Hmmm …
Elections …
Funny old things, elections.
You get ALSO sorts of ideas getting floated, come election time.
One policy that the Greens have put forward? Is that of decriminalising prostitution.
That’s not something I have any kind of emotional connection to: couldn’t comment on, one way or the other.
Although, if I’ve understood what I’ve seen in the media, correctly? Prostitution is already legal in the UK. Looking for a hooker on the streets, running a brothel, and advertising your services as a prostitute is what’s illegal.
Whatever.
What got me?
Was the Liberal-Democrat policy to legalise and regulate the sale of cannabis.
I used to smoke cannabis: and gave up, at about the same time I gave up drinking.
Mostly as a general principle. Abstaining from one substance I knew was having bad effects also implied keeping off something that could do just as much damage.
It wasn’t as if I was having delusions. But was noticing I felt just a little paranoid when I used: feeling, say, that the driver of the police car that had just gone past, knew I’d had a joint, just by looking at me.
Can I make a confession?
I’ve know about half a dozen or so people who’ve had some form of schizo-affective disorder: what they used to schizophrenia.
Complete with paranoia and hallucinations as a factor.
All of them? All of them, in private conversations with me, pointed at their cannabis use: and blamed it for either triggering or aggravating their schizophrenia.
I know that’s very anecdotal, very experiential and very unscientific.
I’m not voting Conservative: never have, never will. I won’t be voting Labour: I feel they have no chance in the Brentwood and Ongar constituency.
I’m planning to vote Green, should the party stand in the election.
I realise there’s good arguments for legalising cannabis. If nothing else, one could raise extra tax money from it.
But, given my personal experiences? And my belief that any cannabis tax money so raised will be going on an mental health services for cannabis users, as a result of an explosion in demand for them?
Legalisation is not something I can support.
I will not be voting to Karen Chilvers, the Lib-Dem candidate for Brentwood in the up-coming General election, as a result of this.
I can’t support her or legalisation.
~≈Â≈~
