Dumb question?

[dudeman721]

Im moving to Manchester, England within a month, im from the STATES, and i was wondering whats the policy of smoking weed up there?

thanks and sorry for the ignorant question

[qahouaji]

since everyone else on this board probably have lives and don't sit up at 2 in the morning, I'm going to answer your "dumb question" (it isn't dumb, always know the facts first)--

england recently depenalized pot possession for personal use. If you're caught, and it's a small amount (less than an ounce, I believe), your stash will be confiscated and you'll be given a "caution" by the police. You can be arrested for possession if it's "aggravated possession"--smoking in public, near a school, after fighting with the police officer--the maximum jail sentence for that is 2 years. But cannabis has been reclassified, so in most cases you won't be arrested, only given the caution and told to go on your way.

moving to england, you're close to a lot of countries with liberal cannabis laws. aside from the netherlands (practically legal) there's switzerland, where coffeeshops do exist, germany, where they're about to legalize possession in Berlin and everywhere else it's a small fine, spain, where cannabis possession isn't an offence, belgium, where it's also practically legal, and italy where (still) possession of less than 3 grams is a minor infraction. france is still tough but, interestingly enough, lots of the possession cases don't even make it to court (though they haven't spared our friend nol--after a 15 YEAR OLD CHARGE!!). in the czech republic, "small amounts" aren't an offense, though they don't specify what "small amount" really is.

of course i envy you, you're leaving the usa. Here they do everything to make you feel like you're no better than snake scum for having tried pot. I can assure you that, even in stodgy britain, the overall impressions had by people about pot are probably friendlier than anything you could encounter in "drug-free" USA, a country that does its best to demonize and demonize our pasttime...

...enjoy britain, mate. I hope you drink, that's a customary must for most britons, I've found. and soccer.

--the qahouaji

"A pipe of kif gives a man the strength of a hundred camels in the courtyard" --Paul Bowles, 1960

[Guest]

Manchester......
Lucky for you there is a borough called Stockport in Manchester.
You have a wander around the glass covered market area at weekend.
An abundance of fine Cannabis is usually available from the traditional local "street dealers"

[sensibill]

hi dudeman
welcome to our fair isle.
some advice DO NOT SMOKE SOAPBAR it is full of bad chemicals with very little hash and it is poison.
take the advice from guest and visit stockport and don,t be shy to ask.
good luck and enjoy being free from the restraints of america,s illegal government.
peace and love.....................sensibill

[Guest]

Im moving to Manchester, England within a month, im from the STATES, and i was wondering whats the policy of smoking weed up there?

thanks and sorry for the ignorant question

What area of Manchester are you moving to? Are you coming to work here? Don't worry you can nearly always get a good smoke in Manchester (and Stockport)

[OLD TIMER HOBBIT]

IN SCOTLAND its nearly as bad as America as our first minister sucks up to Bush and we have D.E.A which is run by the Scottish Police with help from the F.B.I. Our first minister is a born again christian or born again facist who thinks nothing about having Scotland as having the largest prison population in Europe but the irony is that it has along with Ireland the biggest number of pot smokers in Europe.
You can still go to jail for possesion like a guy got six month for half a joints worth plus its mostly soapbar, even medi users get no sympathy
as one guy who had M.S two years ago got four years for cultivation while on the same day a guy who attacked an innocent bystander with an iron bar got 2 months and a judge who downloaded porn got of Scot free