Science in the news- should cannabis be legal?

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Should the use of cannabis be legalised?

Cannabis is a drug derived from the plant cannabis sativa. Cannabis contains more than 400 chemicals, with the main chemical being Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Smoking is the most common way of taking Cannabis. Cannabis can be found in hundreds of different substances, but the most common one is marijuana.   About 4 percent of the world's population smoke Cannabis annually and 0.6 percent daily (ref 1). I find this fact reliable as it is stated by , an organisation of Cannabis experts. Cannabis can affect some Social, Economic and Environmental issues, but Cannabis has more of an effect physically within our bodies.Up until 2004 cannabis was a Class B drug but has now been put down to a Class C drug and in 2006, the Home Secretary decided to keep cannabis as a Class C drug.

Some people believe that the legalisation of cannabis would lead to an increase in the usage of the drug among young people. They argue that if cannabis was legal, it would be more readily available and therefore more tempting to try. However, others believe that legalisation would cut numbers of cannabis users as the thrill of breaking the law and being rebellious would be taken away.

Argument For

These advantages are reasonable enough to argue for the legalisation of Cannabis.

Cannabis can have a relaxing effect on people, as well as more social effects, which include Talkativeness, Cheerfulness, and Greater appreciation of sound and colour. (ref 2)

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I find this fact very reliable as it is stated by the BBC on their website   I trust the BBC because of their professionalism, as they are much respected world wide because of all of the work they do, especially in the media.

There are some Strong points which support that Cannabis is actually Harmless and can be beneficial. ‘’The high use of cannabis isn't associated with major health risks unlike other harder drugs’’. In addition ‘’its effects are beneficial to sufferers of various medical conditions, including cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis, and glaucoma’’ (ref 3). Furthermore ‘’Cannabis has an effect on ...

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**** The main arguments for and against the legalisation of cannabis are covered. However, the space given to each is not balanced. Good evaluations of information source reliability.