Think again on cannabis: PM

[Mushaman]

THE AUSTRALIAN

 

 

Think again on cannabis: PM

By : Patricia Karvelas

November 11, 2005

 

MENTAL illness and homelessness was the price the nation was paying for a "lax attitude" towards cannabis, John Howard has warned.

 

"We need to think again as a community about what messages we are sending to people about the dangers of cannabis to their mental health," the Prime Minister said yesterday.

 

"I have long been concerned about the relatively lax attitude that has been taken in Australia towards cannabis use."

 

Mental illness put a great strain on families, and too many people, especially young people, were ending up unemployed and homeless, he said.

 

"There is also growing evidence that many disorders are exacerbated or even brought on by drug use. This is particularly distressing in young people, but we are also seeing increasing numbers of older people with impaired mental function from long-term heavy cannabis use."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr Howard said the process of taking people out of institutions, which gathered pace in the 1980s and 1990s, had "gone too far".

 

Experts have told The Australian that there is overwhelming evidence cannabis causes psychotic illnesses, such as schizophrenia, as well as depression and anxiety disorders, particularly among young people.

 

Parliamentary secretary for mental health Chris Pyne says the penalties for cannabis possession were so lax they were not much more than a parking fine.

 

Employment Minister Kevin Andrews said he was worried about the use of cannabis and wanted to explore its links with welfare dependence.

 

"With cannabis there are consequences in terms of not just people's health, but if they are unable to work then it has an impact in terms of welfare dependence as well."

 

Monash University forensic psychiatrist Paul Mullen said cannabis prohibition would not work but that a public education campaign warning of the risks was needed.

 

"It's really heavy use that's associated with mental illness," he said. "My guess is that some people are ending up with mental illnesses who wouldn't otherwise have done so."

 

Director of the NSW Institute of Psychiatry Louise Newman said the evidence linking cannabis to mental illness was clear.

 

"We support regulating and controlling the use of cannabis ... but it's a very different issue whether further criminalising will reduce drug problems."

 

Mr Howard said his department would examine a Mental Health Council study and report to cabinet on possible responses.

 

I say mr howard is a typical publicity wave riding attention grabbing dickhead

 

[mull]

::

Maybe Jonny was baked when he said there'll never be a g s t..

 

A little bent when he said.. lets help stomp the iraqis, they got w m ds

 

And just a shade of blazed when he said..

 

"We need to think again as a community about what messages we are sending to people about the dangers of cannabis to their mental health,"

 

What message is it? Don't be lax?..... Buy some pills the pdoc scripts and have a nice spell in the nut house, just make sure you don't smoke cannabis tho... Bah..

 

 

:smoke

[HighRising]

I agree with that Psych 100% though!

 

Criminalisation isn't the way, it needs to be legal, controlled (to an extent) and people need to be educated.

[Mushaman]

It's really heavy use that's associated with mental illness," he said. "My guess is that some people are ending up with mental illnesses who wouldn't otherwise have done so."

 

He may be right MUHAHAhahahaha 30+ years of smoking .. and there's absolutely NOTHING wrong with my cell brain :reallyexcited:

[Doob]

musha have brain?

[Frazz]

"We need to think again as a community about what messages we are sending to people about the dangers of electing a fuckwit such as John Howard"

 

This arsehole is not going to stop passing new laws that mirror his twisted veiw of what is best for you and me until the late 2006 when he passes control to smirking Peter Costello.

Howard is obviously "drunk" with his recently aquired absolute power over what was once a democracy

 

The only thing that may stop him is a freedom-loving aussie with a high-powered hunting rifle

 

 

is this sedition musha ?

[Mushaman]

musha have brain?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

:wheelchair <- Musha ::

 

doobie ->

[WantDaChronic]

howard knows absolutely nothing about marijuana, his sources are people that work for him and since he "wouldn't have the time" aka couldnt be bothered reading an unbiased report on marijuana nor will he fund one, the outlook is bleak :thumbdown

 

Monash University forensic psychiatrist Paul Mullen said cannabis prohibition would not work but that a public education campaign warning of the risks was needed.

 

i know that guy said prohibition wont work but i swear if howard brings marijuana prohibition in to try and reduce the amount of marijuana in australia, i intend on growing acres of buds in the bush and selling the pounds i grow extremely cheap. infact i think i'd price them at less than a 1/3 of the current average price just so there is lots of weed going around and the police dont know which way to turn

[Brash]

It seems just a month ago (17 October) when Governments were patting themselves on the back re: DECREASED drug usage. forum topic - Govt claims credit for reduced drug use

 

Since then the poor pot smoker has been blamed for the destruction of the mental health of an entire generation, a drain on the taxpayer, turning people into welfare-dependant zombies, a major menace on the roads, even the collapse of the recycling industry for christ's sake.

 

Can't wait for the next installment in the ongoing war against 30% of the population.

Edited November 14, 2005 by Brash

[Guest niall]

It seems just a month ago (17 October) when Governments were patting themselves on the back re: DECREASED drug usage.

 

It must be a pre-emptive strike to avoid the impending disaster! Surely the figures show that cannabis use will explode with these lax laws and it's a disaster just waiting to happen... right? :whistling :smoke

 

Going to draft up an LTE in response to that bullshit, it's time to start taking these Federal fuckwits to task hey...