Legal highs: UK to opt out of new EU regulation regime - Polidicks

[QUOTE]Britain is to opt out of a European Union regime for regulating legal highs that would result in only the most harmful new psychoactive substances being subject to full criminalisation. Announcing the decision – which could attract sanctions from Brussels –the Home Office crime prevention minister, Norman Baker, said he "strongly disputes"' the EU claim that 20% of legal highs have "legitimate commercial and industrial uses". The issue could presage a fresh clash between London and Brussels as the proposed EU drugs directive does not include provision for a UK opt-out. Britain already has a tougher approach than much of the rest of Europe to synthetic psychoactive drugs such as Benzo Fury, NBOMe and Mephedrone. The home secretary can issue a temporary banning order, which makes it illegal to supply but not possess the new substance for 12 months while the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs investigates how harmful it is and whether the ban should be made permanent. The Liberal Democrat drugs minister said Britain was ahead of most other countries "in combatting the reckless trade in so-called legal highs, which has tragically claimed the lives of far too many young people". He said the EU's proposals would hinder rather than help because they would slow down action to ban harmful substances when they were identified.[/QUOTE] Source: [URL="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/13/legal-highs-uk-opt-out-eu-regulation-regime?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter"]http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/13/legal-highs-uk-opt-out-eu-regulation-regime[/URL] Hopefully sanctions from the EU will follow this. While the EU's approach is hardly ideal either it is more pragmatic and gives more breathing room for the voicing of sensible evidence-backed ideas such as forming a proper regulatory framework for such substances. Some people want to use psychoactive substances and they will continue to do so. It makes more sense to regulate them than to push them underground like they have done with other (many of which are technically safer) currently illicit substances.

fucking nazi EU with their oppressive fascist progress

They probably don't want Nigella getting her hands on it.

Legal highs are fuckin' dangerous, but I know people who are willing to use them rather than generally safer illegal substances due to the law. Loopholes make the government look like mugs.

[QUOTE] Announcing the decision –[B] which could attract sanctions from Brussels[/B] [/QUOTE] What are they going to do? :v:

[QUOTE=The mouse;43534741]What are they going to do? :v:[/QUOTE] Most likely financial sanction.

[QUOTE=The mouse;43534741]What are they going to do? :v:[/QUOTE] [img]http://happyorhungry.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/evilsprouts.jpg[/img] They will destroy every meal you will ever have.

[QUOTE=The mouse;43534741]What are they going to do? :v:[/QUOTE] Dosh

Why does their industrial/scientific possibility relate to idiots killing themselves with shitty version of perfectly good drugs? People huff gasoline because it incidentally gets people high, but we don't outright criminalize it.

[QUOTE=whatthe;43534784]Why does their industrial/scientific possibility relate to idiots killing themselves with shitty version of perfectly good drugs? People huff gasoline because it incidentally gets people high, but we don't outright criminalize it.[/QUOTE] That's the point, EU is saying "If we do some official research on some of these drugs, some of them might be actually useful and fine to legalize under certain circumstances", while UK is going "NO WAY, FUCK DRUGS, FUCK YOU, I DON'T WANNA HANG OUT WITH YOU GUYS ANYMORE, I KNOW BETTER THAN ALL OF YOU"

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;43534808]That's the point, EU is saying "If we do some official research on some of these drugs, they might be actually useful and fine to legalize under certain circumstances", while UK is going "NO WAY, FUCK DRUGS, FUCK YOU, I DON'T WANNA HANG OUT WITH YOU GUYS ANYMORE, I KNOW BETTER THAN ALL OF YOU"[/QUOTE] Especially Theresa May with her "fuck science I feel it should be illegal" attitude.

this is retarded but not as retarded as regulating largely unresearched legal highs over researched and generally safer illegal ones

"new EU regulation regime" lol this is what the EU has been doing from day 1

This is why the EU don't make nice policies that largely benefit the UK, they spend so much time having to make exceptions for the UK because the pretentious UK government who think they've above the EU keep getting in the way of EU treaties. Maybe if our government weren't stupid, we'd have better policies that benefit the UK and then maybe we wouldn't have a horde of newspaper enslaved idiotic populace screaming demands that we should leave the EU.

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;43534776]Most likely financial sanction.[/QUOTE] Why would any country pay this (if it's in the form of a fine) And if it's sanctions against (trade or whatever) couldn't the uk just put same stipulations on Brussels?

[QUOTE=H8Entitlement;43535304]Why would any country pay this (if it's in the form of a fine) And if it's sanctions against (trade or whatever) couldn't the uk just put same stipulations on Brussels?[/QUOTE] Because that's the idea of the EU. If you want to use it's benefits, you've gotta abide by the rules. It's not that hard of a concept.

It's a shame the 'Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs' is probably comprised of old men with corporate interests, otherwise they might actually be willing to take a real look at the drug policy in the UK properly.

