Boy, is Sister Mary Elephant gonna be ticked when she sees this story:

[size=4]Cannabis is given health all clear[/size=4]
by David Taylor Home Affairs Correspondent

Scientists today cleared the way for a softening of the law on cannabis, declaring that the drug "is not associated with major health problems for the individual or society".

The Government's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs found that while cannabis smokers can become dependent, the drug is not as addictive as tobacco or alcohol.

Although cannabis may pose risks for people with heart problems, or for schizophrenics, the dangers are not so great as in the case of other drugs such as amphetamine, say the scientists. In healthy young people, cannabis is even said to have a similar effect on the heart as exercise.

The findings are sure to dismay some anti-drugs campaigners who regard cannabis as a "gateway drug" which can lead users to experiment with harder substances, such as heroin.

At the moment, cannabis is a Class B drug, one rung down from cocaine, heroin and ecstasy, but on a par with amphetamine or "speed". In October, Home Secretary David Blunkett signalled his intention to downgrade cannabis to Class C alongside steroids and some sleeping pills - meaning that being caught with small amounts would no longer be an arrestable offence.

Today's advisory council report says cannabis is less harmful than other Class B drugs, adding: "The continuing juxtaposition of cannabis with these more harmful Class B drugs, erroneously ( and dangerously) suggests that their harmful effects are equivalent."

It makes clear that alcohol is far more damaging than cannabis to health and society at large because it encourages risk-taking and leads to aggressive and violent behaviour.

Today's report - always expected to support downgrading - is seen as the next step toward the biggest change in the drugs laws for more than 30 years.

Both the Commons and the Lords will have to debate and vote on the issue before the law can be changed and the Home Secretary will wait until he has read two more key reports before he asks Parliament to look at the question.

First, he wants to see a study of the Metropolitan Police's Lambeth experiment where people caught with cannabis have been let off with a warning and simply had the drug confiscated. Then he will read the home affairs select committee's wide-ranging report on the Government's drugs policies.

A Home Office source said any change in the law would come "in the summer at the earliest". It would still be possible to go to jail for dealing in cannabis, but people caught with small amounts for personal use would likely face only confiscation and a formal warning.

See article at:[url]http://www.thisislondon.com/dynamic/news/story.html?in_review_id=522065&in_review_text_id=486907[/url]

I think Cheech Marin said it best, when he said to Tommy Chong: '............'

Eric The(Bogarting)Hun[>]:)]

[Edited, 'cause I spilled some bong water on the keyboard.]

[img]http://www.marijuana.org/GraphixFolder/graphix4/joint.jpg[/img]

Smoke em if you got em.  Bum em if you don't.

So am I stupid or...

Who the hell is Sister Mary Elephant?


Either way, good for them. Don't smoke it myself, but it seems that any rational person could see that Marijuana poses no serious threat to the public at large. No more than booze.

Oh, and I do drink booze.

Bout damn time we got some good data.  This is somthing people have known for quite some time, but it's nice to have people with degrees say so too.  I suppose now it's time for that celebratory bong hit, then.  See y'all on the dark side of the moon then!  Cheerio!  (Mmmmm, cheerios...)

Well golly. It increases your heart rate so it must be good.
I suppose that the same can be said
(in the short run) for tobacco too.

Post from seamusmcoi -

She was the Catholic Nun at the Parochial School featured in one of Cheech & Chong's comedy albums.

I think it was there [b]Big Bambu[/b] Album, but I could be wrong.

Things are kinda hazy from back then.[:D]

Anyway, Sister Mary Elephant has a unique way of telling her class to [b]SHUT UP![/b]

She also invited narcotic detective Sgt. Studenko to lecture her class on the dangers of drugs.

Eric The(SeemedReallyFunnyBackThen!)Hun[>]:)]

I had some of those albums too, ETH - very funny indeed!

Tyler

Dave's not here, man.

"Thank you" [0:)]



Damn funny skit.
Thanks for jogging my memory to retrieve that bit of fun  [):)]

All I wanna know is ...

... If "it" became legal would one still suffer from paranoia? [smoke][smoke][smoke]

Post from Jarhead_22 -

Who?

Dave?

Dave's not here, man.

Eric The(ZigZag)Hun[>]:)]

I think it was from the "Los Cochinos" album, but I could  also be wrong (I was wrong most of the time back then!).

[i]"Aggh! Taste like dog-chit! Good thing we don't step in it — Let's go eat..."[/i]

[b]Skibane[/b], you're probably right, now that my head has cleared.

[b][i]Hey, Mademoiselle! Hey you! Parlez vous uh humma humma?[/i][/b]

Eric The('IWillNotSignZeePapers')Hun[>]:)]