Would companies have a problem with my moderate drug use?

[Unregistered]

Hello I may know this seems like a silly question, but hear me out.

I have family that live in the Netherlands and as such I am partial to occasional cannabis use. I am allergic to alcohol so cannot drink and I also don't smoke tobacco either.

I know must people's opinions are "drugs are bad mmmkay" but cannabis is much safer than alcohol or tobacco. No one has ever died or contracted cancer from cannabis use.

Will companies have a problem with this? Obviously I wouldn't use any kind of substance on ship or at college.

I'm not against alcohol, I just know that UK drug laws aren't based on safety but rather what is socially acceptable or not. I just figured if they allow cadets to drink all the time, surely they would allow safer and less harmful drug use?

[GuinnessMan]

1. Are they ok with moderate drug use? - That's like asking if the Chief Engineer minds you giving his wife or sister something to hang towels on whilst he's away. The answer is No and for very good reason.

2. The allow cadets to drink all the time? - No, we don't. If they are tested and found to be over drink drive limit, whether ashore or on board they get disciplined. If ashore, a warning, if on board a sacking.

3. Cannabis is not less harmful, in fact it can cause serious psychological problems.

To sum up, no to the drugs!

[jj-1994]

So you're looking for a company that will allow their cadets to break the law? Also as you seem so supportive of cannabis it is worth noting that it's actually more harmful than tobacco smoke! As for cadets drinking all the time that is bull****. Most companies carry out breath and drugs tests on their cadets and will breath people at sea aswell. The merchant navy isn't unlike the Royal Navy in that it's a disciplined service with a zero tolerance drugs policy. Either you give up the weed or give up your aspirations of being merchant navy officer!!!

[alistairuk]

Will companies have a problem with this? Obviously I wouldn't use any kind of substance on ship or at college.

Regardless of the legalities / health issues... in simple terms you may be drug tested at any time while a cadet / working for a shipping company, if you fail you can expect to be instantly dismissed.

[Unregistered]

1. Are they ok with moderate drug use? - That's like asking if the Chief Engineer minds you giving his wife or sister something to hang towels on whilst he's away. The answer is No and for very good reason.

2. The allow cadets to drink all the time? - No, we don't. If they are tested and found to be over drink drive limit, whether ashore or on board they get disciplined. If ashore, a warning, if on board a sacking.

3. Cannabis is not less harmful, in fact it can cause serious psychological problems.

To sum up, no to the drugs!

Don't want to turn this into a safety debate, but every non bias study proves that to be false. Do the research instead of just blinding copying government propaganda.

Cannabis has neuroprotective properties and won't cause any psychological problems in users over 18.

simple google search would suffice:

http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&sugexp=les%3B&gs_rn=4&gs_ri=psy-ab&cp=18&gs_id=2q&xhr=t&q=is+cannabis+less+harmful+than+tobacco+and+alcohol&es_nrs=true&pf=p&safe=off&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&oq=is+cannabis+less+h&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&bvm=bv.42661473,d.ZGU&fp=9c43c0c0555b4f1b&biw=1366&bih=643

[Unregistered]

So you're looking for a company that will allow their cadets to break the law? Also as you seem so supportive of cannabis it is worth noting that it's actually more harmful than tobacco smoke! As for cadets drinking all the time that is bull****. Most companies carry out breath and drugs tests on their cadets and will breath people at sea aswell. The merchant navy isn't unlike the Royal Navy in that it's a disciplined service with a zero tolerance drugs policy. Either you give up the weed or give up your aspirations of being merchant navy officer!!!

Now come on, anyone who has done the research will know its less harmful than tobacco smoke due to the fact that it doesn't cause cancer, relieves asthma symptoms and doesn't cause the same respiratory symptoms tobacco does. 0 people dying from cannabis use vs 100,000 a year from tobacco use in the UK says it all really.

[Hatchorder]

^ I'm with this lot ^

Drugs and a career at sea do not mix - so the choice is quite simple give up the drugs or the thought of a career at sea....

I do not think you will find an opinion on here that will differ. But I also have a problem with your statement "but cannabis is much safer than alcohol or tobacco" - Sorry, you are bang out with that one!

Ian

[GuinnessMan]

Now come on, anyone who has done the research will know its less harmful than tobacco smoke due to the fact that it doesn't cause cancer, relieves asthma symptoms and doesn't cause the same respiratory symptoms tobacco does. 0 people dying from cannabis use vs 100,000 a year from tobacco use in the UK says it all really.

Seriously? What about the car accidents that are caused? You're twice as likely to be involved in an accident after smoking a spliff according to Merseyside Police. What about the serious psychological problems that come about from prolonged use of cannabis? You know, nice things like depression, schizophrenia, cannabis psychosis? (Royal College of Psychiatry). You're not going to change anyone's mind around here chump and most of us are anti-drugs. At sea your life could and probably will at some point depend on someone else, would you really want to put your life in the hands of a pothead?

Now, do us all a favour and go give your head a wobble, there's a good chap...

