Drug rankings

[jabez]

By looking at the list I would say that they have combined the abuse rate with the dangers associated with the drug which kind of makes sense since cannabis is apparently the third most abused drug under alcohol and tobacco, so cannabis at number 11 as a class C drug sounds fair to me.

[Zaknefain]

Do they really believe that if knowledge falls in the citizens hands, it will make things worse? It appears to be such, and if such is true, then what other things are they hiding from us because they think it will be misused... stupid politicians, we need another halocaust... if u know what i mean

 

 

(based on post saying marihuana being a class c drug is makin people smoke it)

Edited March 25, 2007 by Zaknefain

[DownUnderDoper]

In response to the findings of the report in 'The Lancet' that showed Cannabis to be less harmful to society than Alcohol, there can be only one realistic response.

 

Alcohol should be made illegal.

Because some people have problems with it.

It doesn't matter that the vast majority of users will never form a dependency to the drug Alcohol, because about 15% will at some point in their lives.

It doesn't matter that the vast majority of users will never suffer Cirrhosis of the Liver, Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy, Alcoholic Ketoacidosis or Alcohol Poisoning, because some heavy users will.

It doesn't matter that only a small minority of heavy Alcohol users will ever develop Alcoholic Pyschosis, or another known Alcohol induced Mental Health problem such as Depression or Anxiety, because for some people Alcohol use is a causal factor.

It doesn't matter that the majority of pregnant women will abstain from using alcohol during their pregnancy because of the risk of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome to their baby, because some won't.

It doesn't matter that most users will not become violent yobbos, wife bashers or child abusers after using Alcohol, because some will.

It doesn't matter that the majority of users won't drive or work under the influence of the drug, because some will.

It doesn't matter that it's only the heaviest of users (either in frequency and/or dose size) of this drug that cause 95% of it's problems, we must be protected from that minority!

It doesn't matter that the vast majority of people who use the drug, do so responsibly, without harming anybody else, and with little or no lasting damage to themselves, because some don't.

And because of that minority that can't or won't use the drug responsibly it should be made illegal for the entire community, it's the only way, anyone caught in possession of Alcohol should be fined, if you try to produce large quantities of Alcohol or if you deal the drug you should be jailed.

 

If the above sounds somewhat rediculous, then ask yourself why is Cannabis illegal, but Alcohol can be bought at the shopping centre?

More importantly ask your politicians how much it costs YOU THE TAXPAYER to keep it that way?

 

Cannabis, just like any other drug can be abused and cause problems, no argument from me there, but it's also a drug that is used without incident by the vast majority of it's users both recreational and medicinal and, put quite simply, decades of prohibition have abjectly failed, it's time we looked at a different control method.

Preferrably one in which the Government has some control over the drug, thats going to be used whether we like it or not, just like Alcohol.

Preferrably one with the potential to raise Millions of dollars, by licensing growers and taxing buyers, funds that would go a long way towards covering the costs of those problems, that are going to be there anyway, just like Alcohol.

Having licenced dealers would not be likely to completely take Cannabis out of the reach of children (any more than it does with Alcohol) but we would at least have a chance, we would at least know exactly who is selling Cannabis, from where, who is Growing Commercial Cannabis and exactly how and where it is grown.

Home Growers, like Home Brewers should be left alone as long as they don't sell (at which point it becomes a Tax department/Licensing Authority issue), just like Alcohol.

Perhaps a licence from the relevant Department each year to carry out a personal grow, with Authorities free to inspect your grow at any time? How many of us Homebrewers would agree to that?

 

Cannabis use is not going anywhere, it's always been there, and some people will unfortunately come to harm from it, but there are many drugs with potential to do far more damage than Cannabis and that is where Police Resources should be directed, because with such a slow production time (months as opposed to days) and successful Police operations, coupled with the longer detectable 'half-life' period at workplace drug testing, Cannabis use IS being supplanted by Amphetamine use, I would love for someone to explain how that is "Harm Reduction".

 

It's time to recognise that not all drugs are the same, and they should be controlled individually according to their potential to harm society. We already have the road side testing necessary to keep Cannabis impaired drivers off the road, isn't it about time we stopped worrying about what they do in their homes?

[Nattefrost]

Apologies for dragging up a some what dead topic but I just saw this on another forum, am I the only one who thinks that the three variables they use to assess the risk of a drug are merely common sense?

[freddie]

Apologies for dragging up a some what dead topic but I just saw this on another forum, am I the only one who thinks that the three variables they use to assess the risk of a drug are merely common sense?

 

The rankings are based on the harm drugs do to the individual, society and the degree of dependence formed. That seems to make sense to me. What i guess i find problematic with this approach is what weight do you give for each of these criteria? For instance if you ranked on harm to health (damage to the body) ciggies would probably come out on top but is that only because they are so widely used. Heroin isn't that harmful if addicts could get a consistent supply, however it is extremely addictive. Alcohols social harm is massive but the drug in moderation isn't that harmful. There are so many variables in this that you could argue endlessly. I could fill pages but i have things to do.

[Dragonfan]

Do they really believe that if knowledge falls in the citizens hands, it will make things worse? It appears to be such, and if such is true, then what other things are they hiding from us because they think it will be misused... stupid politicians, we need another halocaust... if u know what i mean (based on post saying marihuana being a class c drug is makin people smoke it)

 

I agree wholeheartedly (with the stupid politicians comment), the problem is the bullshit that has been spun for so many years, it's such a big pile the pollies just can't seem to clamber out of it . . . instead of 'repealing' laws etc they just add another layer of bullshit to the original layer of bullshit and hey presto, you have a legal system that is an absolute heap of steaming bullshit that's not even a joke!

