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There are so many articles we collect linking marijuana to violence, it’s hard to pick which to print – room here, is limited. Families of marijuana users know this well, but users believe they are “mellow and that it must have been some other drug the perps used”.
One constant thread of users is they cannot see what is happening to them.
This article was from the “London Evening Standard” : (This data was leaked to the paper.) The link is dated, but I’ll leave it in - but it's not there any longer. Still, I’m sure one could find it in the paper's archives, titled “Cannabis & cause serious offending. Date: Wed. 10 Jan 2007.
Half of all young people arrested admit to recently smoking cannabis, astonishing Government research reveals.
For younger offenders, the figures are even more stark. Some 57 per cent say they have smoked the drug - which Labour controversially downgraded - in the past month. It proves for the first time a firm link between cannabis and serious offending. It [marijuana] is used by more suspects than any other drug – including heroin and crack cocaine.
The startling findings emerged from the first ever Home Office survey of crime suspects who have just been arrested by the police. Last night, opponents said it raised grave new doubts over Labour's wisdom in re-classifying cannabis from Class B to Class C in January 2004.
The decision means there is less deterrent for trying a drug which, research has now proved, is a significant factor in the life of half of all criminals. The offences they were picked up for by police ranged from burglary and robbery to assault.
Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: 'These alarming statistics raise serious questions about the consequences of the Government's chaotic and confused policy on drugs. 'We have long said that drugs fuel all sorts of crime. This is because they both undermine a person's sense of responsibility but also because takers and addicts need money to feed their habit.
'People on drugs are far more likely to commit crime, especially violent crime. Until the Government get a grip on the drugs problem they will never make an impact on the causes of crime.' The Government repeatedly focuses on heroin and crack as the main factors behind crime, making no mention of the role played by cannabis.
But the survey of more than 7,500 suspected criminals reached a dramatically different conclusion. Some 46 per cent said they had taken cannabis in the past month. For younger criminals, aged 17-24, it rose to 57 per cent. Only 18 per cent said they had taken heroin in the past month, 15 per cent crack and 10 per cent cocaine. Some 57 per cent, after tests, were identified as problem drinkers.
Labour has also relaxed the laws on drinking, making alcohol available round-the-clock. But this is less stark than the findings for cannabis, as at least alcohol is sold legally. The main reasons for all the arrests were assault (16 per cent), shoplifting (12 per cent), criminal damage (9 per cent) and burglary (8 per cent).
Mary Brett, spokesman for Europe Against Drugs, said the findings backed research showing a link between cannabis and violent offences, such as assault. She added: 'Cannabis is by far the most common drug involved. Many people will be surprised by the number of cannabis users who have been arrested.
'Cannabis has been implicated in violence. A paper in 2002 found alcohol dependent individuals almost twice but cannabis dependents almost four times more likely to be violent than controls (people who did not abuse the substances).'
Last October, a senior church figure and police adviser warned Labour's decision to downgrade cannabis had filled youths with a 'lawless bravado' which turns them into criminals and even potential killers. The Reverend George Hargreaves said that youths, smoking the drug with impunity since the law was changed, are being transformed into dangerous 'schizophrenics'. He blamed the decision for the London murder of a father-of-two who asked them to be quiet because he had to get up early the next day. Mr Hargreaves, who is the pastor of the Hephzibah Christian Center in Hackney and sits on two Metropolitan Police committees, said: 'We are talking about a brand of cannabis that sends young people schizophrenic. When they use it, there is a lawless bravado. Combine that lawless bravado with a knife, with an altered state of mind, and you get murder.'
Critics point out that - while it is the first time cannabis has been firmly linked to other crimes - it has already been blamed for turning users on to harder drugs.
A secret report by the Downing Street strategy unit said cannabis use had soared since it was downgraded. The decision also led to a surge in hard drug use with teenagers tempted into taking cannabis and moving on to heroin and crack cocaine, it said.
The leaked document conceded: 'Recent changes to the law have increased the number of people taking cannabis. The amount of hard drug abuse has also increased. It appears the two rises are connected.' The effect of downgrading cannabis is that being caught with the drug no longer carries the automatic threat of arrest.
