I don't think it's stupid, stabbing people and crashing cars actively causes harm, staging a break in to someone house doesn't. Besides, both those crimes you've mentioned don't seem to be reducing on the back of the awareness campaigns the Police have been running, perhaps something more drastic is called for? Staging a stabbing on the street perhaps?? I wonder how many witnesses would sue for "personal distress" in that situation? People get angry and injustified before they think nowadays.

The police have attempted any number of methods to bring home security to the forefront of peoples minds, neighbourhood projects, Town Hall evenings etc etc and it's just not getting through. This type of news story certainly makes me think twice about the security of my home and things.

If you (general hypothetical, not specific) don't pay attention to home security, then your house gets broken into, your insurance won't pay because you didn't secure your home and then because you haven't protected your stuff the Police can't get it back, I bet the Police would get the blame then as well!!

It seems they can't win either way.

I mostly agree with the rest of your comments about the system, the problem is that the individual copper is a victim of the mass-stupidity hysteria caused by the system, and nothing will change until something drastic happens, but I'm not going to knock the organisation when the problem with the organisation is not "The Police."

In a situation like that the police acted well. If you happened to be growing drugs then it was discovered that would not necessarily have been inadmissible. If they leave a note through the letterbox stating that the property was insecure that is fine as well. Hopefully they would have made attempts to close the window without entering as well.

The problem for the police is that they are chasing targets and the average citizen is a lot easier to get than the criminals. It also harms their reputation with the public. If you end up on the DNA database for no reason what so ever then you will not be willing to co-operate with them at a future date.

You can't say harm would be done by stabbings and car crashes, but not burglaries. Just because one is physical and the other is psychological, doesn't make the latter less harmful.

The problem may be with the system, but the individuals certain don't help. Hobbyists are power hungry, but powerless. The rest of them think a badge, hat or car gives them the right to tell the rest of us what to do. This is not the case and stunts like this prove how out of touch they are.

If they want a reduced workload, stop people drinking and legalise weed and MDMA. Then everybody would be happy instead of violent. That would save a fortune in Police and NHS time on Friday and Saturday night every week. The system wants us weak and they use the Police to make it happen.

Psychological can be a lot worse because it can impact on the person for many years. Well beyond any but the most extreme physical injury.


I agree legalising cannabis would actually reduce crime overall. It might increase shoplifting for late night munchies but that is probably the limit. There will be fewer problems in pubs on a Friday and Saturday night with less people arriving at A&E lower costs of security at hospitals and few court appearances all round.

I don't agree with legalizing cannabis, seen too many people get seriously depressed when they haven't got any. Not to mention the sort of paranoia that means you can't walk through Tesco the way you normally would*

There's also the potential schizophrenia issue I'd like to see more research into...

* These are based on people I've known and friends who currently smoke it (have done for years)

I have know people on it for many years and they are no more paranoid than the average person. Though I expect that is down to the fact that they only used normal cannabis and never skunk. As for skunk I do think that it should be definitely investigated. I certainly do not think that anyone under 18 should be allowed to smoke it. As for its classification, I could support Skunk being class B and normal weed a class C.

Two of my friends are on ordinary dope morning, noon and night (one's a biologist, the other a taxi driver, boyfriend and girlfriend) and now they struggle to deal with life without it, so I'd hate to see someone who'd been smoking skunk for years

I think that it depends on when you start. Some are genetically predetermined to suffer from psychosis from smoking cannabis. These people should not be smoking any variation of the weed. Skunk is bred to enhance the quantities of THC and this also breeds out the anti psychotic element that balances out the problem of the drug. There are tribes in central asia who have been smoking the stuff for centuries and have have no problems with psychosis. It is probably a problem specific to skunk. Though I do know of a friend who got paranoid on just the resin.

I totally agree that long-term cannabis use is potentially dangerous. My point was that the Police could spend more time protecting and serving us, rather than breaking into our houses, if they didn't have to deal with all the alcohol related crap that goes on every week. MDMA and cannabis could be taxed and regulated. The relaxation and happiness that results is arguably less costly to the taxpayer by a considerable margin. Of course, with all the resultant spare time perhaps the Police would just break into more people's houses for something to do

Cannabis has never killed any one and MDMA while it may have been involved in the deaths of a number of people the fatality rate is miniscule. Especially when you consider millions are taken every week. New Scientist some years ago did a whole issue on Cannabis, and regarded it a the safest of alcohol, cannabis or tobacco. Cannabis should be kept out of the hands of kids, and maybe it would be better if people could do a simple test to determine their susceptibility to the side effects of cannabis. Then they could avoid it knowing the risks.

The police if relieved of the usual Friday and Saturday night rumbles could actually save some money and get rid of the CHIMPS.

I wasn't talking about deaths. The long-term psychological issues are my biggest concern with cannabis. To be fair MDMA could cause problems with reward circuitry in the brain and dopamine levels, but either is less damaging to society overall and certain to Police workloads than alcohol.

Hobbyists are a waste of space regardless of any cost-saving measures that I can hypothesise about.

Yes but if they can find what the triggers are they could do tests so that people can avoid if they are at risk of side effects of psychosis.