Irish politician claims legalisation of cannabis can aid recovery from economic collapse

i am an alcoholic and through the use of alcohol i lost everything eg:family,jobs,daughter,i collapsed into a depression the likes of which most would commit suicide ,i had been to doctors and psychiatrists and psychologists - none of whom helped in any way and matters just became worse but then i found weed,i now no longer drink any alcohol because of weed,i haven't smoked weed in over 4 years and i miss it,life is so much more unbearable without it,i moved to an area where i do not know anyone so i cannot get any.the thing is alcohol is bad weed is good yet alcohol is legal and weed is not(it baffles the mind),educate yourselves before making a judgement, weed makes you not want to do anything but relax and reflect upon your existence which helped me see an underlying problem i was not seeing yet weed helped me to see it and i realized that alcohol abuse is due only to underlying unseen issues within the individual,weed brings peace of mind which in turn brings good health plus everything tastes so good when your stoned,(if all the companies that sell foods realized how much more food they would sell if everyone has the munchies then they would fight to legalize it too) my story is far to long for this short 'para' but watch the videos and maybe learn something.

2 videos on Marijuana The Union: Business behind Getting High you tube /watch?v=jT-UIe7l3-Q Super High Me you tube /playlist?list=PLDE779EFD7A72B85B

2 videos on weed/hash/hemp/Marijuana The Union: Business behind Getting High Super High Me i posted a comment with links to these but it didn't show so you guys will have to google the videos,watch them before you make a judgement

to much of weed could never kill you it has never ever happened you people should go and read up on a few things before you go around saying things that are not true and try and think for your self's instead of believing every thing you hear. we have free will and we should be able to smoke the herbs the good lord made us in peace.

i smoke cannibus but as they say 2 much of anythin can kill u not just weed everything luke ming is right i know for a fact that the money people get on dole goes straight to a dealer if it was legal maybe the country could pull itself out of death when we pay the goverment for weed only for weed id be depressed with the way things are now cant even get a job what a job country is turnin into a kip

POLITICAL NONSENSE,YES THERES A FORTUNE IN DRUGS,thats why there isnt a zero tolerance death penalty for dealing,the filth that is destroying the young of the western world needs wiping out,not encouraging by stupid polititions.

lokionline- True, I am not especially knowledgeable about cannibis. However, a friend of mine became schizophrenic after several years of heavy cannabis use and died of a condition brought on by this schizophrenia. Also, several heavy skunk users in the UK have been convicted of murders committed while they were addicted to the substance. so I think, overall, it is a bad thing. But you are entitled to you opinion, and I respect that.

EphraimKibbey makes a strong and valid point, it is worth considering. Right now in the U.S., it is the legal opiate/pain killer drugs that are causing the most problems: they are prescribed initially by doctors,the patients get hooked and then the criminal element takes over. The other poisonous, danger drug, meth, is cooked up in labs that many times are inside apartment buildings Cannabis production does not explode or kill by fumes. The plant that carries THC is just that - a plant that, frankly, is Mother Nature's tranquilizer. It is not a "door-way" drug by any means. The white-powder "Speed" drugs are quite the opposite - they give a sense of power and that is why they are the drug of choice for Wall Street Barons. Why not try to regulate cannabis and make sure that the age to use is the same age for alcohol. If regulated, it could not be treated with PCP and would be safer in the long run. Its use in calming pain has already been established.

the choice of picture in this story says more about the views of this publication and its support for prohibition than it does about the politician and his attempts to end the criminal empires that are funded by cannabis in this country. any one with 5 min s to spare can find out the truth about cannabis, anyone with 20 euro to spend can buy cannabis but still this country spends a fortune every year on police and a failed policy of prohibition. so why does this publication support prohibition and why to they seek to mock people who want to end the criminals empire?

@Curitiba... you should think twice before make comments like this about the efficacy of substances you clearly have little experience with.

"Also, the tax money raised can be used to pay for mental health treatment for those whose brains are turned to mush by it, and policing for those who commit crimes while under the influence of powerful varieties, such as skunk."

Comments from folks who have no real experience with THC in any concentration illustrate how ignorance (as usual) is being worn as a badge of honour by those who would deny many who benefit enormously from this benign substance.

Tried it (Moroccan black) once myself in my midteens at a free house (no parents at home) party in south Dublin, and unlike Bill Clinton - I did inhale, though I later wished I hadn't. Bad trip - maan! Distinctly ungroovey! Had a near out of the body experience I could have done without. Like my body was in 5th gear but my spirit was in reverse. Still, can speak for everyone. And with the poverty of philosophy in Irish politics at the moment, can't help but wonder if legalising it might improve Irish governance. Whadya know - Woodstock comes to Dail Eireann. PS Anglo term "parliament" comes from the French 'parler' - i.e. to speak (perchance to make sense)! Anywhere one speaks is surely a parliament? And anyone who speaks a parliamentarian.

Ming Flanagan is right about pot/hemp/hash/cannibas. It is a benign weed, and could really perk up the devastated economy. I don't understand the Dutch, I guess they don't want any more tourist income?

legalize, tax it, tax it, tax it, regulate, control more people, sorry I was leaning to the left.

I can't see cannabis been more destructive than alcohol.From what I can see it has a calming effect on people.For some it defiantly would be a better drug than alcohol.Hard to judge the effects and dangers of cannabis unless they legalized it. They should give it a go.

Legalizing pot is stupid --- ask anyone in lawenforcement. His photo indicates he must have just had a few joints.