Instead, a user is likely to be let-off with a simple formal warning, which does not count as a criminal record.
Charities say it has sent out the message to a generation of young people that smoking the drug is acceptable. Other factors identified by the Home Office study, which was placed on a research website at the end of last year, were that more than half of those arrested were out of work.
Some 36 per cent had jobs. The rest were either in school or college, or were bringing up a family. A fifth of suspects had spent some time in a foster or children's home. The suspected criminals were surveyed throughout 2004, within hours of being arrested.
The decision to downgrade cannabis from Class B to C, was implemented in January of that year. The Home Office then spent two years analyzing the results, which were published on the departmental website in November 2006.
More Info: Don’t miss the foundational article : Changing the Perception of Marijuana. From that article, one can view the videos of the legalizers (almost) admitting creating illusions.
Comments
I've never read such crap before - is this guy for real? Take a red pill dude - you need it! FACT: Cannabis is the safest, most useful medicinal herb on the planet, and besides medicine, provides food, fuel, and fiber. It has literally thousands of uses, and can save the planet, but ignorant people like John English try to keep it illegal based on contrived horror stories, misinformation, and lies. Take another blue pill dude - you are a prisoner of the matrix.
get in my cab for a night, high on pot and violent! yes you can be each!
I just read where John English accused my friend Jack Herer of having a stroke BECAUSE of his medical marijuana use! Mr. English demanded that Jack release the medical records, implying they would reveal his marijuana use caused the stroke. FYI Mr. English, the doctors attributed Jack Herer's survival of the stroke with minimal damage due to his medicinal cannabis use. Did you know that medical marijuana is used to lessen the damage from strokes Mr. English? I didn't think so... I'm all for getting rid of hard drug abuse, ESPECIALLY alcohol, but marijuana is not that kind of a drug. It does NOT lead to violence, despite your propaganda and lies. I know, because I've lived around it all my life, and have used it myself most of that time. Please redirect your "war on drugs" towards the drugs that really do cause the problems. Making them illegal is NOT the answer though - they all need to be legalized and the people with problems medically treated. That is obvious to most...
John English would assume that because 100% of arrestees breath, then air makes people criminals.
I know this is never reported, but a highly reputable source (although dated) has leaked that 99% of all violent criminals drank at least 8 oz !!! in the week prior to them committing the crime.
What is wrong with you Mr. English? Surely someone's paying you to write this tripe!
Marijuana doesn't cause violence. To claim it does is a straight up lie.
Go away and lie to someone else!
I'll add to the list... of People who think this author(John English) is, well... Dillusional at best.
I smoke cannabis every day. Before I started using cannabis I was prescribed, and instructed by my doctor to take over 30 pills a day.
Now, I take no pills.
I have a great life, wife, one year old, and another baby on the way. We planned our children, so don't get the wrong idea. Our first child already has a savings account with over 5,000$ in it. We are responsible parrents...
If that doesn't say enough, we also own our own home, it's a nice big house(2700sqft) with vaulted ceilings, on over 5 acres, with over 700ft of creek access.
We've got it going on you could say.
I love spending time with my son, and only want the best for him.
Would someone please get this point through.
Prohibition is what gangs and organized crime live and breath off of.
I refuse to tell my children that drugs are more dangerous than the crime prohitbion perpetuates in our society.
I want to add, that I do not expose my children, or pregnant wife. To my smoked medicine. Like any other prescription drug, or alcohol. I keep it in a locked cabinet, or room, and usually medicate outside, or in one room in the house that is far enough away with door closed/window open/fan on... All this effort to not be an influence on anybody but my self.
I am not a stone on the couch eating potato chips while my child sits in a dirty diaper. That would be terrible...
That is not the case though. Just like it is not the case for many other people who consume cannabis, medically or not.
We are not criminals, we are not violent.
Just take Seatle Hemp Fest for example. Try telling our New Drug Czar that marijuana makes people violent. You would have to be a fool to argue that in front of someone with that much experience with non-violent marijuana consumers.
