It is nonsensical, and a lot of people think it is nonsensical.

But a lot of people also don’t like outcomes where people do get addicted. And they refuse to believe the government can’t just magically “stop” people doing bad things. It is this false belief that really leads to this sort of policy, which is disappointing.

Again, I believe their intentions are good. If we think the policies hurt, we have to convince people why.

These things are hard, because I do believe the intention of policy makers is inherently good – but as is often the case with treating symptoms rather than causes of problems, this can lead to far worse outcomes.

My dream is that, by improving communication about costs and benefits, economists can help policy makers come up with well intentioned policy that actually helps those in need – and I am sure that in the Department of Health they have already run a bunch of the numbers, and thought about the concepts in the past.

This is true – I also thought I was a bit quiet on optimal regulation

This whole issue is criminal. Cannabis, the plant, is less harnful than alcohol, it’s first recorded use was 2727 BC, it is impossible to overdose because unlike these dreadful synthetics, its not toxic: indeed, cannabis has documented medininal qualities; its pain relieving powers are uncontroversial, now legalised in 35 US states. I have a friend, 39 years old, being treated for bone cancer, and for whom cannabis has proven the best substance at helping to manage his pain, which is considerable, and yet on top of all his issues, he has to risk criminal posecution to source.

Inhumane: insane. The fact natural cannabis is not, at the very least, forget deciminalisation, in the pain treating arsenal of every hospital and hospice, is an indictment on our system of social democracy, and every minister who’s held that portfolio. And as for that, on the advent of the current law change, the fact that Minister Dunne is effectively setting the conditions for tortuous animal testing of these dreadful, toxic synthetics, when the plant they are trying to replicate is harmless, has me angry beyond words. He calls himslf a liberal -huh! – democrat: as an animal lover, and freedom lover, I call him a barbaric … as I said, it’s not polite to put it into words.