Russell Brand Talks About Addiction: Does Criminalizing Drugs Prevent Use?

Sure a soon as you stop assuming that the drugs are OK to consume and habitual intoxication is OK.
As soon as you stop assuming any one that opposes drugs is a tool of the establishment and ignorant about drugs and all that drug consumption entails.
As soon as you admit the "primary" source of the drug problem concerning drug consumpton is the drug consumers themselves and the drug suppliers....not the government and not other people and not the laws.
I will be the first to admit that the laws further add to the problems but the laws are not the primary source of the problems.
Without the laws there would still be plenty of problems concerning the consumption of those particular substances.
With other problematic substances they also have laws attached to them or rules or regulations so drugs also will always be given special attentions.
When the drug addicts finally acknowledge and or admit that what they presently participate in creates the problems that we see occuring and or evolving then people may begin to accept the problems and work towards resolving them..but not as long as the primary source of the problems continually denies any wrong doing and or trys to absolve themselves of any wrong doing while other people are forced to clean up the mess that is created by a certain collective percent of the citizens.
It is not the laws that instigate the problems....but they certainly do add to the problems..but there will always be some laws and or regulations attached to the drugs and thier consumption and there will still be people being arrested and prosecuted for violating those laws and or regulations.
After legalisation...and I hope they do legalise the drugs ( surprise, I never said I was prohibitionist) I hope the drug consumers are mature enough to admit that the ongoing problems that still exist after legalisation originate from the consumers first and then the suppliers.
Alcohol is a perfect example. Loads of problems with alcohol and loads of people still geting in trouble with the laws and loads of people want those alcohol related laws to be enforced.
The majority of the people abide by the laws......is that so hard to comprehend.

Concerning you and your drug consumption that you have unwisely chosen, what you choose to practice is, at present, illegal and or not readily accepted in society.
Maybe 50 years from now but not at present and until the drugs are legalised and or far more accepted in society then you will have to be subject to criticism and or the law the same way that drunkards and tobacco addicts are and any other substances that have rules and regulations attached to them.

Other than that , even though I do not know you I hope that you do not become one of the many casualties of the drug consuming culture that is so prevalent along with the apathetic attitude that is commonly attached to the drugs and their consumption.
Look beyond the self serving pleasure seeking intoxication and what you come to realise is the drugs have always had a significant degree of woe and grief attached to their consumption more so than nearly all other substances or practices.

Ha Ha and your becoming like a nasty vaginal yeast infection that will not go away
Sorry dear, but your web based communications are public fodder for criticisms and counter opinions.
Mine also ..but I welcome the challenge...makes you learn and consider other peoples opinions and perspectives and you have yours naturally but certain aspects of it I can not come to accept as you can not come to accept some of mine.
As for Roy Boy...by way of his foul mouthed posts it is obvious he is angry and possibly frustrated or hopelessly agitated by anyone that does not view recreational drug consumption the way that he does.
You may not want to be so eager to team up with him as he could beome a liability...
Nope, most people are not drug addicts or recreational drug consumers or certainly not habitual drug consumers and or continually intoxicated on anything...fortunatley.
Trying a drug or some drugs "one time" does not really count as part of the statistics that are used by the drug advocates to support their drug consuming agenda while trying to convince the mass of citizens that "everyone " is doing drugs .....so what is the big deal anyhow kind of attitude.
Still the overwhelming majority of citizens are lucid and seldom if ever intoxicated on recreational drugs and certianly not on a habitual basis.
However it is North America more so than any where else in the world that has the highest percent of nation wide intoxication and recreational drug consumption.
By way of the data it seems that North Americans excel in drug related criminal activities more so than the other countries or at least running neck and neck with some of the other countries where drug consumption is just as prevalent.