Is this guy serious? What is this a 1937 Harry Anslinger promoted article lol wow. I find it funny that this ignorant man thinks marijuana causes violence when the crowds that protest war and violence are always marijuana smokers lol. DOESN'T HE GET THAT MARIJUANA DOESN'T CAUSE VIOLENCE PROHIBITION DOES!!!!! PROHIBITION CAUSES VIOLENCE NOT MARIJUANA! READ A HISTORY BOOK! HAPPENS WITH PROHIBITION ALL THE TIME!!!........................................................... PROHIBITION CAUSES VIOLENCE! GET EDUCATED!
Pigot
PIGOT (pot-bigot) one who equals botanical cannabis = coke,crack,meth,heroin
All the violence is caused by prohibition Cannabis does not cause people to become Violante because it does not cause a person to loose their inhibitions. It is very mild and really just makes a person relaxed and tired. I use it for stress and sleep, like someone would drink a couple of beer after work.
Cops say legalize drugs please visit www.leap.cc and ask them why ?
ya i think a large portion of the population prob. smokes cannabis so its not surprising that most people getting caught doing dumb things (most arrests are not for a major crime anyways)do smoke cannabis. legalize it so the people who do break the law dont think that smoking cannabis is a way to rebel and stick it to the man and there will be less people smoking(just look at holland its a prime example of this)
This man is an obvious cannabis prohibition propagandist. Don't fall for his pack of lies. It's prohibition which created the violent drug cartels & militarized Police (SWAT). No prohibition, no cartels. Mr. English is setting back laughing his *ss off at how he is stirring the pot. Unfortunately, he is aiding those who want to continue prohibition in order to benefit from profiteering. Mr. Anslinger would be proud of you. Now, don't forget to do what he did next, when our nation needed to draft men to fight in WWII. He said, marijuana must continue to be prohibited because it made men passive. Without exception, I have noted that when violence involving marijuana had occurred it had been used in conjunction with alcohol. Marijuana by itself does not lead to violence. While, alcohol is involved in 65% of all adult violence. Just because Anslinger & English say marijuana users are violent does not make it true.
When I was a 12 year old kid it was always a big stuff around for me to buy a pack of cigarettes, but as long as I had the money there was always top quality cannabis (and harder drugs) flowing around the school yard. So thanks mate, for spreading misiformation and lies and supporting prohibition, the very policy that alowed me and many millions of other children to have a free flowing access to cannabis and harder drugs in the school yard.
BTW, I'm 26 now work and have been a heavy smoker since I was 12, have never been arrested for anything except CANNABIS POSSESSION! And the only people I even know that have convictions for violence, did it when they were DRUNK!
Anybody that knowingly spreads lies like this is no better than the person actually selling the stuff to kids!
Criminals that use cannabis ? cannabis users.
If 57% of the population consumes cannabis, then it can be said that roughly half of the people arrested will be cannabis users. If I'm not mistaken the percentages of 'admitted users' IS pretty close to half. That is 'ADMITTED users'. You may find a higher % of criminals that consume. A person being more susceptible to impulse actions, such as committing a crime, may be more inclined to try cannabis in the first place, therefore increasing the chance that a criminal may be a user. This still makes no relevant link between cannabis users and criminals. Users do not commit crimes, people commit crimes, and PEOPLE enjoy cannabis. The percentage of criminal users caught simply reflects a close approximation of total users.
Probability is a fun and very basic mathematical concept. Making relevant connections between facts is also a fairly common skill learned within the 12-13 years of schooling.
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Hrm... the ? was supposed to be the 'does not equal' sign. I suppose this font does not contain it sorry.
This is a Bad Article and now I know to never read an article with this mans name on the top. Who would.
