Cannabis is being reclassified from Class C to a class B drug.

May 7, 2008 – 1:29 pm

Cannabis is being reclassified from Class C to a class B drag carrying a maximum 5 year jail sentence for possession against the advice of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. 

Cannabis users of the world were heard to mutter “Wha?” and turn back to their Sitar practice.

Now I should display my drugs credentials on my sleeve here. I like the majority of people my age did inhale, did enjoy and put it back in its box and moved on to more adult things like jobs, responsibility and not having a collection of glass bongs. I’d had fun but its time was through. There can be nothing sadder than a 40 year old pretending he’s still 14, proudly displaying hot rock burns in his handknitted hemp sweater. 

Jacqui Smith is ignoring the advice of the commmitte specifically set up to advise her on drugs policy and regrade Dope as a class B drug along with speed and downers. First class. Its a move of such spectacular chutzpa you’d think she was the one on drugs.

“Mrs Smith, We pay enormous amounts every year to this committee so they can advise you on drug policy.”

“Yes?”

“And you’re just going to ignore their well thought through and composed recommendations?”

“Yes.”

“Because?”

“Because I know better.”

“Because you know better about drugs than a panel of experts picked specifically for their knowledge on the abuse of drugs? Right. Irony is totally lost on you isn’t it?”

One question that isn’t being asked is who’s on this panel? Experts on the Misuse of drugs? Is misuse when you shove them in your ear instead of swallowing them? Or is misuse having that fourth bath bong when you know you really shouldn’t and spewing everywhere?

And I question these ’so called’ experts expertise. Have they ever tried to score in South London after midnight? Have they ever given over a twenty for a baggie only to find its pure grade A Oregano? Have they ever had to make small talk at a party with someone you usually wouldn’t take the time to spit on, in the hope they’ll pass their J your way? 

No they haven’t. 

 

It’s like choosing the Catholic Church to advise on a sexual policy. 

“They never have sex so they’re bound to be the best people to consult on it.” 

Can it be any wonder that less than a week after the worst result for her party in over forty years Labour decide to focus on a soft target? One that can’t fight back. There is no Big Cannabis, no pressure group worth noticing for the Sinsemilla lobby, pressure not being something normally associated with smoking draw. 

Unless you’re skinning up in a room full of people you don’t know. Then they’re secretly grading both it and you on width, use of skins, tobacco to dope ratio and time taken from start to burn.

It’s a desperate and quite sad ploy to drag the voters back by being seen as being ‘Hard on Drugs’. Pathetic. 

Being re-classifed from C to B will have zero impact on people selling buying and taking this particular drug. You could threaten people with life imprisonment and people will still bring it into your country. United Arab Emirates, I’m looking at you and your locking up of upstanding young drum and bass DJs. Where oh where will the kids get their Doush Doush music to play at appalling volume in ridiculous looking cars now? (Yes, I am seventy five.)  

In conclusion its a totally futile gesture. Users won’t care, dealers will ignore it, the voters in the Conservative heartland you’re reaching out to will ignore it as being just another Labour PR exercise and the Police won’t bother convicting anyone they don’t consider dangerous or a dealer. 

So exactly the same as now then. 

 

Carry on.

 

- Rob

Gordon Brown: Class Act!

May 7, 2008 – 9:04 am

So… Here we are then… Almost a week after the dramatic local and London Mayoral election results… Gordon got himself a bit of a kicking in the polls, and the Tories are actually favourites to win the General Election (should there be one called in the next 5 minutes or so.) Which is rather surprising.

Boris won the Major Mayor spot. Which is a cracking choice. Not because he’s got any policies that I care about. Not because he’s going to stop the crime in London, or cut down on immigrants coming over here and stealing other immigrants jobs, not because he’s going to get rid of bendy buses (which, as a side note, I’m a bit gutted about - I don’t think I’ve ever been on a bendy bus)

No - I think Boris is a great choice as mayor because the bloke’s hilarious…

“I see…. right… trains, eh? Right… trains and buses… Let’s see.. Buses on the trains… That’s it… we can get all the buses off the roads and out of the way if we put them on the the trains… Buses on the underground, that’s it… Lovely… Damn good show… Right… now, yes… Um… Right… Where was I? Oh yes, that’s it… Round 2 - The Odd One Out Round… Paul it’s your turn… Here’s your four…”

From now on, any interview with the Mayor of London is going to be like the special features on a Have I Got News For You DVD… Cheap at half the price… Especially ‘cos I don’t live in London and the looney’s policies aren’t gonna affect me in the slightest. :-D

 Of course, Gordon’s come out and said that himself and his party are far from dead and buried yet… And that they’re going to listen to the voters, and listen to the experts and they’re going to turn themselves around come back fighting…

So - for the first major decision since the elections, Gordon and his funky little sex kitten of a Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith (sorry - I think I’ve just been a little sick in my mouth) have decided to ignore the police, the scientists, the drug help groups, the charity workers, the psychiatrists and millions and millions of people and reclassify Marijuana as a class B drug. Right… Well done Mr Brown…