Other than that...I do enjoy our internet bantering while we challenge one anothers opinions

I thought we were not talking any more ....but while I have you on the phone I just want to let know know I am concerned about your drug consumption while I fear that you may become one of the many casualties of all those drugs.
Have you not heard the news, Russell Brand himself is advising people not to take the drugs and chance becoming a drug addict and goes on to say drug addiction is not a pretty picture.
Gosh you would think a man as famous and influential as he is could at least talk some sense into people especially since he knows well what drug addiction is like.
Such a waste, all those peoples lives so consumed by drugs and so fixiated on drug consumption and all.
Supposedly it was his family and friends and co-workers that helped him get off the drugs and stay off the drugs.
Fortunately for him, he is rich and can afford what ever it takes to get off the drugs or continue to be a junky for that matter.
Unfortunately all too many of the regular people have to do some pretty nasty stuff to continue their drug addictions including "humping" their family and friends and co-workers.
Oh well, what to do, what to do ......people wont even listen to good advice anymore these days without getting all upset about it.
Oh and one last thing dear, I hear your associating with that "Roy Boy" guy all the time.
You know how sometimes your good friends can become a liability and get you into so much trouble, especially with all those crazy drugs those people are doing now.
Be careful with some of the friends you choose because I dont want to have to see you in jail or prison.
OK...by for now.

Well HipJip C...drug consumption does not make the world a better place in all respects....too many negatives involved.
It is the negative aspects that everyone wants to ignore and not have to be associated with but like I have said time and time again...your drug consumption is not essential for anything other than your own pleasures...in the end..and although it is your own personal choice to do what ever you want you do realise that you are indirectly associated with substances that are neferious in nature and legalisation will not remove many of the nefarious aspects of drug consumption.
So..if you think I am lecturing you and trying to tell you what to do then that is not the case...the laws and or law enforcement are there to do that regardless of your opinion and feelings about the consumption of "Non Essential, recreational drug consumption.

I can assure you people would like you a whole lot more if you did not consume the drugs you do consume as drug users and intoxicated people are easy enough to loathe....but usually behind the drug users back while they alienate themselves by way of their drug use.
That is a fact of life and believe me I am not at all religious and or preaching to the world ......or you.

I understand the motives and incentives and the reasons why people consume the drugs...as I have been around the drug use and I have seen the good side and bad side and in the end it is all meaningless other than having a good time and a good feeling each and everytime a person is intoxicated.
But each person is free to decide if there is some sort of substance or meaning to the drug consumption and the intoxication that comes with it.
Other than that...it is all in good fun and that is what everyone wants in life...fun, fun , fun and lots of it and all the more fun and the drugs do deliver just that in many aspects...but not without the personal and or social side effects that will always be associated with the consumption of "non essential, recreational drug.
There will always be someone criticizing the use of the drugs and opposing their consumption..and for good valid reasons in many aspects of thier consumption.

I do enjoy life ..having a natural blast over here in Thailand ...but I do not not need any drugs or artificial stimulants.
You need not be so sensitive about people criticising you about your drug use.
You may think it is perfectly acceptable practice but most people do not associate with the drug users and they hold the drug users at arms length.
You may have forgotten marijuana is a drug ( an intoxicant ) that mentally and physically alters the user.
You must realise this by now.
People who smoke tobacco and those that get drunk all the time are not readily embraced either by the majority of people that live a lucid intoxicant free life.

As I said before: If you are involved in the use of illicit narcotics then you are involved in or interconnected with nefarious activities every time you get high.
You help sustain the many associated problems that the consumption of the drug has created while the other half ( the non users ) do not except the users trying to absolve themselves of any wrong doing by way of blaming the laws or other entities or other factors and or other people as the reason(s) for the numerous problems that have evolved.
Until they make marijuana and the other non essential, recreatonal drug consumption totally legal then you will have to accept the assumptions and criticisms of the vast majority of people who do not consume the drugs and or involve themselves in any culpabable way concerning the drugs and or any non essential, recreational drug consumption.
Even after the drugs are fully legalised to consume you will still carry the stigma of being a drug user same as a tobacco addict and the same as a alcohol drinker or drunkard.

Other than that you may be the greatest Mom on the planet and the best neighbour ever in many aspects ...but still, people know you as the pot head next door while that particular stigma will not be forgotten until you stop consuming the drugs.