Wow, this guy pumps out a lot of crap!
wow buddy i would love to know what youve been smoking that makes you lose such touch with reality! the last I checked almost every story i hear about a violent crime the person was..wait let me try to fire up my useless violent pot-head brain hear...oh ya ALCOHOL!! im sure some people who get arrested has THC in there system but again let me fire up that ol' cooked brain of mine ahh yes THC stays in the system for up to 45days, while the euphoria wears off in usually 2hrs. look man the only violence caused by cannabis is from PROHIBITION! the police who arrest us to the cartels that chop up whole families because of a drug that has been around and USED since the dawn of man! its ignorance like yours that makes me ashamed of the human race. Have a good day and I hope that all those DANGEROUS DERANGED STONEY POT HEADS that seem to be taking over hurt you.
This is from a newspaper, so don't blame the writer for this "crap." I found stats for past month drug use among the 16-24 age group in Britain from NHS (2004/5)showing 16% (all drugs including marijuana) so if 57% of arrestees used marijuana it would be over 3x higher than the general pop. Just because YOU have never been arrested, doesn't make the article false. The US ONDCP just released a similar study (Adam II) about US arrestees showing "much higher" drug use than among the general pop, and marijuana tops the list. It seems there is at least a correlation, if not causation, in two countries. Moreover, the article is 2007, but in Jan. 2009 Britain reclassified pot back to Class B. Can someone on this site produce credible evidence to dispute the above data on the relation between arrests and marijuana use rather than name-calling, unfounded assumptions, opinions or irrelevant anecdotes?
Wow this guy has issues. Spreding outrite lies and selling them as "leaked information". What a hack!
All those damn stoners better stop smoking or else they will turn into a schizophrenic or worse they might kill somebody!
You can't win a war on drugs. Trust adults to make their own decisions. Legalize Marijuana.
99% of arrested individuals have eaten carrots. Ban carrots!
John English,
Hey buddy Ive been smoking weed every day for 15 years. Guess what? Ive never ever TRIED heroin, crack, cocaine, meth, oxycotins and whatever else
John guess what? I dont even drink alcohol!
Guess what John?! I have no criminal history!!
I cry at sad movies and I help old people.
John! Ive been married to my best friend for 15 years!
How can you say stoners are 4 times more likely to commit violence than alcoholics?
I drive a grave yard taxi, so I witness for myself what you claim, and your dead wrong.
Wake UP
John English, criminality, and violence
people like John English make me violent, not really but he seriously does love fish sticks in his mouth, promise. i did send Google an email to see if they would stop linking to slanderous opinion pieces like this in their News section. i believe we are all entitled to our opinions (even if they are completely misinformed and misinforming) but i don't think Google should be linking to people's opinions from their News section. too many easily influenced people could be fooled into believing garbage like the above article is actual news, it's corrupting our children. opinion pieces like the above tripe are a gateway to more serious stupidity, i read many articles that confirm this, it’s hard to pick which to print – room here is limited.
what ever John English's motivation is for writing stuff like this i bet it's one of the "old guyiest" reasons anyone has ever known. probably some neighborhood kid was wearing a shirt with a pot leaf on it
Man, I had to read that article a couple times looking for the punchline. Never found it. Don't you just hate a person who cannot tell a joke properly?
The most criminal thing about cannibis is the law.
Taking the position of the contrarian is a well worn path - used by those aiming only to gain attention and notoriety - not by discussing and advancing the issues in an open informative way, but by being intentionally controversial and confrontational. It is basically exploiting an issue for self promotion. The more of John English I read the more I see these unfortunate tendancies.
The complex issues surrounding marijuana and the seriousness of their impact on our society demand a more intelligent approach than blatant self promotion.
I finally figured out where John English gets his "facts". You know how psycics read tea leaves? John reads his Depends.
Thanks John English for this paper. The most convincing arguments to end prohibition are typically inspired by propaganda like this. Which is unhealthier: Smoking (using a bong or vaporizer)for a month? or eating McDonalds for a month?
I'm wondering how this got classified as news.
That article is full of bull. It is a fact that after downgrading marijuana in the UK their statistics showed that marijuana use actually declined. It did not go up.
And on marijuana and violence, if you torture statistics enough they will admit anything. There have been study after study though that show that marijuana does not lead to violence, and anyone who has smoked pot and been around pot smokers knows it doesn't lead to violence. I have been a prosecutor and a defense attorney. I've handled well over a 1,000 criminal cases, maybe even over 2,000 by now, and most all battery cases I have seen coming through the courts have involved drunk people. Pot does not make people violent. If anything, it does the opposite.
