Cannabis takes toll on Aborigines

[hobbez]

THE serious consequences of long-term cannabis use in indigenous communities are beginning to show, with an alarming surge in the rate of chronic mental health conditions among those who started smoking the drug at an early age.

 

James Cook University researcher Alan Clough, who has been looking at the issue of indigenous drug use for the past five years, found cannabis use in remote communities was now as high as 70 per cent of people, with almost 90 per cent of users claiming to be addicted.

 

Since the study began in 2004, the bulk of users surveyed reported continuing heavy use.

 

"After 15 years of a cannabis epidemic we're really starting to see the chronic mental effects appearing," Professor Clough said.

 

"We've seen acute psychosis that is irreversible, as well as depression and dependence. Unfortunately we also have the situation where suicide is linked not just with cannabis use but also through withdrawal.

 

"The other worrying trend is the declining age of people trying it for the first time. Some kids are starting at 10."

 

In a recent study of three remote Arnhem Land communities, Professor Clough and a team of researchers found that cannabis use exceeded six "cones" daily in almost 90 per cent of users. This was about twice the consumption of regular users elsewhere in Australia.

 

The study also found people spent more than 60 per cent of their income on cannabis.

 

Professor Clough denied that alcohol bans under the intervention had forced people to switch to drugs.

 

Senior Arnhem Land elder Bakamumu Marika said young people were turning to cannabis out of boredom. "People just get bored stiff. They've got no work to do, no training, no jobs," he said.

 

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/natio...f-1225795565468

 

Wonder if Alan researched how many suicides there were before the Alcohol ban discussed in his story, be interesting to see. I feel sorry for the poor buggers in these communities.

 

They're pawns for the media/government anti-cannabis agenda now.

[datamunky]

I agree, it's sickening that they twist health issues for political purposes

[brick]

Senior Arnhem Land elder Bakamumu Marika said young people were turning to cannabis out of boredom. "People just get bored stiff. They've got no work to do, no training, no jobs," he said.

 

 

There is your answer. Whiteman still cannot see their plight. Whiteman does not listen to them. Whiteman will never understand Aboriginals, they just keep pushing laws on them that they do not understand. Instead of telling them what they should be doing they should be asking them how can we work together on this to help these young kids. Chances are they were fucked up before they started smoking. The young ones witness all the shit that goes on, drunkeness, violence, rape etc etc. These young kids would have problems without cannabis.

[bufo marinus]

Anyone who has lived in these communities will tell you that is a fuckin lie.

Who's worked in Mt Isa? The Leichardt River runs right through the centre of town, it hardly ever runs, it seperates the mine from the town, it's full of vagrant pissed violent Aboriginals, stealing pairs of thongs off each other so they are allowed entry into the Argent Hotel. I've been behind an Aboriginal elder at the Post Office at Fitzroy Crossing, watched him put an 'X' where it says signature on the Commonweath Bank withdrawl slip and ask for 'The Lot',... seen him half an hour later heading straight to the pub where it would have been spent that day or gambled later that afternoon. Talked to the local nurse at the same town, she said the violence to young girls from alcoholic fathers uncles brothers would make me ill if I knew the real story.

Greedy fuckers selling overpriced Cannabis is about the only problem.

 

Remove your head out of your arse, get rid of prohibition of Cannabis Professor Alan Clough and FUCKING WAKE UP!!!!!!

[hobbez]

These young kids would have problems without cannabis.

 

Exactly...

But if we didn't have ridiculous stories like this it would probably take the focus off drugs and put it back on the government to do something about these communities.

 

Greedy fuckers selling overpriced Cannabis is about the only problem.

 

And selling the weed to kids...

[bufo marinus]

Petrol sniffing in Central Australia hasn't even been raised. What a knobhead, Fuck off back to Sydney Professor Knobhead. Cunt must be after more funding eh?

[hobbez]

hahah bufo

 

i'm guessing your as annoyed by the story as I am

 

Another annoying thing about this is Ruddy was supposed to be pouring massive amounts of funding into these communities.

 

The Government has already said in a discussion paper that the outstations are a "high demand" drain on resources.

 

Yananymul Mununggurr, an Aboriginal elder in Arnhem Land and spokeswoman for the Yolngu homelands, attacked the reform, saying it was a tragedy that remote communities are being left with minimal assistance.

 

"We too have a right to education, housing and other services and in many respects homeland communities often have better economic development potential than large communities," Ms Mununggurr said.

 

-http://www.theage.com.au/national/funding-splurge-overlooks-remote-aboriginal-communities-20090324-98y5.html

 

[bufo marinus]

Standing just back from the bar at the Fitzroy Crossing Hotel some time in the 80's (the white's bar was, maybe still is, out the back, black's bar out the front) I was wondering where the smell of a joint was coming from and was surprised to look around and see the publican sharing a joint with my new employer. "Fuck" I said to this old guy I was stuck talking to, "they're blowing a joint at the bar!" "Yeah mate, not much else to do out 'ere" was his reply, and that was reality.

What a pitiful existence the people on that mission lived. All the good land that they might have been able to use for cattle was owned by someone else, probably an overseas consortium by that stage? Owning vast stations that you'd drive for hours to get to while the black's drank themselves insane in the heat with nothing to do, displaced, unhappy with nothing to look forward to.

 

Smoking Cannabis was far far farrrrrrrr from their problems then, same as it isn't now.

 

 

Hemp licenses issued to Aboriginals only!!

 

Employment figures in rural communities would go through the roof. Now that would be a fricken coup for Rudd. Just think about it. He'd be the fricken Abraham Lincoln of Oz

 

Is it any crazier than the current situation?

 

I'm tellin ya I should be the fricken Prime Minister

[bufo marinus]

Professor Clough denied that alcohol bans under the intervention had forced people to switch to drugs.

 

This cunt's blind

[Frazz]

whitey believes he can ease his conscience by handing out money to dis-possessed inhabitants of the country ...

they never needed money before we came, by comparison things were very, very good for Aborigines before we came ..

 

stop dishing out cash money to 'bush' Aborigines , if they aint got money they cant get Cannabis cause they certainly dont know how to grow it ...

 

Cannabis and alcohol use amongst Aboriginal communities is a direct result of having their country invaded and occupied by whitey ...

 

just as well they havent developed such a hatred of us that they start suicide-bombing us as many other dis-possessed peoples of the world have done ...