Should Marijuana (weed) be legalised in Ireland?

Lots of people have contrasting and engaging opinions on this topic. I'm going to express my thoughts on the subject but that's all it is, an opinion. Last night I researched the benefits and effects of smoking weed and there are genuinely persuading arguments for both. From my point of view, no, weed shouldn't be legalised in Ireland. Obviously this may not be the cool, hipster and inventive answer, especially coming from a 20 year old who does love a good time.

Kids start smoking and consuming alcohol relatively early in this country. By making weed legal, young people under 18 would be even more encouraged to smoke it along with tobacco and drinking alcohol. Weed is the least harmful drug out there but it will have effects on children. Yes, this is against the law, but legalising weed will result in people taking it up at an earlier age.

Some will disagree and dispute that weed is just as accessible as buying a packet of Tayto crisps, so it might as well be legal? Yes weed is easy to get your hands on but that's against the point. It's not a valid reason to make it legal. There are hard drugs that are in reach but that fails to justify legalising heroin or cocaine.

Recreational drug users will claim that alcohol is just as harmful as smoking weed, their correct. Alcohol can be even more perilous and can have devastating effects. People take weed regularly and have successful lives and don't encounter any of the consequences. But legalising getting stoned would be sending the wrong message out to young Irish people.

Drugs.ie outlines short term and long term effects of smoking week. After initially getting high you will feel sedated and happy. Getting the munchies is also expected. It gets slightly more worrying as your pulse rate speeds up and your blood pressure drops. In terms of future consequences they include paranoia, mental health problems, low sperm count, poor coordination and breathing problems. http://www.drugs.ie/drugtypes/drug/cannabis

I'm not attempting to spread an anti-weed message. You only get one life and trying it occasionally should be harmless. It might even be extremely fun. It's not a terribly hazardous drug for the most part. But legalising it would be irresponsible. Taking into account Irish politics conservative approach, it's unlikely to be made legal. Just to be clear, so I'm not misinterpreted, do I think people are totally wrong to smoke the occasional weed? No. But should it be legalised? No. Legalising something is a form of encouragement, and although it is not as harmful as other drugs, it's still not something to be promoted.

http://www.perkel.com/politics/issues/pot.htm - Good argument for the benefits of weed

http://alcoholism.about.com/od/pot/a/effects.-Lya.htm - Interesting counter argument

Many thanks for reading. Feel free to add your opinion in the comment section or via Twitter or Facebook.
@LM1794

Sam Smith - In The Lonely Hour

Singer-songwriter Sam Smith released his debut album at the end of May this year and it has been acclaimed by fans and critics alike. Having listened to it for over a week, I can certainly recommend buying it. The Lonely Hour contains sensational hits such as 'Stay with me', 'Money on my mind', 'La La La' and 'Lay Me Down'.

The other songs on the album are equally impressive. Some are slow love songs and Smith's powerful voice means they are far from dull. Some tunes such as 'Like I Can' have a quick catchy beat; his voice is also suited to songs with a more rapid tempo. Arguably each record will improve the sound of your iPod. An acoustic version of 'Latch' is avilable too, which was a massively successful smash hit Disclosure and Sam Smith recently released.

If you want to chill out on a fine summer's afternoon with some music, this album would be an excellent choice. His voice is incredible and after hearing each song once, you will surely be craving for a second listen. It's difficult to believe that it's only his first album. Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran will likely generate the most sales from British male artists this year.

For those of you that are already big Sam Smith fans, there are still opportunities to see the man himself live this summer. Tickets are still available for T in the Park in Kinross, UK on the 13th July and Longitude Festival in Marley Park, Ireland on the 19th July.  

If you enjoy quality music then purchase this album or download the tracks. Even better still, go and see him live in concert this summer at one of the many festivals he is playing. Sam Smith at age 22 is a young raw talent who is on course to have a phenomenal career.

First year college experiences

I've recently passed my first year journalism exams and so the adventure will continue in September. Dedicating my free time to a period of reflection; I'm going to share some first year experiences that may or may not relate to other college students. Recently I joined the unemployment brigade which has allowed me to dedicate more time to writing, which is what I want to be doing as a career. 

Day one of college in itself inspires a collection of memories. The walk through the city of Dublin that feels indstinguishable to the previous slumber to the old rural secondary school. Looming buildings, dozens of traffic lights and hundreds of diverse people. Cities are places to be admired. Eventually arriving at your new home of education (and other forms of ed) you realise you have a delicate idea of where you're going. A sea of students grouped at tables or walking in unison as you stand isolated trying to make sense of a timetable that's difficult to interpret.

Our first lecture will always be an indelible recollection. You feel a nervous excitement as you glance around at your new course mates, sub-consciously judging them and trying to decipher if you and they shall become acquaintances. In reality friendships develop naturally over time. You can never know a person from an initial meet. Anyway, at least your sitting in the safety of a room with other people whom share similar interests, instead of wandering the college, secluded from other students who already know each other. 

That first night out with your new course mates is a cool experience. A sense of realisation is enthused as these guys will be with you for the next few years, time to make the most of it. You get to know one another with the help of alcohol and reveal things that ought to be kept secret. That results in the next morning in college being bloody awkward. But overall it's a great occasion where you become closer to friends and make new ones. 

Mass of sighs. The moment the lecturer informs the class that each of them will be presenting a project to the group. Some students excel when it comes to public speaking whereas others loathe the experience. Standing there for everyone to see, trying to read out whatever uninspiring material Google has provided without messing up. That's one of those frequent times in college where you cannot disguise behind an essay. 