Thank God most of the comments on this page are against this anti-pot propaganda.
All this guy does is write marijuana propaganda; article, after article. I think this is where I can tell him to "GO GET A JOB... STONER, I MEAN ANTI-STONER"
Mr. English,
Your hysterical rants about cannabis is just that... hysterical rants. You can try and continue to spread your deceitful propaganda, but it isn't working. Marijuana is not the boogeyman, and people know it. So you just end up looking like an aging witch-burner, an old dog barking at cars. The marijuana genie is out of the bottle sir, and all you lies and bullshit won't stop it!
Pure rubbish from the mouth of an ignorant hate monger.
madmatt6773's comment ftw.
I am glad that you "linked" marijuana to crime. That would explain why the Netherlands are shutting down 8 prisons this year because of lack of crime. While here in the US with all our drug laws we have more people in our prisons than any other country in the world whether you look at the numbers of percentage. Also I am not going to take time to look it up but I am sure we are leading the world in violent crime. Dont be an idiot, there are countries like Portugal that have legalized drugs and have only have positive results. Take your head out of your ass, stop writing articles based on a fallacy of argument and look at the real places that have seen real results from legalizing it.
This is just the guy that you'll read about getting caught sharing spit with a crack whore in some dark alley. He's so much better than the rest of us but deep down he's a real professional at everything he's telling us not to do. I can point out preacher after politician who has stood in front of a crowd of people and told them exactly how to act only to jump off the stage and into a crack whore's arms. Nobody that preaches against something so adamantly can generally be found neck deep in it. Wouldn't surprise me if this guy is a closet ***** and is doing little boys by enticing them with cannabis to get their nickers down.
Mr. English, you sir are a disgrace to America, you choose to tell lies to further your own selfish inhumane views. I have seen so many false and useless articles that I have chosen to not even read this one, as I already know where you stand on the issue because its all you write about these days, you must be one of those people that cant tell the difference between reality and your own little world, your views are a bit outdated, you may want to look around and realize were not in the 30's anymore, people actually know a lot about marijuana. And shame on you for being all for our young children rotting in a metal cage because they got high on pot, you are a hypocrite and inhumane, I cant believe the examiner pays you for this opinion based garbage. Oh, and your but ugly in your picture, very ugly.
Mr. English,
Please ask your son to stop by and visit me. I smoked pot all the way from my senior year in high school ALL the way through college while earning my degree in electrical engineering. Heck, the last two years I spent high 24/7 and STILL passed my courses and earned my degree! My life is NOT ruined, my friends' lives are NOT ruined (two have Master degrees in English and teach at a state university, just one example), so tell your son you're a liar while you're having these heart-to-heart talks with him. He'll thank you for your honesty when he gets older. The only ones who ruin their lives are the ones who would have ruined it even without MJ. Btw, how much do you and your son drink? How much do the people whom you look down upon for ruining their lives over pot drink?
What a sorry excuse for a columnist...fire this joker, please!
This is straight out of 1950's refer madness. This article twists the truth and leaves out important facts. It might work on a 70 year old who has never tried pot, but for the 50% of American age 18 - 60 who have tried pot, it is laughable at best. We know what pot is really like, the cat is out of the bag and your lies are easy to discern. What your statistics left out was that some of the people who were caught committing a crime had smoked pot in the last month, but they were not high on pot while committing the crimes. Most likely they were drunk when caught. I bet over 50% had eaten chicken in the past month, that does not mean eating chicken causes people to commit crime.
This is pure rubbish... can anyone just start writing for the Examiner and spew propaganda?
Like others I didn't even read your article because you spew the same lies and misinformation as you have in the last 3 articles I've read by you. Please, pick a topic you have actual knowledge of, that's what columnist do since they don't actually do any research. Better yet, go into retirement and keep your uneducated opinions to yourself.