Those are not attacks on your personality and character...rather it is simply the truth and the facts and you will have to live with them as long as your involved in the nefarious practise of being habitually or commonly intoxicated on your non essential, recreational drug of chioce.

I have a number of childhood friends that smoke pot for the last 40 years...just the same as you...they grew up on smoking marijuana. There is not a day that goes by that they do not smoke marijuana.
Some of them have grown wierd but most of them are doing well enough in life and like you say they carry on as normal and the drug has not made their life worse or caused them any significant problems...but they certainly do not look healthy to me and I know that they are "dependant" on the drug because they have never ever even tried to go a day with out the drug.
I laugh when they complain about the price of the drug and how 1 / 3 of their earnings are spent on buying marijuana for the last 40 years.
You would think they would give it up and save some money...but nope they keep on smoking and keep on complaining but they tell every one they could quit at the drop of a hat.....which is mostly BS because they would be miserable if they did.
I know for sure if they had their drug taken away from them they would not be at all happy about having to go without the drug "because" they need the drug to make them happy and content and feeling normal ( normal for them is being stoned every day)

Some of my other friends smoke da weed sometimes and or on weekends or certainly when it is time to party and nothing important to do the next day on a saturday or sunday or some holiday.
They smoke some of the said to be best marijuana in the world ( B.C. Bud ) from the province of British Columbia, Canada where some of the cross bred strains have been tested as high as 20 % plus THC content.

A whole lot of pot heads if ever there was and I do not think any the worse of them in the end even if I do strongly criticize the use of drugs ...but I wish they would give up the habit of smoking the drug the same as people who smoke cigarettes.
I basically do not like to be around them when they get stoned because they all turn into their stoned personality verses their not stoned personality.....and their stoned personality is basically weird and somewhat intolerable when they start talking nonsense stoner stuff and ramble on with wierd opinions and basically "dummy up" when they are stoned....and they sure are critical of near everything and everyone else..always complaining and lamenting the government and everything the government does and near everything anyone else does.
I thought stoned people get all mellowed out and just smile a lot but non of the pot heads that I have ever met are mellow and content with life rather they are on edge all the time and never seem to be content with the way things are and or satisfied with life.
They seem to be agitated as if they desperately just want to be left alone to drift off into their drug induced world ...but.... they are continually interrupted by the realities of life and so they smoke a little more weed hoping to smooth things out but eventually they have to get over their intoxication and do what needs to be done and it needs to be done while lucid and alert...like going to work and driving their car or any number of tasks and responsibilities that "interfers" with their stoner time.
They need the drug to cope with the time "in between" the time they are stoned on the drug.
That is my observations.

Of course if you are not stoned along with them them you are considered the wierd one while they think they are perfectly normal ( that is, for them, because perfectly normal is being stoned every day)

I do not know how I managed to not partake in the drug consumption along with them....I guess after observing them being stoned all the time I choose not to be pot head and be like them.

But now I have not been around them for so long anyhow while living in Thailand for 25 years I sometimes forget that all the friends I grew up with are classic pot heads....more or less.

