All posts in the topic Weed, Fags and Mogadon (Short link)

Nov 04 03:41 UTC

I don't enjoy smoking cannabis - never really have.  But while there are
arguments between members of this forum about its effects and legality I
think it pertinent to discuss other drugs as well.

Until the late 1960's tobacco was the main drug of choice (excluding alcohol
of course) and it served its function admirably. From the late 1960's the
RATE of cigarette smoking amongst males declined. To some degree this was
unrecognised as more women took up smoking.

The decline was a "natural" decline - males were taking up sport, the
detrimental effects of tobacco smoking were becoming more noticeable and
younger males were less stressed than the previous generation. Also, I
suppose, cannabis smoking began to increase - often young tobacco smokers
took up cannabis smoking as it was - in the Hippie era - more "green".

Tobacco smoking has been declining ever since the late 1960's - NOT entirely
because of the actions of the anti-smoking lobby and law changes. The REASON
smoking tobacco began to decline was simply other stress-release substitutes
were becoming available. And the level of stress was being reduced. In a
phrase, the first and second world wars had finished, the great depression
had passed by - and those who experienced these periods of history were
getting older and fading away. There was bugger-all stress left! I mean life
and death stress.

In last Saturday's edition of "The Press" Beck Eleven wrote a telling
article. She went off her prescription of whatever it was (I keep forgetting
the name of the stuff!) and tried surviving without it. She did not enjoy
the experience. Not that she enjoyed the experience of using the stuff
either...

Tellingly she stated that in Canterbury one in eleven (? Did I get that
figure right?) is on some sort of prescribed anti-depressant. Bugger me!
While the Government puts up the taxes on tobacco products the rate of
prescribed substitutes gallops upward!

It seems a large portion of the population needs some form of anti
depressant. I won't ask why - I am simply stating this was one of the
figures bandied about in Beck Eleven's article.

Now, I bet the anti-depressants that are being prescribed aren't harmless
over the long term.... Neither is tobacco... and cannabis probably isn't the
best stuff for you over the long term either... But, the fact is, unless
people have easy access to low-strength anti-depressants they will lead
miserable lives... So without getting into a pro-anti argument about fags
and pot - why can't they be looked upon more tolerantly? (Cannabis is
mind-altering like alcohol so maybe people should not be allowed to smoke
too much of the stuff and drive....)

And if fags and pot cannot be acceptable - then for God's sake why are
well-heeled members of the state-supported "Health System" allowed to
PRESCRIBE  freebee drugs?

And what is that stuff that Doctors are prescribing all over the place - the
stuff I can't remember the name of.

Just wondering...

Tim Kerr

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