Seven years for picking a Magic Mushroom!
Discussion
Naturalists beware. From today if you are caught in possession of a "Magic Mushroom" they are now considered a class A drug carrying the possibility of a seven year jail sentence.
All that business about them having needed to have been "prepared" for consumption has now been swept away and even picking one is enough.
Apparently there are exceptions for those who find them growing naturally in their lawn.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4691899.stm
Now, personally, I like my brain the way it is. In the dim and distance past I've dabbled the way most youngsters do and found out, pretty harmlessly, that hallucinogens were decidely not for me.
But where I came from, the rural wilds of North Wales, these things flourish in the fields and countryside and the young things get a lot of fairly innocent entertainment of of them. At least when I was young they didn't "prepare" or dry them...they simply went into a field...make an accurate identification...and scoffed a few with some Tizer. Cue much giggling IIRC.
Seven year for doing that now. Seven years.
I'm waaaaay too old (and smart!) to want to spend my Saturday nights rolling around in a cold field laughing uncontrollably - I prefer a bottle of chilled Chablis, some Chicken in a cream sauce and a good film - but, hey, there's no accounting for taste.
Do we hate our kids or something? Is this Control Freakery gone bonkers, again? Or is there really some genuinely justifiable reason for denying people the right to consume fungi of a non-poisonous variety simply because they have a narcotic effect? What's the difference between 'shrooms and tobacco smoking - which has a proven adverse effect on health - but your still allowed to do [i]that[/i] at home!
World's gone mad.
All that business about them having needed to have been "prepared" for consumption has now been swept away and even picking one is enough.
Apparently there are exceptions for those who find them growing naturally in their lawn.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4691899.stm
Now, personally, I like my brain the way it is. In the dim and distance past I've dabbled the way most youngsters do and found out, pretty harmlessly, that hallucinogens were decidely not for me.
But where I came from, the rural wilds of North Wales, these things flourish in the fields and countryside and the young things get a lot of fairly innocent entertainment of of them. At least when I was young they didn't "prepare" or dry them...they simply went into a field...make an accurate identification...and scoffed a few with some Tizer. Cue much giggling IIRC.
Seven year for doing that now. Seven years.
I'm waaaaay too old (and smart!) to want to spend my Saturday nights rolling around in a cold field laughing uncontrollably - I prefer a bottle of chilled Chablis, some Chicken in a cream sauce and a good film - but, hey, there's no accounting for taste.
Do we hate our kids or something? Is this Control Freakery gone bonkers, again? Or is there really some genuinely justifiable reason for denying people the right to consume fungi of a non-poisonous variety simply because they have a narcotic effect? What's the difference between 'shrooms and tobacco smoking - which has a proven adverse effect on health - but your still allowed to do [i]that[/i] at home!
World's gone mad.
dern said:
Socialist controlfreakism gone nuts!!!!
Suggesting that state control of drug use is a trait only exhibited by socialists or even by just Blair is utterly proposterous and transparently divisive.
I would have to agree with you there-It is politicians on the right who have been most blind in regard to the 'war' on drugs.
In regard to this and other what I would call 'moral disapproval' crimes (including prostitution etc) right wing politicians are usually worse than Left wing ones.
It is one of the few areas where the association of left wing politicians with control freakery breaks down.
Wait a sec.
This lot of socialists happen to be Control Freaks. They're not alone in this - but they are. And its very worrying.
I can think of a myriad of cases wherein it is entirely possible to pick a "prohibited" mushroom and be in possession of it. For example - whilst gathering exotic fungi to eat, making an inaccurate identification. Later at home with the book in your hand you discard the inedible or hallucinogenic ones...but you are still in possession of it.
Instead of being well within your rights you are now faced with needing to explain why you have a Class A drug in your kitchen!
People can tell me - "Oh. But they'll show common sense about enforcing the law." No they
won't. There is no common sense to the law. Its absolute and you break it or you don't - anyone who thinks that ain't true just needs to look at how their local Safety Camera Partnership are going about catching "dangerous speeders".
This is a *bad* law. They wanted to put the "headshops" in London out of business. Christ - they could have done that with some white sheets and torches and it would have been less evil - the side effects would have been less far reaching.
As it is - they've managed to create a whole new criminal class.
Well done, Tony.
This lot of socialists happen to be Control Freaks. They're not alone in this - but they are. And its very worrying.
I can think of a myriad of cases wherein it is entirely possible to pick a "prohibited" mushroom and be in possession of it. For example - whilst gathering exotic fungi to eat, making an inaccurate identification. Later at home with the book in your hand you discard the inedible or hallucinogenic ones...but you are still in possession of it.
Instead of being well within your rights you are now faced with needing to explain why you have a Class A drug in your kitchen!
