When Talk to Frank launched in June 2003, UKCIA examined the information given about cannabis and published our comments, which you can read here. We are interested to see that this information has been revised although Frank is still there to support the government policy, rather than to give totally honest advice.

Frank still has big problems with the English language and many of our criticisms of the site are due to this perhaps deliberate misuse of the written word.

December 2003

Frank says
UKCIA comment
Appearance and use

The most widely used illegal drug in Britain. It's a naturally occurring drug made from parts of the cannabis plant.

Cannabis isn't "made" from parts of the cannabis plant, the cannabis plant "contains" the active ingredients. It's important to understand that cannabis as used is an entirely natural substance.

It's a sedative and mild hallucinogen that makes some people feel chilled out and others feel sick.

Cannabis may be a sedative, but it's one which can be used to enhance such pastimes as dancing (as with "Jiving" - "jive" being a jazz culture term for cannabis). Also, it doesn't produce hallucinations in the way LSD does.
It's not very expensive and widely available. It's not very expensive but is widely available.

ID: Bhang, black, blast, blow, blunts. Bob Hope, bush, dope, draw, ganja, grass, hash, hashish, hemp, herb, marijuana, pot, puff, Northern Lights, resin, sensi, sensemilla, shit, skunk, smoke, soap, spliff, wacky backy, weed, zero. Some names are based on where it comes from... Afghan, homegrown, Moroccan etc

 Most herbal cannabis is now "homegrown" (in the loosest sense of the word "home") and is known by the strain of plant, e.g. White widow, Purple haze etc. or generally as "skunk" or more likely "weed".

Cannabis comes in different forms.

True
Hash is a blacky-brown lump made from the resin of the plant. It's quite often squidgey. Grass or weed is the dried leaves of the plant. It looks like tightly packed dried garden herbs.
A small amount of "home grown" weed
Weed looks like this
A small amount of hash (not soap bar)
Hash looks like this
Less common is sensimilla. This is bud grown in the absence of male plants and has no seeds. And cannabis oil which is dark and sticky and comes in a small jar.

Frank has changed this bit of information, he used to say "Less common is sensimilla which a form of Jamaican weed famous for being all bud and no seed"

Most, if not all, homegrown weed is sensimilla, i.e. unfertilised female plants, it's very unlikely you'll get seeds in skunk.
Most people mix cannabis up with tobacco and smoke it as a spliff or a joint. Some people put it in a pipe. Others make tea with it or stick it in food like cakes.

The fact that most people smoke cannabis mixed with tobacco is true and is the biggest health hazard facing users. Sadly nowhere does Frank give harm reduction advice about safer ways to use cannabis.

As we commented last time, cannabis is not water soluble and putting it in tea (i.e. boiling water) won't work. You can however make milk based drinks with it and, indeed you can "stick it in" lots of food. See the ukcia how to eat cannabis section
Cost

About £7.50 for a 'teenth' or sixteenth of an ounce.

About £15 for an 'eighth' of an ounce. And about £25 for a 'quarter'.

Frank's prices are for low-grade soap bar, good quality weed costs a little more, perhaps around £10 per teenth.

Increasingly cannabis is being sold by the gram - especially weed. a "teenth" = 1.75grms.
Purity
Some unsuspecting people have been known to buy blocks of mud, stock cubes and garden herbs from people pretending to be dealers.

Of course, whilst cannabis remains illegal this is a very real problem, but that's the governments fault for having a stupid law which prevents any form of regulation of cannabis sales and which forces the trade into the hands of oganised crime. Of course, Frank can't say that.
The most unpure Cannabis is called 'soap bar'. It's contaminated with all sorts of things. This makes it cheaper but it's a false economy really as it is often harder to get stoned. Some users hate it so much they object to smoking it.

A big change here in Franks information. In June, Frank said "Cannabis is not something that dealers mix anything with". UKCIA has been warning for some time that this isn't true and that some forms of street hash - called "Soap bar" can be highly contaminated - see our soapbar warning.

Again, Franks' use of the English language is suspect and can really only be explained because he's not being honest. The word "unpure" in Franks comments actually mean "cut" or "polluted". This, again, is a direct result of prohibition and nothing else.

