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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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Safer
smoking
If
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 dangers
Because
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
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The
way forward
The
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..
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