We live in a country where the people are in uproar over the 10p Tax, Gun Crime is on the increase, kids aren’t safe to play in the streets because according to the Express etc there’s a paedo living under bush, the prisons are all full (which is interesting - because the only difference between Class B and Class C drugs is 3 years prison sentence for POSSESSION. The dealers get up to 14 years for both) and the English Football team aren’t playing any bloody football this Summer…

More importantly, where are the police resources going to come from to support this new classification? A member of my family is an officer in the UK Police Force. Currently, she is forced due to budget cuts to patrol her beat on her own. Over the bank holiday weekend, there was ONE police officer on duty to cover a town with a population of over 200,000 people. And the other day, the dispatch officer tried to send her on her own to apprehend a group of “yoofs” who were armed with a crossbow…

… So - may I suggest Mr Brown that you sort out the crimes that we already have in this country and stop creating new, unenforcable Middle Class friendly laws to try and improve your lot with the blue rinse, right wing media. Maybe then people will have a modicum more respect for you.

- Taff

We’re Back… And you suck!

May 3, 2008 – 9:25 am

That’s right. You’re not imagining it. This isn’t some sort of weird David Lynch-esque dream sequence. As was prophesised in the Book of Revelations - Notfussed has returnethed!!

It’s been a long time coming… Allow me to explain a little of what happened…

Cast your mind back… back over the mists of time, to a time where things were simpler. The year was 2003… A rag tag group of internet mercenaries were sat in a pub, discussing the apparent success of their website while supping a few choice lagers…

“I say chaps!” said Deps, “This internet website lark is spiffing good fun isn’t it?”

“Aye, Sir! That it is! Let us celebrate by having some Pimms shall we?” said Taff, idly lighting a cigarette. “I do believe that in short time, we shall have moved up the search rankings of the Google Foundation, and will begin to increase our wealth through the medium of online advertising! Huzzah!”

“A jolly good show all round I feel!” said the barman, proud to have such obviously talented internet entrepreneurs in his establishment. “Pray, what is the address for the website of which you speak?”

“Why my good man, ’tis Notfussed.com. A veritable cornucopia of wit and mirth coupled with popular cultural and news worthy discussion!” explained Deps.

At this point, Taff’s mobile communications device emitted a piercing shriek as he received a text message…

“Erm… Deps…. I think we may have a problem…” said Taff, as his eyes scanned the screen of his Nokia 3210 (Yes - it was THAT long ago) “Rob’s just tried to update the site… and all he was presented with was a page explaining that this site was under construction. And that if he wanted to purchase said domain name, then he should contact this young Russian fella… You did renew the domain didn’t you?!”

Deps smiled, put his pint down carefully on the bar, and loudly proclaimed “Bugger!”

So, that’s it in a nutshell. Due to a severe lack of planning and far too much alcohol, the domain name was lost… for, we thought, ever.

But, as you can now see… We’re back! And all it took was a quick war in Iraq, a fixed election or 2 in Russia, a large amount of Nazi gold, and the sacrifice of a 3 year old rooster according to ancient mu-mu tradition. Oh, and a small amount of Polonium 210… Sorry about that ;-)

Of course, due to our unforeseen downtime, we’ve missed out on some choice events for our inspiration. 5 years is a long time, in which loads of stuff has happened. Stuff such as…

The London bombings, the resultant shutdown of Britain (which some would argue is still in place), Madeline McCann, George Bush and his second term, Global Warming, Global Cooling, Global It’s All A Natural Process, Madeline McCann, Britney and her Amazing Technicolor Breakdowns, Saint Tony Blair, The Return of Doctor Who, Liverpool and the Champions League Comeback, Madeline McCann, 2 Rugby World Cups (encompassing the rise and subsequent fall and fall and fall of the England team), 2 Football World Cups (encompassing the fall and fall and fall of the England team), the American economy (hee hee), the UK General Election that never was, Madeline McCann, Taff working in a school(!), Deps STILL working in a school(!!), Shannon Matthews (and therefore Madeline McCann), 30th Birthdays, 2 Grand Slam victories for Wales and the search for Madeline. Oh… and Heather Mills… We can’t forget good ol’ Heather…

And that’s just the stuff off the top of my head!

Still… here we are again… The world is on the cusp of change… A new American President will soon be in power… Possibly. We might have a general election in this country in the next couple of years, The Iraq Invasion/Conflict/War/Mission/Game of Risk shows no sign of going away, Afghanistan is the same as always, and we still haven’t found Osama or Madeline (a coincidence?! I think not!)

So, for now that is all. Over the coming weeks, the technical gurus will be guru’ing away trying to make head or tail of the ancient (5 year old) code that used to run this site and will be patching and hacking to try and get it to work on today’s new fangled technology. And then once more, we shall return to the fore-front of internet commentary!

If we can be bothered.

- Taff