UKCIA advice - Don't buy soapbar, don't sell soap bar, it may be very dangerous indeed.

Why not tell the truth Frank?
The effects
The effects of any drug have a lot to do with who the users are with, what mood they're in and how much of the drug they take. Cannabis is no exception.

Actually, that is more true for cannabis than with most other drugs. What used to be called 'set and setting' - who you are with and where you are - is very important when you get stoned. That isn't true for all drugs as Frank should know.
Much like a cigarette, the effects are immediate and last from about an hour to a few hours. Not true. When smoked the effects are pretty fast acting, but not immediate. For a total nonsmoker having a first puff on a tobacco spliff, the head-spinning hit which happens at once is the tobacco. The cannabis high will come along some time later, maybe as long as 10 - 20 mins later. How long it lasts depends on how much is smoked and at what rate. Bongs etc are faster acting but still not immediate.
Smoking more will make the effects last longer obviously. Franks' use of English is suspect again. Continuing to smoke will prolong the experience, smoking "more" as in having more hits on the one bong will make the experience mosre intense. Being stoned - like being drunk - is a matter of degree, it's not an "on/off" experience. So you can get very stoned for a short time or a little bit stoned for a long time using the same amount of cannabis.
Smoking a spliff makes most people happy, relaxed and at peace with the world but the effects vary from person to person. Some people have one puff and feel sick. Others get the giggles until the muscles in their face hurt.

As we said last time, where do they get this from? Smoking with tobacco is the easiest way to make people feel sick. To be honest, most people just feel stoned when they smoke cannabis, which is much more than just "feeling happy, relaxed and at peace with the world" - see here

The last bit about face muscles is just stupid and wrong.
Cannabis is quite an introspective drug. Once stoned, users can find hidden depths in daytime television/ the most unlikely song lyrics. Being stoned is an introspective experience, true. It certainly does allow people to listen deeply to music, experiencing layers of complexity in the composition. Similar things can happen with images. This is why artists use cannabis to great effect in making music and other forms of art. Indeed, it's probably the reason most people use cannabis, sad then that Frank tells people to watch daytime TV when stoned, but then it is an anti drug site remember, the message has to be a negative one...
It's a mild hallucinogen. Colours and sounds appear brighter and sharper. Indeed, which is partly why "site and setting" mentioned above are important.
It affects co-ordination. So it can make people a bit unsteady on their feet. Doing complicated things like operating machinery is not a good idea.

Stoned people do not stagger around like drunks, although being very stoned can make movement difficult.

In some ways cannabis can improve concentration and may even help with certain complex tasks, particularly with artistic composition. But it is good advice not to work dangerous machinery when stoned - including driving.
Some people use it to relieve muscle pain associated with illnesses like MS (Multiple Sclerosis). True - others use it for other reasons such as stress relief as well, indeed cannabis seems to have a very wide range of medical applications, something long denied by the drug warriors.
Someone who's been smoking a lot will have bloodshot eyes, a dry mouth and may well have their head in the fridge. Hunger pangs are known as 'getting the munchies'. As we said before, Near enough.
There is a flip side: So all of the above were the good points of cannabis according to Frank...
  At this poimt Frank has scrapped a rather daft warning he used to have about cannabis causing a loss of inhibitions. Frank used to say "Some people get so chilled they lose their inhibitions altogether." It was utter rubbish, it's gone.Thanks Frank.
Even hardcore smokers can get anxious, panicky and suspicious. Which is what can happen if you become too inward looking when stoned.
Cannabis screws with short-term memory. When stoned, yes. Not permanently though.
Eating or drinking the drug delays the effects and can make them stronger and longer lasting.

Well, it is fair to warn that eating cannabis does take a while to feel any effect, but as for making the effect stronger and longer lasting, well, that's not a flip side!

Eating or drinking cannabis also avoids the dangers associated with smoking, but of course, Frank can't tell you that.

However, given the unregulated supply side - caused by the law - it is hard to judge the strength of your hash cake. Again though, Frank fails to warn of the actual cause of the problem.
Chances of getting hooked
Unlikely. There is a minimal risk of physical dependence. Psychological dependency occurs in about 10% of users. True
Users are more likely to get addicted to nicotine if they roll their spliffs with tobacco Then why doesn't Frank advise users to smoke cannabis without tobacco? Tokepure Frank!
There are no physical withdrawal symptoms if you've only been using for a short while and there should be no problem stopping (unless you get addicted to the tobacco). So don't smoke tobacco...
 

