Harm is Nothing If Not Relative
This post was originally posted on Freedom4All, you can view the original in the Freedom4all archive
I’m afraid tonight’s posts are all short pieces (which no doubt is a relief to many!).
The Legalise Cannabis Alliance regularly mentions a very valid point, that I don’t feel is reported nearly enough. What’s reported even less is how the UK Government worsen the situation.
As well all know, smoking tobacco is very bad for your health. So bad, in fact, that the Government often report the tobacco related risk of smoking a joint as a ‘danger’ of smoking cannabis! In doing so, they completely overlook the fact that it is their own policies that ensure many smokers of an effective medication have to take the additional (and unnecessary) risk.
You see, there are other, safer ways to consume cannabis.
The obvious is to eat cannabis. Now firstly don’t – it’s very difficult to measure the dose and judge the effect it has had on you. The problem here is two-fold;
- Because Cannabis suppliers are uncontrolled, it’s very difficult to know how strong your supply is.
- It takes far longer to enter your system. You can easily eat too much because you aren’t feeling the effects yet.
But problem 2 is obviously not related to Government policies. It’s probably wiser to smoke cannabis than to eat it, far wiser than either is to use one of the methods below;
Safer methods exist
You see you can utilise ‘tools’ that allow you to smoke Cannabis sans tobacco, methods involving burning cannabis can include;
- A bong
- A Pipe
- A ‘Lung’ (Plastic bag used to create a vacuum in a plastic bottle)
- A ‘bucket’
- A Glass
Alternatively, for an even safer method you can avoid burning the cannabis by using what’s called a Vaporiser. You see, when you smoke cannabis, the THC, CBD and CBN (amongst others) don’t burn, they evaporate. A vaporiser works by applying heat to the cannabis so that these active chemicals vaporise. It avoids all the known dangers of inhaling smoke.
If they’re so safe, why not use them?
The problem with all these methods is that they are all potentially evidence. Once a joint is gone, it’s gone but having a used bong at the side of your sofa tends to suggest something about the owner!
Because the UK Government has a prohibitionist’s stance on Cannabis, it’s a risk to possess ‘tools’ and so many smokers opt to smoke joints.
You can read more (and better) information at the LCA’s dedicated page.