Statistically very few junkies are in prison for being a junky only.
They are in prison for any number of crimes they perpetrated while being a junky.
Most of the citizens agree that a heroin addict should not be locked up simply for becoming addicted to the substance.
That is why there are rehabilitation clinics and centers that attempt to wean the junkies off of their addicting substance rather than incarcerate them in prison.
It is a tough nut to crack as the drug is so highly addictive that most people have a extremely difficult time while attempting to become "clean" and then all the more of a challenge to stay "clean"
The theory is: If the government was to supply the heroin in a systematic way and the heroin was to be very cheap or even free then it would eliminate many problems.
This is true in many aspects but does not resolve all the many problems associated with heroin addiction.
** To assume that heroin addicts will all become model citizens after the drug is allowed to be legally consumed is a fallacy for sure***
I would actually like to see them attempt the program in at least one of the states and see how well it works.
The theory is that people who are hooked on herion can still be productive people as long as they receive regular doses of what we can say is their "medicine"
Think of them as diabetics that need their shot of medicine at least once a day.
The medicine should be supplied in a safe way and administered in a safe way without any guilt or embarrassment about their addiction.
However they would always carry the stigma of being a heroin addict because their addiction is self inflicted and totally unnecassary.
But still this would be a better way than keeping the whole heroin issue illegal.
However, most people do not want the government encouraging the use of the drug by way of being the provider of a drug that is highly addictive and then later on have to work out the percentages of addicts that become a liability and totally dependant on the drug verses the percent that function well enough on the drug.
Although people can and do live productive lives while being a heroin addict you can be assured that all too many heroin addicts would be far more of a liability rather than being a productive asset to society as the drug is well proven to basically "incapacitate" the users more so than motivate them.
That aspect of heroin addiction would not change.
It would be a grand experiment to learn what works and what does not work but either way heroin addiction is not a condition that will ever be readily accepted by the rest of society. Other people will always hold the heroin addict at arms length while criticizing their foolish decisions to try the drug in the first place let alone allowing themselves to become hooked on the drug...especially while knowing full well how highly addictive the drug is and how detrimental the drug can be.
With heroin addiction no one can plead ignorance or innocence.

Folks..for the record, as you can see ...Roy Boy is a proud drug consuming spokesman for the drug consumption advocates.
You notice the knee jerk reaction and the billigerent attitude and the crass comments and the adamant belief that any one who challenges or opposes their drug consuming agenda is ignorant about drugs and knows nothing about drugs and drug consumption and drug addiction and or you are immediately pegged as a tool of the establishment.
Typical of the mentality that is practiced by drug consumers.
No one else could possibly be as informed and or as knowledgeable as the people like Boy Roy and his drug consuming coherts.
In their minds you have to be a drug consumer or a drug addict or a drug pusher or habitually intoxicated on something to be "qualified" to make any comments about the subject matter.
All outsiders and non members of their drug consuming union are considered stupid as if the relevant data out there is only available to the privilaged drug consumers themselves while the rest of the nation needs them and thier drug consuming principles as the nations guiding light and the only means to resolve all the drug related problems the nation suffers.
The drug consumers would have you know what is better for the nation but in reality it is best for what suits them more so and their drug consuming agendas.

I could also supply several mountains of evidence against your drug seduced BS and easily challenge your position..but the drug addict that you are will not allow you to comprehend the meaning or substance of the data.
Your agenda is solely based on having the laws changed to suit your drug consuming agenda.
All the many problems associated with drug consumption are not of any real concern to you .......only if the problems are resolved in favour of your continued intoxication on a variety of available intoxicants.
Any opposing data would not be in favour of your drug consuming interests and scope of drug consuming activities so there is no reason for you to aknowledge the data..But it does exist and it is commonly used as factual evidence in opposition of the drug consuming mentality of persons such as yourself.
You would simply ignore it because it opposses your mentality and attitude about drugs.
The drugs are warping your mentality, as commonly is the case with drug consumers while the world does not really care to listen to the druggies because historically the drug addicts of the world have proven themselves to be "liars" and "thieves" and "con artists" and "criminals" and "untrustworty" and habitual "law breakers" while being involved in a long list of "nefarious illegal activities" and "corrupt" practices while challenging the laws and breaking the laws and creating a lot of problems and grief for other people and basicially just being a burden and liability to society while being a drug consuming pain in the ass, collective lot of yahoos if ever there did exist.

This is "your" legacy and the history of drug addiction and drug abuse and unwarrented wide spread drug intoxication ...and you proudly defend that legacy while being proud to be associated with such a deceptive legacy while you defend it to the bitter end.

** Can we assume the tax laws and regulations also piss you off to no end and the traffic laws enraged you to the point you deliberately speed in rebellion.
The drinking and driving laws must really be a frustrating issue with you also and you think they should not be enforced because some people break the laws anyhow so get rid of those laws
Signs that say:"No Entry Permitted" anger you so much your frothing at the mouth about your rights and freedoms being trampled on.***

Foolish and nonsensical are the words they use to describe people such as yourself.