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;43534808]That's the point, EU is saying "If we do some official research on some of these drugs, some of them might be actually useful and fine to legalize under certain circumstances", while UK is going "NO WAY, FUCK DRUGS, FUCK YOU, I DON'T WANNA HANG OUT WITH YOU GUYS ANYMORE, I KNOW BETTER THAN ALL OF YOU"[/QUOTE] As is our right. Fuck off.

[QUOTE=lazyguy;43535474]As is our right. Fuck off.[/QUOTE] [IMG]http://fi.somethingawful.com/images/smilies/emot-britain.gif[/IMG]

I have no idea what is UK doing in the EU. They don't use euro, they always need to be different than the rest...

[QUOTE=Rolond Returns;43534343]Legal highs are fuckin' dangerous, but I know people who are willing to use them rather than generally safer illegal substances due to the law. Loopholes make the government look like mugs.[/QUOTE] I've only ever heard bad stuff about them My friend's friend died from synthetics [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-21599697[/url], but I never heard of anything going wrong when he smoked weed (though i'm admittedly still kinda 50/50 when it comes to weed)

[QUOTE=H8Entitlement;43535304]Why would any country pay this (if it's in the form of a fine) And if it's sanctions against (trade or whatever) couldn't the uk just put same stipulations on Brussels?[/QUOTE] UK has agreed to treaties which mean it has to abide to the decisions of EU court as it participates in them as well, just like the entire rest of EU's countries. Part of the agreements was that if a country fails to obey where it promised to, it can be sanctioned financially, to which they have agreed as well, in advance. Failing to pay the agreed on penalties would be a [B]massive[/B] breach of international diplomatic trust, and not just within Europe; if UK failed to obey to agreements with it's closest partners, it's anyone's guess how well are they going to keep treaties with rest of the world. It would overall tarnish UK's diplomatic image, worsen it's economical position, etc etc. That's why it's most likely that if sanctions are imposed, UK will either reconsider it's decision or pay up. Meanwhile, nobody within EU agreed that EU will have to pay up wherever UK throws a shitfit. It doesn't work like that. [QUOTE=lazyguy;43535474]As is our right. Fuck off.[/QUOTE] If we broaden the personified model used mostly for kicks, it's just as much UK's "right" as it is to for example drive off with a car you had only borrowed on a contact. (It isn't) Get some basic education on diplomacy and international law and stop shitposting, please.

I think you can guess my opinion on the EU.

[QUOTE=lazyguy;43535707]I think you can guess my opinion on the EU.[/QUOTE] Uneducated, biased, and archaically nationalistic? And probably mostly built on disinformation from tabloids.

[QUOTE=AntonioR;43535580]I have no idea what is UK doing in the EU. They don't use euro, they always need to be different than the rest...[/QUOTE] I don't think I've spoken to anyone who has said they'd want to change to the Euro. Our moneys cool anyway leave us alone. [editline]14th January 2014[/editline] I'm for the eu though

The thing that sorta pisses me off is that stuff like weed remains illegal and they always maintain that it's a super harmful killer drug that will melt your eyeballs and murder your parents - when it's actually very un-harmful. They refused to even acknowledge the facts that [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Nutt]Professor Nutt[/url] (who they hired to investigate) presented and instead fired him for doing his job properly. It seems they'd honestly much rather listen to opinionated 'professionals and scientists' who are incapable of carrying out real research and just accept pay in order to present the opinions they're paid to present. Meanwhile David Cameron goes and censors online pornography and other shit that just reeks of 'nanny state supreme'.

Well to be honest I plane to move to Europe so I can leave this shithole. To all EU FP'ers: I cannot wait. People say you can be born one gender and relate to another, well I state the same of nationality. Fuck Irish/Scottish/English/Jersey mix, I'm EU man!

[QUOTE=AntonioR;43535580]I have no idea what is UK doing in the EU. They don't use euro, they always need to be different than the rest...[/QUOTE] You say that as if being in the Eurozone is the only reason a country might want to join the EU, the last time the pound was tied to a currency it was a disaster so it's hardly a surprise that there's going to be some backlash against the Euro.

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;43535731]Uneducated, biased, and archaically nationalistic? And probably mostly built on disinformation from tabloids.[/QUOTE] Uh oh, you've thrown insults my way. I am defeated.

[QUOTE=Stopper;43535362]Because that's the idea of the EU. If you want to use it's benefits, you've gotta abide by the rules. It's not that hard of a concept.[/QUOTE] Aside from annoying neighboring countries trying to impose their ideals on them- what exactly does the uk get? From everything I've read on the subject the uk could give 2 fucks about staying in the eu. Seems to me the eu wants them in more then the uk wants to stay in.... But sure, w/e- if it makes ppl feel better the eu should definitely sanction the uk. (For hilarity purposes if nothing else)