Frank's scrapped another wonderful bit of his GCSE English language grade F style information here: He used to say "If you have been using for a long time, worth you might want to think about counselling. Your local drug agency can offer help and advice".

What he meant was if you do find you have a problem with your cannabis use (a few people do), don't be afraid to ask for help, you won't get busted.
The risks
Most of the risks associated with cannabis are linked to regular, heavy use.

Most problems associated to anything are linked to regular, heavy use, cannabis is no exception to that rule.

Notice how Frank is careful not to say there are few if any risks with moderate use, again, he can't, Talk to Frank is an anti drugs site. This is an example of "spin".
Smoking cannabis may be more harmful than smoking tobacco. Cannabis has a higher concentration of chemical 'nasties' that cause cancer.

Note the use of the words "may be", this is very open to debate and not proven. Indeed, there is some research which indicates that cannabis may actually inhibit cancer growth

In any case, cannabis smoking is very different in nature to tobacco smoking, which is why regular tobacco smokers buy it in 15grm (1/2 ounce) packs, probably every other day or so.

However, a simple bit of good harm reduction advice is to breath in as little smoke as possible and to filter the smoke. Use a water pipe and smoke small amounts of strong weed for example.
Smoking anything can give you heart problems, bronchitis and cancer. Smoking it with tobacco can get you hooked on tobacco. Probably true - don't smoke cannabis with tobacco and breath in as little smoke as possible - see above.
Cannabis can make asthma worse.

Frank is on very shaky ground here. UKCIA has heard a lot of anecdotal evidence that cannabis is actually good for asthma, although smoking tobacco laden spliffs is going to reduce any potential benefits.

Eating cannabis of course avoids these problems.
And it's not a good idea with heart disease, high blood pressure or at risk from strokes. Probably good advice, but again open to doubt, see here
Regular, heavy use makes it harder to learn and concentrate. Being stoned all the time isn't going to win anyone 'Employee Of The Month'. Regular, heavy use of anything won't make you employee of the month, that's not advice particular to cannabis
Frequent use of cannabis can cut a man's sperm count and suppress ovulation in women. This is a dangerous thing to say, cannabis has no contraceptive effect and cannabis users do not have trouble breeding. Frank should reconsider this comment.
Some people begin to feel tired all the time and can't seem to get motivated. Whilst others become hyperactive and use cannabis to concentrate on the task at hand. But in general it's reasonable advice not to be stoned all the time and certainly being stoned will not make you good at a task if you're not already.
Some research has made a link between cannabis and mental illnesses like schizophrenia. If you've got a history of mental illness in the family you should think very carefully about getting stoned.

"Some research", it's not proof by a long way.

However, if you find cannabis has unpleasant effects - and some people certainly do - don't use it.

The vast majority of people will not suffer in this way of course.

Cannabis can cause a range of mental health problems from short lived and more common problems such as anxiety and paranoid feelings, to less common difficulties with actual psychotic states that may require medical treatment.

 This section has changed to become more alarmist and it is far from proven that cannabis actually causes any of these problems. However, it is probably true to say that cannabis may make latent conditions worse, which the user may not be aware of before using cannabis. Nothing on this earth is without risk.
These problems may fade away over several days after stopping using cannabis but occasionally may require a stay in hospital. In the vast majority of cases the problems fade when the stone wares off. If you experience these problems on a regular basis, don't use cannabis. If you continue to do so, you may find you have a problem. Feelings of anxiety or paranoia are warnings, don't ignore them.
Smoking cannabis when pregnant may harm the baby Smoking anything when pregnant can harm the baby
Babies tend to be lower in birth weight and to have developmental problems.

This is smoking related advice, not cannabis related. However, it's good advice not to use any kind of drug when pregnant. A reader offered this feedback to UKCIA

"I don't think its advisable to take any drug including alcohol or caffeine when pregnant, surely you shouldn't really be encouraging people to get stoned when they are pregnant if it involves smoking or not"?

Fair enough.