Get the answers straight here...
My mate said you can't get done for cannabis because it's only a Class C drug. Is that true?
No – Cannabis is a class B drug and you can be prosecuted by police for possession or supply of cannabis. If caught with cannabis for personal use it could be up to 5 years in prison and if your caught supplying cannabis, even if it is to your mates, you can now be put in prison for up to 14 years. It depends on where you are and how much you have on you.
Cannabis is natural so why don't they make it legal? I know someone who takes it like a painkiller and they say it's ok to take it if you've got health problems.
Just because cannabis comes from a plant doesn't mean it's not harmful - remember heroin and cocaine also come from 'natural' substances. Cannabis can have very serious health risks: it's linked to a range of mental health problems such as anxiety, depression or schizophrenia, and if you smoke it in a joint, it can cause lung disease and cancer (and the risk is higher than if you're smoking normal cigarettes).
With normal painkillers you know the strength and the dose to take, but the strength of cannabis can vary depending on where you've got it from. This means you can never tell exactly how it'll affect you - so it's not safe to take as medicine either.
Does cannabis screw your head up?
There's no 100% proof, but from the young people we see in front of us every day, it seems likely that using cannabis can trigger mental health problems like depression, memory loss, schizophrenia, paranoia etc. The risks are much higher if you've already experienced mental health problems, or if there's a history of it in your family. The younger you are, the more dangerous it is as your brain is still developing.
What's the least dangerous way to take cannabis then?
There's no really safe way to take cannabis - it's illegal for a reason, and that's because it's not safe for our bodies.
How dangerous it is depends on the way you're using it -
- If you're smoking it in a joint, then it's bad news for your lungs. A joint burns 25 times hotter than a normal cigarette (which you'll know if you've ever dropped it on your clothes) - and this makes the effect of the smoke in your lungs much worse. If it can burn a hole in your clothes, what do you think it does inside?
- Smoking cannabis in a bong means that you get a bigger intake of the drug, which can be more damaging to your body.
- If you're taking it orally (swallowing it) you won't get the lung damage, but it can be harder to know how much you've taken and control the effects.
- Smoking cannabis through a vapouriser is perhaps the safest way to take the drug.
What's ketamine?
Ketamine is a powerful anaesthetic used on humans, and also sometimes used on horses. Using it can make you feel spaced out, lose control of your body, and make you feel like you're 'floating' - like your body's been separated from your mind. It's particularly dangerous if you mix it with alcohol - it can make it hard to breathe, and it can also make you feel very sick. Put these together, and you could end up passing out and choking on your own sick.
If you're going to risk this one, always make sure there are people you can trust around you - people who'll be clear-headed enough to help you if something goes wrong.
My mate reckons that MDMA is safer than ecstasy. What's the difference?
MDMA is sometimes described as a 'purer' form of ecstasy - it's basically a powder form of the same drug. But both forms of the drug are dangerous. Taking ecstasy puts a big strain on your heart and makes your body overheat, so there's a real danger of passing out from dehydration. If you are taking it, make sure you drink enough water (or other non-alcoholic drink) - about 1 pint every hour. Drinking more than this can be just as deadly when you're on ecstasy.
Is it okay to use drugs at home?
Wherever you use drugs, it's illegal - and if other people are using stuff in your house, you could be prosecuted too (even if you're not using yourself).
What's the most dangerous drug?
All drugs have different risks. The important thing to remember is that everyone's bodies react differently - there's no way of knowing how 'dangerous' a particular drug could be for your body. Some drugs have a higher risk of overdose; some have worse long-term risks. It depends on the circumstances in which you're using, too - if you're on your own, with no one around to help if something goes wrong, then there's a much higher risk. Sometimes it can also be tricky to know how strong the stuff is that you're taking, so use small amounts to reduce the risk of overdosing.
How much stuff can I have on me for personal use?
However little of a drug you have on you, you could still be done by the police as a dealer - there's no hard and fast rule about how much you can carry as 'personal use' and how much makes you a 'supplier'. It often depends on the situation that you're in when you get caught. If you're somewhere public like school or a youth centre, or if you have the drug in more than one bag, there's a higher risk of you getting done for intent to supply.
How much can you drink before you drive?
The safest way is not to drink anything if you're going to be driving - and definitely don't go near a car if you've been using drugs.
The law allows you to have a certain amount of alcohol in your bloodstream and still drive, but it's a very small amount and some people will reach this limit quicker, depending on how big or small you are, how much you've eaten that day etc. The only way to know you'll be safe is not to drink at all.
It's illegal to drive if you've had any amount of illegal drugs, however tiny.