You sir are woefully uninformed. You should really do your homework before spouting rubbish like this. I am in my late 50's and have smoked pot daily since I was 14 years old. I have a 6 figure income annually and have put three children through college. I look forward to retiring soon and enjoying a nice bowl of fine ganja while sipping a wonderful glass of cabernet on my front porch.
"Be gone you silly witch before somebody drops a house on you too!"
What a POS article.
I've smoked for nearly 10 years without commiting any "violent" crime.. let alone any crime at all. Why not just report how tobacco use is the cause of all these crimes because I am sure many of those offenders were actually "addicted" to tobacco and maybe that fueled their violence following your logic. Maybe even ask a general question like "how many of you saw a movie in the past month" and then base your facts of how watching movies and violent crimes go hand in hand.
You sir are one of the many misinformed people out there who spread this trash and bash something you probably never even tried. I would remove this article before you are laughed at further. You already have lost any credit you had by posting this. I couldn't even read past the first few paragraphs without rolling my eyes at your bullshit.
Have a nice day.
Lets compare the DUI rate of Alcohol vs Marijuana. Lets compare the the overdose rate of any OTC drug, any illicit drug, or alcohol versus Marijuana.
Wait a second.. why is this illegal again? If anything, posting filth like this should be made illegal.
Newsflash:
If MJ was decriminalized, any serious pot smoker would just grow their own. This would eliminate all marijuana drug dealers and traffickers allowing more money and resources to focus on the real problems. There would be almost no crimes left to associate with this plant. Report on that.
This guy reminds me of a neighbor who called with cops when he caught his son smoking in the back yard. He told them to 'bring everything you've got' it's an emergency and hung up...and they did bring it all. The whole neighborhood turned out. He'd rant about pot smoking to the cops and all the neighbors would just snicker. He was mad! The authorities weren't happy when they found out it was just weed and the kid smoked the only joint he had...no other evidence. So the 6 cop cars, 2 fire trucks, and 3 ambulances left empty. The kid was taken off but was released after a 'dressing down' by one of the cops. Dad got the bill about 3 weeks later. He got drunk, roamed the neighborhood, and ranted to anyone that would listen for about 2 days before he settled down. Brilliant! You can't buy that kind of comedy. Today, he and his son don't talk too much. The Dad's still a drunk. I hear that the son still uses weed, I don't know, but he appears to be clean cut, healthy and successful.
Let's just see that again:
Taking the position of the contrarian is a well worn path - used by those aiming only to gain attention and notoriety - not by discussing and advancing the issues in an open informative way, but by being intentionally controversial and confrontational. It is basically exploiting an issue for self promotion. The more of John English I read the more I see these unfortunate tendancies.
Couldn't agree more; what a pathetic show!
So John; how does it feel to be just another vociferous Ignorant bully with your own nefarious short-sighted agenda invariably Ignoring research, evidence and logic?
The more dangerous these substances are then the more reason we have for legalizing and regulating them John. We once tried prohibition with alcohol, maybe you could read about it some day.
Translation of Johns article for the layman:
Hi, my name is Ralph, I have purple hair that sleeps upwards, and I own an envious and watery rock. The rock is bad because it resides near a marijuana plant. The rock often attacks other sand pebbles a fraction of it's size for no other reason than it's proximity to the marijuana. Therefore eye fish with laundry. Now can I have my paycheck? Get a real job John.
GEE WILLIKERS! This cannabis thing you're talking about sure sounds scary!!!
I'm so frightened by this report that I will totally go along with any legislation that prohibits it! Without questioning it at all!!
On top of that, I'm going to demonize anybody that's remotely associated with it. I'll even be thankful that people like you are watching out for me!
I'm so scared that I even feel a little self-righteous when you justify incarcerating all of these heathens.
I like when people educate me with fear! That way I make decisions on knee-jerk emotions, and I don't even have to think!! Yay!!
Even though we have more people in jail for non-violent drug charges than all of Europe does for every crime, I still believe the drugs are the cause like you say. - not the fact that we basically send 100,000 people a year to crime college. Your right, the drugs made them the criminal, not the policy.
(sarcasm)
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