People can tell me - "Oh. But they'll show common sense about enforcing the law." No they
won't. There is no common sense to the law. Its absolute and you break it or you don't - anyone who thinks that ain't true just needs to look at how their local Safety Camera Partnership are going about catching "dangerous speeders". This is a *bad* law. They wanted to put the "headshops" in London out of business. Christ - they could have done that with some white sheets and torches and it would have been less evil - the side effects would have been less far reaching.
As it is - they've managed to create a whole new criminal class.
Well
done, Tony. JMGS4 said:
how about the life without trial for wanting bLIAR disposed of.....??? they want to make talking about getting rid of our führer illegal!!! Socialist controlfreakism gone nuts!!!!
Please keep to the subject, People!!!!!
Wasn't talking about drugs, was on about civil liberties and free speech!!!!GET RID OF bLIAR!!!!
saying this will soon be illegal!!!!
forgot the smilies!!!
>> Edited by JMGS4 on Monday 18th July 14:00
Don. Who exactly wanted this law?
A fungus which grows wild is sold fresh in a shop. There is nothing obliging you to buy this fungus but you have the option, if you wish. Like most shops specialising in this kind of material anyone under the age of 18 is strongly discouraged from even entering.
How can anyone take offence to this?
I just dont understand how you can have so little to fill your day that you have to resort to interfering in the choice of others.
Small mindedness in this country is at almost epidemic proportions.
mybrainhurts said:
How the hell did you escape...?
An affinity with computers, a preference for the fine white wines of Burgundy and a liking for fine German sports cars - i.e. the desire to be able to pay for these things coupled with a talent I could exploit to earn enough to do so...
Ask a stupid question...
it, there is plenty more to get high on which people are not too ofet with. Thorn apple, Fly agaric, etc, etc. The cops will need biology degrees to keep up! I just watch New Labour making more and more things illegal and watch myself being more and more of a criminal. I wonder if people will start saying, "Well since you've turned me into a lawbreaker, I may as well break some other laws".
In my head, the revolution is here.
For the book, I have tried mushrooms once and it was a bit weird (read very very very very weird) Got home and met my 10ft tall dad! You can't ban nature but I reckon education is the key, it's some heavy shit
Sometimes I hate this country.
I used to be a mushroom user, I say used to be because quite simply, I have began to grow out of it, but that doesnt mean to say I would never have done it again, it would have been nice to have the choice.
I used to get all of my mushrooms from the internet. Now they cannot do this, so people if they want them will either have to go to fields picking them, or buy them from drug dealers. So now, the risk of purchasing or picking poisonous mushrooms is far more likely than it ever was by buying them from a reputable source.
Well done you do-gooder government who clearly knows nothing.
Even though I am an ex user, I feel nothing but dismay at this news, and the way this country is going in general.
I used to be a mushroom user, I say used to be because quite simply, I have began to grow out of it, but that doesnt mean to say I would never have done it again, it would have been nice to have the choice.
I used to get all of my mushrooms from the internet. Now they cannot do this, so people if they want them will either have to go to fields picking them, or buy them from drug dealers. So now, the risk of purchasing or picking poisonous mushrooms is far more likely than it ever was by buying them from a reputable source.
Well done you do-gooder government who clearly knows nothing.
Even though I am an ex user, I feel nothing but dismay at this news, and the way this country is going in general.
I can see innocent people being caught up with this very easily.
Examples:
1)Your kids pick some leaves and conkers for a school project on forests. There are some funghi in the bag and some jobsworth numpty reports either you, or the school, as having drugs and making them available to children.
2)You pick mushrooms. Yes some of us actually do get the odd meal from the hedgerows. Some ignorant person decides that you are suspicious. The next thing you know your little freshly picked pile of omlet ingredients has turned into a serious pile of hassle to get yourself off the hook. Don't kid yourself that people know what mushrooms look like, I've been out picking them and some people assume that they are all poisonous or all hallucinogenic and refuse to believe that you actually do know which ones you can eat.
Why on Earth are magic mushrooms a class A drug!
Are they really that great a threat to civilisation?
Or have our overpaid and underworked government run out off real issues to deal with? Real crime all sorted is it?
Or perhaps they are so far out of touch that they really think this is a big issue with voters!
Examples:
1)Your kids pick some leaves and conkers for a school project on forests. There are some funghi in the bag and some jobsworth numpty reports either you, or the school, as having drugs and making them available to children.
2)You pick mushrooms. Yes some of us actually do get the odd meal from the hedgerows. Some ignorant person decides that you are suspicious. The next thing you know your little freshly picked pile of omlet ingredients has turned into a serious pile of hassle to get yourself off the hook. Don't kid yourself that people know what mushrooms look like, I've been out picking them and some people assume that they are all poisonous or all hallucinogenic and refuse to believe that you actually do know which ones you can eat.
Why on Earth are magic mushrooms a class A drug!
Are they really that great a threat to civilisation?
Or have our overpaid and underworked government run out off real issues to deal with? Real crime all sorted is it?
Or perhaps they are so far out of touch that they really think this is a big issue with voters!
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