The
ins and outs of surviving prohibition - risks summary When
you get stoned:Don't
drive or do anything that requires alertness or fast reactions. If
you don't like what cannabis does, don't keep getting stoned in the hope it will
get better. Accept that cannabis isn't for you.
Getting stoned quickly
- especially after drinking alcohol - is a good way to whitey. You won't enjoy
it and it's a warning that you're abusing cannabis. Always treat cannabis with
respect, if you do, it won't happen. Back
to top Health
stuff Cannabis
can help asthma, but smoking it can make the condition worse. Prohibition
is preventing the production of many useful medicines that can be made from cannabis.
If you feel cannabis is
becoming too important in your life, break your routine, do other things that
don't involve getting stoned .
Don't
use cannabis when you're studying or doing anything that requires learning - save
it for after.
Don't
get stoned or use any drugs when you're pregnant unless you really have to for
medical reasons and then always do so with the advice of your doctor
Back
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Everyday
stuff
Young
people under 18 are best advised not to get stoned - at least not very often -
because their minds are still developing. This is good advice not only for cannabis
but also for any drug. Getting stoned is an adult thing, don't give it to children
under 15.
Learn about cannabis and the different types. If possible buy
cannabis from people you know who grow their own and take a pride in what they
grow. Stronger doesn't mean better.
Most
cannabis users have the occasional "session" - when a lot gets smoked
and everyone gets very stoned. But if you know someone - especially someone young
- who's doing this a lot, perhaps to the exclusion of most other things it might
be an idea to check out what's going on. Don't
get into debt to dealers. Back
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Brain care If
you suffer from schizophrenia, cannabis is extremely likely to make your illness
worse or delay your recovery
Cannabis
is not for everybody - be supportive of people with schizophrenia for whom it
can do harm.
Cannabis
contains psychoactive drugs and its role in mental illness can be complicated.
Many people can have many different takes on the subject
Never
try to talk someone into getting stoned who doesn't want to. Cannabis isn't for
kids.
Young
people under 18 are best advised not to get stoned - at least not very often -
because their minds are still developing. This is good advice not only for cannabis
but also for any drug. Getting stoned is an adult thing, don't give it to kids. A
bad psychotic reaction to cannabis could be a warning sign, take the warning seriously.
Look
after your mates - if you see someone reacting badly to cannabis or perhaps toking
too much too often, don't ignore it. Back
to top Safer
smokingIf
you're going to smoke cannabis - breathe in as little smoke as possible and allow
the smoke to cool..
If
you smoke cannabis - don't mix it with tobacco. Use a pipe or some other device
to toke pure.
Getting
stoned too fast or toking whilst drinking or after drinking can lead to a whitey
- you won't enjoy that. Don't burn cannabis in plastic or rubber, acrid foul tasting
smoke is a sign that this is happening. Never smoke with an aluminum pipe.
Government
imposed dangersBecause
of prohibition, there is the additional risk of contamination, this is a serious
problem and the best advice is only to cook with cannabis grown by yourself or
someone you know.
At
the very least, NEVER eat street cannabis which hasn't been cooked, e.g., hash
which has just been crumbled up and sprinkled on a sandwich; you'll probably be
OK, but you might just end up with the runs - you could conceivably end up with
hepatitis.
It's
generally good advice not to buy cannabis supplied by organised crime, so get
to know someone who grows at home or grow yourself - but be aware that it's illegal
to do so and the law can be very harsh.
Be
warned that the British government seems to want to encourage people to have dealings
with the illegal market - the law is sometimes used against small time growers
in a very severe way.
Prohibition
means cannabis sales are unregulated and that dealers may be more interested in
their profit than your well-being. Because of the law, cannabis users may come
into contact with a range of other substances, including dangerous addictive drugs Back
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The
way forwardThe
problems surrounding cannabis are social and medical, so we need to encourage
social changes to deal with them. The legal system is not an effective way to
do this. Social change is created by education and familiarisation, not by repression
and the creation of a police state. The
aims of prohibition are to restrict the trade by disrupting it, leading to polluted,
uncertain supplies, chaotic use and ignorance about the nature of the substance
and the culture surrounding it. Because of the government policy of prohibition
there is no recourse under law if you get into trouble with dealers or buy something
fake or contaminated. Cannabis is not a controlled drug, whatever politicians
think. If
public health and safety are the main aim of policy, the present policy makes
no sense. Be
careful - cannabis prohibition is more dangerous than the plant could ever be.. Back
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