[tlloyd1983]

Regardless of whether or not it is safer than alcohol or cigarettes is a mute point. Cannabis, whilst it may not be illegal in your home country, is illegal in almost every other country in the world. I'm not here to argue whether or not it should be legal or not be illegal, the fact is, it is illegal. And trust me, some of the countries you may visit in a career at sea are not as liberal as your own, and the possession of drugs is treated far more severely.

If you are thinking about a cadetship in the UK, you should also know that drugs and alcohol tests are carried out randomly whilst you are in college/academy. There is no leeway for a positive result on a drugs test, you can argue your point about it being safe until you are blue in the face, you're still getting fired.

[GuinnessMan]

And trust me, some of the countries you may visit in a career at sea are not as liberal as your own, and the possession of drugs is treated far more severely.
.

Would also like to point out that just having it in your system, no matter where you toked up is considered to be "possession" in some countries and come with a four year jail sentence in a place that's not very nice....

[Hatchorder]

The thing I find amusing about this thread is that all of those who argue for drugs do it anonymously. Do me a favour, stop hiding behind your anonimity, come out into the open in support of drug use, and then apply to all the UK Companies, or anywhere else for that matter.

I would bet my house on the outcome of your application if you mentioned drug use ......

What your beliefs are, or your understanding of research into drugs, "no" means "no" in the MN and you cannot have a career at sea if you do drugs. Sorry if you don't like that - but it is the facts of life here and it is no good arguing with us about your feelings or research. What we feel or believe does not come into it.

Ian

[Unregistered]

Yeah I think everyone has pretty much covered it. I am fairly liberal on drugs, I don't buy into the demonisation of a lot of them and I don't think criminalisation, (particularly of the softer ones) works very well. However that is completely irrelevant to the debate. Its very clear in company policies etc what will happen if you get caught.

On a related point, the OP mentions going to the Netherlands where cannibis is legal, does anyone know what the policy on Dutch flagged ships is on this particular drug? I guess its the same as everywhere else but given you could legally have a spliff on your time off then maybe not?

[Hatchorder]

...... and come with a four year jail sentence in a place that's not very nice....

But the one advantage is that once you get out of prison you will never have a problem ****ting for the rest of your life !!!! ............ "Midnight Express" anyone?

[Unregistered]

Seriously? What about the car accidents that are caused? You're twice as likely to be involved in an accident after smoking a spliff according to Merseyside Police. What about the serious psychological problems that come about from prolonged use of cannabis? You know, nice things like depression, schizophrenia, cannabis psychosis? (Royal College of Psychiatry). You're not going to change anyone's mind around here chump and most of us are anti-drugs. At sea your life could and probably will at some point depend on someone else, would you really want to put your life in the hands of a pothead?

Now, do us all a favour and go give your head a wobble, there's a good chap...

Seems to be a bit hypocritical as most of you drink a lot yet are against less harmful drugs simply because they aren't socially acceptable.

Now come on chump no one has ever died directly of cannabis as it's impossible to overdose on. Being killed in a car crash isn't being killed by cannabis. I don't care what Merseyside police say as they will always be biased against cannabis and have their own agenda. The fact that the most recent and the majority of studies on cannabis and driving show that the effects are minimal on driving performance compared with sober individuals:

http://norml.org/library/item/marijuana-and-driving-a-review-of-the-scientific-evidence

Never did I say that anyone should put their life in the hands of someone under the influence. I'd feel far safer in the hands of a former pot smoker than a former drinker any day of the week as I know the true science behind it and not just myth and propaganda. Alcohol has a far worse effect on cognitive ability that cannabis ever could. Just because something is legal doesn't make it safe.


Now to those who are saying some other countries' laws are stricter, when did I ever say that I would use in those countries? I have never. I do not condone the use of any drug including alcohol (as believe it or not alcohol is a drug, more harmful than a lot of illegal ones) at sea or while in the workplace. I don't know why the legal aspect came in as in my country it is legal.

Reason why I can't come out of anonymity is because it's not a socially acceptable thing to say as most people are followers of propaganda and not of the actual science. This thread is a perfect example, immediately are of the attitude "drugs are bad mmmkay" when they use a harmful drug called alcohol.

any research that takes 5 minutes will back up my statements, yet most people will ignore it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6474053.stm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/nov/02/david-nutt-dangerous-drug-list

[GuinnessMan]

So, a driver who crashes his car and kills himself because he's mashed out of his mind did not die because of his use of cannabis? Urm, eh? Oh, I'm also not going to take a website that wants to legalise cannabis as an un-biased source.

What you feel is down to you, but we are getting distracted from the original question of "Will a shipping company here have any issues with you smoking pot?"

YES, THEY WILL NOT HIRE YOU IF YOU SAY YOU LIKE TO SMOKE THE GANJA. IF YOU GET CAUGHT WITH DRUGS (OR EVEN ALCOHOL IN SOME COMPANIES) IN YOUR SYSTEM THEN YOU WILL GET SACKED AND BARRED FROM THIS INDUSTRY. IF YOU DO IT WHILST IN UK WATERS, YOU WILL ALSO BE ARRESTED

I don't think I can be any clearer than that...