Really ..get a sense of priority and champion another far more important cause and or just fade away into your drug seduced world of addiction and intoxication.

We will Wait for the angry retorts to follow from Roy Boy while he once again side steps the many contentious issues concerning the consumption of detrimental intoxicating addicting drugs practiced by approximately 50 million U.S. citizens.
Wait for the standard responce informing us that it is the laws that cause all the drug related problems while absolving himself and all the other habitual drug users of any culpability or responsibility concerning all that recreational drug consumption entails.
Wait for the standard responce from Roy while he trys to inform us that no matter what Roy and his associates will continue to defy the laws and stubbornly continue to consume their intoxicants all based on their civil rights and freedoms to do what ever pleases them first and foremost while their drug consuming values supersede all other important drug related issues.
Wait until Roy uses the standard argument that no one will tell Roy what to do and no one should tell anyone else what to do.
Wait for Roy to tell the world that the drugs are natural so everyone should be free to consume them no matter what the consequences.
Wait for Roy to tell us that the drugs are not harmfull and they do not cause any problems and all the problems are caused by the laws trying to curb the consumption of the drugs and there will be no problems to address after the drugs are all legalised for sale and consumption.
Roy will assure us of this because Roy knows better.
Roy is the resident expert on all drug related matters and we should all follow his advice and consume some more drugs and that will solve the problems concerning the consumption of drugs.

Ryan Honey...please enlighten the readers with all your sage advice and your full blown insight concerning drugs and drug consumption and the drug culture.
Are you another one of the drug advocates that immediately assumes any one that opposes drug use knows nothing about the variety of drug related issues evolving around them.
You mean to say if anyone needs relevant information everyone should be dependant on the likes of you and all the other "usual suspects".
People should come to you for all the drug related information and data and or the supporters and consumers of recreational drugs used for their selve serving intoxications.
This would be the best source of information about drugs and drug consumpton...Corret?
You mean we can not hope to self educate ourselves while all the huge amounts of data and relevant drug problem information is just a figment of other peoples imaginations...because Ryan tells us so...because the opposing information does not jive with Ryans world of drug consumption values.

Or is it the criticisms that irk you.

We should follow the examples and values and practices of the drug addicts and recreational drug consumers and habitually intoxicted citizens while ignoring any advice or information contrary to what you and your drug consuming coherts advocate???

You mean to tell us all and any of the data and or information that casts a negative light on drug consumption should be bannished from publication and while only the information and data that supports your self serving drug consuming agenda should be acknowledged and used in support of drug consumption??
The "other side of the story" has no relevance and should be excluded??
The public does not need to hear anything negative said about your beloved drugs and criticism of drug use and the drug users is unacceptable??

How is it that you in particular know so much more then everyone else??
Because you are a drug consumer, or a seasoned drug addict or maybe involved in illegal drug supply activities so that immediatley qualifies you to be a self appointed expert with a know it all opinion.
Your well read on the subject, right?
But what you like to read about is all the information and data in support of the drugs and drug consumption and all information supporting the opposition is ignored and or not worthy of your aknowledgement???

Please tell me how I know nothing about the recreational drugs when there are hundreds of easily accessible means of information and data to be digested....both for and against the use of the drugs

Because I oppose your views and or do not view drug consumption values and practices the same way you do so then I am deemed ignorant and know nothing about recreational drugs and their consumption??

You would be surprised at the info and data that I have absorbed concerning the history of drugs and drug uses and drug consumption and most importantly all the problems that drug consumption has created whether the drugs have been legal or illegal to consume throughout the ages.