First year of college passes incredibly fast. Therefore, before you know it the preliminary phase of your friendships has dissipated and taking the piss out of one another becomes the new form of communication. Well for lads anyway. Any opportunity we get to humiliate a mate is seized upon. Girls are more likely to celebrate their friendships with kind words and hugs. 

There is always that one module where the course collectively agrees that it's pointless. Seriously, why do we have to f-ing to this crap. My advice: attend just enough of these lectures to pass reasonably comfortably and then forget it ever existed. 

Abruptly it's exam time. "I'm definitely going to fail" is an expression you will hear repeatedly. For some they are speaking the truth and never attending college does catch up. But a lot who say it, pass comfortably. Gasp. There is always a couple of dark horses who you didn't notice during the year but when you hear of their quality results, you realise they must have been working their ass off whilst you and your mates were in the pub in the afternoon. 

Spending time with your new friends is the best college experience in first year. Being young and making mistakes is a part of life. So, cherish being a college student because soon you will be working crazy hours and regretting the things you didn't do during your youth. 

Emotions football fans experience during a season

The new Premier League season is nearly upon us. No matter which team you pledge to your heart, we all participate in the same experiences of the rollercoaster ride that is being a football fan. Here are just some of the occurrences that football fans can relate to.

It all starts on the anticipated day when the fixtures are released. We focus on the fixtures of our club with utter concentration, mirroring an upper class gentleman reading the latest edition of the Times. Immediately we plan what games we will attend in person, we stop to grimace as we see a crucial game is scheduled on the same day as a girlfriend's birthday or worse, an anniversary. Shit. Our nerves come to the fore as derby day dates are memorised, a match that summons extreme emotions.

Whether willing to admit it or not, football fans all become "experts" during the summer transfer window. Fans will furiously punch their keyboards through Facebook fan forums to tell their fellow supporters who their club should be pursuing or getting rid of. Ultimately they have little control.

First game of the season. As we take our seat in the beloved stadium where the unconditional love for the club was born, we are filled with optimism. The music begins playing and the fans rise as the players emerge from the tunnel, like when a priest asks his audience to stand. Will this be the year? A question every football fan asks as their 11 heroes take their position.

Witnessing your team be victorious is addictive. But hearing that your footballing rivals have lost brings great satisfaction also. It inspires you to take time out of your day to go on Twitter to have a laugh at their expense or text a mate who follows that team and slyly remind them of the score.

Every premiership club has a huge Twitter following and this is the best online medium to get fan reactions. Team news, tactics, goals etc are all debated as thoroughly as two academics exchanging in serious discussion. Twitter rows between fans are something you will all see during the season. Despite flying the same flag, fans argue with each other forcefully about the team. A civil war. In an age where social media allows us to freely express our opinions, arguments are expected.

Streaming. For those who are not computer know it alls, this can be extremely frustrating. Discovering a functioning stream for a match is difficult enough but when it consistently freezes and the commentators are communicating in a foreign language, that's when your composure is challenged. The time delay produces equal annoyance as we hear from Sky Sports News that there is a goal before we see it on our laptop screens. For those who have mastered streaming and can do so effortlessly, I envy you.

No matter how our teams have performed, that feeling of pride will never evaporate. You can't choose your family and if you are a genuine football fan, you wouldn't have it any other way in relation to the club you support.

In the latter period of the season, there is always a game that your team can ill afford to lose. A win will open a window of opportunity whereas a defeat will derive a mass of broken hearts. Then the unthinkable happens. Your team concedes sending you into an abyss of despair. No longer are you in control, fury takes over. The club which you have invested an abundance of money and time have let you down.

Sometimes we ask ourselves why we put ourselves through this pain each season. The answer is simple. When your'e in the stadium surrounded by people who have the same passion as you, or when your'e in the pub wearing your colours with pride and one of the players scores a screamer, the exhilaration you feel is unforgettable. For all the harrowing moments, there will be those that make you love being a football fan.

This season like all those that have preceded it will draw contrasting emotions. Win, lose or draw we will never abandon football or our club. This is the beautiful game and we fans cannot wait for unexpectedness of the upcoming campaign.

June 26 2014: Articles of the day

Articles of the day is a simple concept that hopefully proves useful to readers. I am going to provide links to reports from a variety of media organisations and share what was interesting about the pieces and why I recommend reading them. Easy as that.


http://news.sky.com/story/1289476/suarez-not-enough-evidence-for-bite-sanctions
Luis Suarez. An article where powerful Uruguayans rally to the defence of the inexcusable player. Biting an opponent once is absurd. But three times? Surely it's time for footballers governing body to hit Suarez with a ban that will send a shiver down the culprits spine. Continuous biting along with racial abuse should not be condoned anywhere, especially not on the world stage of football at the highest level. Despite his associates leaping to his defence, Suarez' actions are intolerable and the player deserves everything he gets.


http://www.independent.ie/world-news/americas/young-mother-26-dies-in-tragic-crash-travelling-to-own-hen-party-30384315.html
As we are aware many news reports are sombre. The Irish Independent tells the tragic story of a mother who lost her life in a fatal car crash. She was on route to her hen party; her friend was driving. Worth a read as it demonstrates how precious life is. It can be taken away from us in a flash.


http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/06/peter-greste-decries-court-ruling-2014625202834194433.html
This story is astonishing. Journalists from the distinguished media organisation Al Jazeera have been sentenced to prison for reporting events in Egypt. How can doing your job result in time behind bars? Journalism is not a criminal offence. Reading this article will provide us with an insight into the story from the people directly involved.