003

Many countries are concidering this. As you may know, it has been 'decriminalized' in the Netherlands for quite some time. Switzerland is actively debating it, and England has been loosing up, letting possesion of minor quantities go with a warning.

In Norway, March last year, a regularly gathering "Punishment law commision" (Straffelovskommisjonen) recommended decriminalization of cannabis-usage, based on the fact that so little damage is deriving from it, and that the current laws are not helping depress drug-usage. - To much resources are put into hunting the 'petty crime' cannabis user, stealing valuable hours from hunting the 'bad' drug-dealers of such substances as heroin and amphetamine/cocaine.

Today though, I read that most people disagree. Out of 1600 people, 78% aging between 15-29, thought it should still be illegal to buy, sell or use Cannabis-related drugs.

I myself agree with the commision. Cannabis-products may have certain down-sides to the community where users live, but many of those are side-effects resulting from stigmata. For instance, people I meet often say that users are very paranoid. While this may be true in some cases, most people don't concider the reason why this may be. Imagine yourself doing something on a weekly besis that you know is illegal, and you know will make people label you a drug-addict. How would you feel?

Much research has proved that cannabis has good effects on many illnesses. Moderate usage has never been proven harmful either, just like moderate consumation of alcohol hasn't. So think it over. How does cannbis make you feel vs. How does people make you feel.