No ....the drug warriors would like to see less people consuming the detrimental intoxicants.
Is that agenda so bad.
Is that so hard to understand.
Meantime the various sinister entities they fight against, that are hell bent on getting the public addicted to their numerous addictive poisens, are being supported by you and others while basically advocating that those same entities ( the ones that would love to have you hooked on their crap ) should be "legally" allowed to let you be hooked on their crap.
In the end the mass of citizens are still the ones that experience the calamities of drug addiction while some Legal?? ...mega corporation sucks the life out of the nation while supplying them legally addicting recreational intoxicants while making mega bucks off the drug consuming "suckers" that actually consume the garbage that so many people are eagerly consuming and they are more than willing to eargery supply you..legally.
The existing legal pharmaceutical companies are also out of control in the nation and if you think they will care about your well being just because they are legally allowed to supply you cocain and heroin and marijauna and all the other drugs that so many people advocate then you are misguided in your thinking.
You wait and see what happens when the legal pharmaceutical companies get a hold of the legal rights to sell you the various drugs that are specifically known to be highly addicting.
They will love you to "death" for your continued patronage and then they can legally sell you another half a dozen drugs to help you cope with your primary drug addiction...the one that they "legally" had you hooked on in the first place..all done legally to your satisfaction.
In the future there will be plenty of people bitterly protesting such dubious corporate practices ( the way they are already complaining about the large pharmaceutical companies) and It will come as no suprise when people strongly advocate there should be LAWS enforced to control such out of control supply and consumption and addiction and control the low life suppliers that perpetrate such underhanded practices.

Seriously....Be really carefull what you wish for here.

What makes the drug consumers and drug advocates adamantly believe and or think that all of what the government people do to prevent the drug consumption is all based on some evil government perpetrated plan to make peoples lives miserable and to control people and take away their freedoms.
Why?.....because they have some restrictive laws attached to the consumption of detrimental intoxicating substances that are well proven to create a lot of problems in society. Because the government people do not want millions of drug induced zombies liberally consuming the detrimental drugs and then having to deal with all the numerous problems that come with drug addiction and drug abuse and habitial intoxication.???
Have we forgotten that aspect of the issue while the freedoms and civil liberties of the citizens are the only important issues here and supersedes all other concerns.
When the drugs are legal and peoples lifes go into a drug addicted tail spin then will you / they still be blaming the government for their self inflicted woes.
I would surmise so because so far the drug addicts have historically never owned up to thier personal accountability and or culpability and the part they play in their own demise
I can just imagine the future where the same drug consumers will be blaming the government for allowing the people to get addicted to the drugs and blaming the government for being in bed with the big pharmaceutical companies and being corrupted while profitting immensly from the misery created by wide spread drug addiction and all that is entailed.
Will the drug consumers and drug addicts ever own up to their own personal culpability attached to the contentious issue of non essential, recreational intoxication and stop blaming other people and other entities????

I wonder when people will realise there is far, far more to the issue of drug consumption than simply legalising them to the satisfaction of the drug consumers.

I think all the Governments in the World are Hypocrites, they are the ones who started this crap! And put detention on the beautiful plats that cure our bodies, if Moctecoxuma was a live, he will be mad about this! They use the so called, bad cannabis for their crap medicine and mix the good sativa with bad chemicals. They are the sickness of earth, by breaking us up and killing us slowly….. wake up every one! We should all find out how they make it. They allow the chemical labs to create so called “medicine” prescription drugs! They should be called “killers instead” And they charge you a lot of money and sometimes they do more harm then good, I think because they are devils, Because now that the news is getting out, they want to punish us, and make us criminals. I think they are the criminals… live us alone! I was taking supplements and my hair turned dry and brittle. So I watched Dateline about supplements and, it will surprise you that this is not even a DRUG! Now they want to punish us so they can have their profit grow more. That’s why I am a nutritionist. Aztecs, I know if I have a headache, that means I am dehydrated so, I should drink a lot of water, or eat food. If I have stress, I go and run to release some tension, and if I am sad, I will write a sad story until I laugh about it. Or, I will find a solution if I don’t want any bad holes in my brain. Always control the alcohol. learn how to read your body, also, there are many people who drink a lot, and then they take a pill because they need water. Get a full glass of water, and then add 1 small spoon off sugar and half spoon of salt, this will create electrolytes, don’t over do anything, And @#$%$# them with their laws!