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Worlds gone mad!
donut - 1/7/08 at 09:04 AM

It is now against the law in Holand to smoke in public.......however you can smoke at a cafe providing...and get this...

you have no tobacco mixed in with your joint!!

Madness!!


mistergrumpy - 1/7/08 at 09:11 AM

I watched a documentary a while ago that had Holland on and one of their coppers was interviewed and said it was actually illegal to use cannabis anywhere. It's just that they don't police it unless the user is causing a problem i.e. public disorder.


BenB - 1/7/08 at 09:18 AM

In some ways it makes sense.
Cannibinoids are not a lung irritant in the same way as the ingredients of tobacco smoke. In fact cannabis was in the past sometimes prescribed for the treatment of asthma (there is some evidence it worked- or maybe people just couldn't breath but felt okay about it ).
The jury is out rather regarding the carcinogenic effect of cannibinoids. It is suspected that cannibinoids themselves are not carcinogenic but it is the other ingredients (ie tobacco) that cause the problems.
In that regard the law seems to make sense.

However, when you burn things you generally get free radicals that are carcinogenic so there is a suspision even a tabocco free joint will have a carcinogenic effect.

In that way the law doesn't seem to make sense....

I wonder if anyone has looked into the effect of passive smoking on mental health?!?!


Mr Whippy - 1/7/08 at 09:45 AM

I thought tobacco was quite safe if chewed like it was originally used but it is infact the burning of it that produces all the harmful chemicals.

I heard that burnt bacon is carcinogenic


BenB - 1/7/08 at 10:09 AM

Fraid not!! Tobacco is cramed full of carcinogenic chemicals. It's not just the burning process that causes them....

Infact there's an interesting link between tobacco in the chewed form and penile cancers. Try and work that one out!!!!


BenB - 1/7/08 at 10:12 AM

Just looked it up.

There are 28 carcinogenic substances in plain (unburnt) tobacco e.g. snuff or chewing tobacco.

when you burn it it increases to

"...over 50 carcinogenic substances in tobacco smoke. 11 of the substances are proven to cause cancer in humans, 7 probably cause cancer in humans and 49 of the substances cause cancer in animals but have not yet been proven to in humans...."


donut - 1/7/08 at 10:14 AM

Blimey i'm glad i don't smoke!!


RazMan - 1/7/08 at 10:27 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
I heard that burnt bacon is carcinogenic


Oh no! not my beloved bacon butties!!


Mr Whippy - 1/7/08 at 10:32 AM

quote:
Originally posted by donut
Blimey i'm glad i don't smoke!!


Tried it once, it was horrible, like a stinking compost heap on fire.

Tried a joint too, never again, was violently sick

Totally mad


quote:
Originally posted by RazMan
quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
I heard that burnt bacon is carcinogenic


Oh no! not my beloved bacon butties!!


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/talking_point/article731068.ece

[Edited on 1/7/08 by Mr Whippy]


David Jenkins - 1/7/08 at 12:03 PM

My wife and I went to Amsterdam a couple of years ago - I just have this eternal memory of a 6'6" (2 metre) Rastafarian West Indian-type guy wandering up one of the main streets, smoking the biggest joint you've ever seen, with the most relaxed and laid-back expression on his face...
...and no-one taking a blind bit of notice!


sebastiaan - 1/7/08 at 02:49 PM

I propose a swap: You lot get our softdrug policy and we get the SVA, OK?