 

Why oh why are governments (all) incapable of scrapping their 'mistakes' and starting all over again? It's sooooo much easier than adding layer upon layer of crap to what was crap in the first place . . . ?

 

However, as to the Lancet report, very interesting, however, we all know it is true . . . how many millions of cannabis 'converts' is it going to take to get the world to wise up and realise that without hemp/cannabis there's no future for us all, get rid of all the petro-chemical industries and replace them with clean green MJ! Let's have hemp oil provide our propulsion, moisturise our skin, wash our hair and clothes . . . lets see no more lopping of trees (the lungs of the earth) use hemp instead, as fibre board it's stronger than timber! Mmm, preaching to the converted . . . unfortunately the Professors in the Lancet report have no sway with the UK Government, so the same will happen as has done in the US and here, a big fat nothing! The status quo will stay, it's gonna be a case of 'Chinese Water Torture'

 

Cannabis use is not going anywhere, it's always been there, and some people will unfortunately come to harm from it, but there are many drugs with potential to do far more damage than Cannabis and that is where Police Resources should be directed, because with such a slow production time (months as opposed to days) and successful Police operations, coupled with the longer detectable 'half-life' period at workplace drug testing, Cannabis use IS being supplanted by Amphetamine use, I would love for someone to explain how that is "Harm Reduction".

 

It's time to recognise that not all drugs are the same, and they should be controlled individually according to their potential to harm society. We already have the road side testing necessary to keep Cannabis impaired drivers off the road, isn't it about time we stopped worrying about what they do in their homes?

 

'Harm Reduction', does it exist? Are Methadone Clinics and Shooting Galleries 'Harm Reduction', is Drug Diversion Therapy 'Harm Reduction' . . . nope, none of it works to any extreme, the success rate of those on Methadone trying to kick Heroin is appalling . . . and no less tragic is the Amphetamine problem, the ever growing problem which is truly scary . . . yeah go fry your brain with some chemical cocktail that is basically poisonous as opposed to smoking something totally natural . . . I can see how it would be preferable to become a meth head (it concerns me greatly as I have three children, two of whom are 'adult').

 

The Laws make no sense . . . but as long as there's revenue in nabbing the criminal cannabis users, will it ever end?

Edited April 13, 2007 by Dragonfan

[Pa-uul]

…

Alcohol should be made illegal.

Because some people have problems with it….

Brilliant observation.

…What i guess i find problematic with this approach is what weight do you give for each of these criteria?...

Yeah, these rankings are subjective.

 

For instance, why is heroin number one? Maybe they're trying to advertise it, like look at me I'm the most dangerous. Yeah, right. My understanding is that it does not damage the body – it's just addictive, but probably not even as addictive as tobacco. Cannabis should definitely be the far right hand side of this list, probably last at 20. Even if you assume that most users smoke it as opposed to eating it you'd have to acknowledge a lot of propaganda about it to jack it up this far into the ranks.

 

Here is that list again for your convenience:

 

1) Heroin

2) Cocaine

3) Barbiturates

4) Street Methadone

5) Alcohol

6) Ketamine

7) Benzodiazepines

8) Amphetamine

9) Tobacco

10) Buprenorphine

11) Cannabis

12) Solvents

13) 4-MTA

14) LSD

15) Methylphenidate

16) Anabolic Steroids

17) GHB

18) Ecstasy

19) Alkyl Nitrates

20) Khat

 

Tobacco and alcohol are surely the most dangerous. Have they given less weight to their ranking because they're legal? I don't think they should do that. Lately it's been reported that tobacco actually damages chromosomes. Ironically enough for cannabis users this claim was made years ago about pot, which I guess they had to retract because they later found that THC protects DNA. Anyway, tobacco is the drug which causes 19,019 deaths each year in Australia according to the graph on the back of some of these cigarette packs coming out now. (It also had 2,831 for alcohol and 1,731 for motor vehicle accidents, illegal drugs 863, and 203 for murders.)

 

I suppose methamphetamine should be fairly high on this list. Yet, the effects of this drug are surely over-hyped as well. Some policeman said that a user will develop scabs and have their teeth fall out within a few years and drive their car having hallucinations, paranoid that "they" are out to get them and scratching their skin and the ashtray to "get the cockroaches out". I mean, please. Even if a few people get like that I bet it would be a small minority, and probably these people have other things going on in their life such as other drugs or mental conditions. If that was true for everyone who took it then why do they allow 10 years-olds to be prescribed it for ADD and ADHD? Do these kids turn turn scabby in a couple of years? No. And if it impairs you, for example while driving, then why does the US Air Force give it to combat sortie pilots to this day (under the name of "go pills")? They did during the Iraq war. And they did it during the Second World War, too.

 

This list tells you more about the politics surrounding the drugs than the drugs themselves.

 

Oh, and having solvents just below cannabis is an insult. Come on, that's irresponsible. Imagine some poor Aboriginal kid in the outback having 10 years of sniffing petrol or solvents compared to 10 years of smoking pot. No comparison prohibitionist pollies!

[Iceage]

I totally agree with you Pa-uul...

 

I hate stupid stuff like this, I was going to say something about this before but I could not have been f'd doing such a long post like yours so thank you. I think you did a great job of what I was thinking.

 

A lot of addictive facts, mental facts, body effect facts..... The list goes on. All of which makes a difference, depending on what kind of person you are. So many scenarios.

Edited April 13, 2007 by Iceage