Culture - Changes in the Cannabis scene since the '70s

[Pondlife]

I've not been involved in the UK pot scene for about twenty-five years, since I was at school and uni in the late 70's. Since then most of my understanding has come from the infamous Daily Mail, and I'd be interested to know what has changed and find out the facts behind the headlines.

To start with, I remember that there were two types of cannabis: "grass", which is pretty self explanatory and was of very variable quality; and "resin" which is what most people were after. There were several types of resin around including "red" (from Lebanon I think) and the famous "black" which was stronger and generally better. Is this still the same? Is "soapbar" another term for resin?

I hear a lot about "skunk" from the papers. I don't recall that being around back then, is it a recent invention? Is it another name for the "black" that I remember? The newspapers say that it's "as strong as heroin" - I assume that this is total bollocks.

How has the move from class B to class C changed things? Back in the '70s you'd have had to do something pretty stupid to get busted, and I can't remember anyone ever being stopped. Can it really of got any more relaxed than that, or maybe the group I was in was just lucky?

[old hippie 56]

Over here in the states, we have different terms, but, they all mean the same. Reefer, grass, weed. The main difference now days is price and weighing practices. Back when swim started toking, 74, a person bought lids, no scales was around. A dealer bought a pound, divided it up into sixteen piles.

[Trebor]

First of, don't read the mail. It's Maggie's paper. Secondly, not much. Prices are changing. Skunk is about 10 years old. Invented to give a greater high.

Soap bar is shit hash. It has various chemicals mixed with it to save the dealer a few quid.

Red did infact come from Lebanon. Black from Morroco or Afganistan.

[Nature Boy]

The cannabis resin scene has completely changed since the 70's. Global economical and political factors are behind this. Countries like Lebanon, Afghanistan and Morocco aren't producing as much hashish as they used to. Stumbling upon decent resin is difficult these days. Soapbar is truly awful resin. Wikipedia says:

Originally Posted by Wikipedia.org

Such forms [of hashish] usually possess a low potency and may have a strangeness in taste and feel. The adulterants in the hash may range from waste material from the Cannabis plant to products such as soap, vaseline, beeswax, boot polish, licorice, henna, ground coffee, milk powder, pine resin, barbiturates, ketamine, aspirin, glues and dyes, as well as carcinogenic solvents such as toluene and benzene.

Unfortunately many people don't know this seeing as cannabis, and drugs in general for that matter, is always bunched as one evil entity by the media.

"Skunk" is just an all-round term for potent strains of often hydroponically-grown weed, the name probably coming from its pungent smell. Although stronger than many of the older strains in existence, it's far from being "as strong as heroin". Where did SWIY hear that? Hack journalism is one thing but that's so far off the mark it's mind boggling.

The move from class B to class C has seen a reduction in overall usage despite the claims of many prohibitionists saying it "gives out the wrong message" and actually encourages use. Overall it's a good first stepping stone in changing the ludicrous laws that are already in place.

In regards to people getting busted, it's hard to tell how effective law enforcement is in that area. SWIM's never been busted and has been smoking for several years now but has been searched and knows others who have also been searched for weed as well. It's difficult to know how law enforcement, or even people in general, will react to finding weed on one's person. In some areas it's socially acceptable, in other places weed is still the "devil's harvest".

[Pondlife]

"Skunk" is just an all-round term for potent strains of often hydroponically-grown weed, the name probably coming from its pungent smell. Although stronger than many of the older strains in existence, it's far from being "as strong as heroin". Where did SWIY hear that? Hack journalism is one thing but that's so far off the mark it's mind boggling.

I'm pretty sure it was the Daily Mail several years ago. Back then skunk was seen as the "big threat", and the line was "today's pot is so much stronger; they are crazy to legalise it". But now most of the horror stories are about cannabis induced psycosis. As always, it's difficult to separate fact from fiction.

I remember back in the '70s that the really dangerous stuff that the media was warning about was PCP, which could give you the strength of ten men, and stayed in your body for seventy years. Don't hear much about that now; I guess that such things only stay in the spotlight for a year or two before they are replaced by another boogie man.

The move from class B to class C has seen a reduction in overall usage despite the claims of many prohibitionists saying it "gives out the wrong message" and actually encourages use. Overall it's a good first stepping stone in changing the ludicrous laws that are already in place.

As someone standing on the sidelines, I'd agree with that. I think quite a bit of the school and uni usage was purely because it was an ilicit substance, and anything that removes that can only be a good thing.

[Orchid_Suspiria]

I hear a lot about "skunk" from the papers. I don't recall that being around back then, is it a recent invention? Is it another name for the "black" that I remember? The newspapers say that it's "as strong as heroin" - I assume that this is total bollocks.

Yes thats hack journalism at it's worst.How could weed be as strong as heroin when they are totally different types of substances and completely unrelated?