Should the use of Cannabis be Legalised?

about certain things around them and can also make users anxious about certain things. This all depends on

their mood, however. Smoking joints along with tobacco can also get the user addicted to cigarettes.

Smoking cannabis over a long period of time can carry the same risks as smoking normal cigarettes regularly.

Illnesses such as; Lung Cancer, Bronchitis and Respiratory problems can occur as a result of smoking

cannabis over a long period of time.

Why this is an important issue

The legalisation of cannabis is an important issue because it affects so many different people and it is still a

controversial issue which is scrutinised by many people. If left alone the situation will get out of hand and

nothing will be done to protect the users or the people who want to stay clear of the drug. With it being

illegal, someone who smokes it for fun could be caught and punished for it but someone who sells the drugs

to little children might go unpunished if not caught so making it legal would help not only the people, but

the government to handle how the drug is distributed. Also, making it an important issue can create

awareness on the subject and can help people base their opinions on something which could affect us all.

Arguments in favour of legalising cannabis

Many people feel that cannabis should be legalised, here are some reasons why they feel that way. No one

has ever been reported to die from the use of cannabis and more people die a day from smoking normal

cigarettes than anyone has ever done from smoking cannabis for 20 to 30 years. It is reported that 1 in 5

teenagers have either used it or are using it. Cannabis is something the government will probably never be

able to control so if they legalise it, they might have more of a say in how it is distributed and used among

people. If legalised the government could sell them like cigarettes with both warning and with an age

consent. The actual drug is hard to get addicted to if used in moderation and is almost impossible to become

physically addicted to. In the most recent report, a controversial 1999 study commissioned by the United

States federal government found that marijuana is effective in relieving pain, nausea, and the severe weight

loss associated with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Moreover, this study confirmed that

marijuana is not physically addictive, nor does it naturally lead to the use of other illegal drugs. The main

argument for the legalisation of cannabis is the way the drug is handled in Amsterdam where people can go

to specially set up cafe `s where they can smoke cannabis legally without prosecution. Users of the drug

would like to give it a try too and someone almost did in Southampton in the summer of 2002 but the shop

was closed a week after it's opening.

Arguments against legalising cannabis

Just as people would like to see cannabis legal and easy to access. There are as many people who would like

to see it illegal and banned in the UK. Reasons for the way people might feel that way follow. The main

argument for the classification of cannabis into a class A drug is the popular belief that it leads you onto

harder drugs such as Heroin or Cocaine. Supporters would argue that it is the users problem if they decide

to elevate onto harder drugs and it's not a direct connection to cannabis itself. The risks are also a factor in

the classification of cannabis. The risks can be the affection of short-term memory because of use of the

drug to Lung Cancer due to heavy abuse of the drug. The only event in which cannabis would be harmful is

if it is used heavily over a long period of time which can result in the same diseases as someone with a

heavy cigarette addiction. Another factor that stops cannabis being legalised is the effect it has on the

youth of today. It is used more by under 21's than any other age group. Legalising it might destroy the way

of life for people in school.

Reasons for and evidence of bias

Bias is showing prejudice to a person or something compared with another. This occurs often when it comes

to debating the legalisation of cannabis. Supporters are usually people who use the drug and would want it

legalised and not criminalised. As with supporters wanting cannabis to be legalised, the people against it are

usually people who don't use cannabis and people who might of had drug problems before and want it

abolished. Another reason why people show prejudice against people who use cannabis and the drug itself

is the probability they might of lost a family member due to drugs and then hold all drugs responsible. There

will never be an un-bias opinion on the legalisation of cannabis because you either love it or you hate it.

Only the people who use it will care if it's legalised and only the people who are against drugs will want it

criminalised.

My opinion

I believe that cannabis should be legalised but it should also be treated in the same way as cigarettes have

been. That means no TV or poster advertising, warnings on the packs and an age limits to whoever can buy

it. If it was legalised there would be alot less fuss about it than there already is. If it wasn't treated like

cigarettes then the UK should take the same stance as Amsterdam and open up cafe`s that are specially

designated for smoking cannabis legally. This would prove to be a good solution to all the problems

surrounding cannabis. Children couldn't go into the cafe`s and it wouldn't be as dangerous as buying weed

from someone who isn't really trustworthy. If neither of these solutions work then they should just leave the

users to smoke in peace. If anyone is caught selling it then they should be prosecuted but if someone is

caught with some on them then it should be overlooked.

Conclusion

Should cannabis be legalised, it would cause more problems than it would solve. Anti-Drug organisation

would go crazy trying to get the drug legalised again. If the government were to take the cigarette route with

cannabis it probably wouldn't work as people would stock up and sell the drug on and we'd be back were we

started. I doubt that the government would completely make cannabis legal to the public because it wouldn't

be a wise decision considering all the drug-related problems we have in the community today. The only way

I think we'd ever see cannabis legalised is in specially designated Cafe`s like the have in Amsterdam, I think

that it would be the best solution for everyone because it wouldn't be on the street for children to use and it

would be in places away from the public so there would be very little cause for complain. I could see the

government doing one of the three things with cannabis but however long that may take is debatable.

Whatever the case may be with the legalisation of cannabis, the only sure thing about the situation is the

fact that no matter what the outcome of the future of cannabis not everyone will agree with it.

Appendices

http://www.1-cannabis-seeds.com/

Footer: Sherlone Antony Ignatius Citizenship 10x1 21st March 2003