Should marijuana be legalised?

I went to college with a guy who was a chronic marijuana user. He used to show up often with blood shot eyes. At the beginning of the year he was a fun guy, always the center of attention, great fun to talk to and always up for a laugh. By the end of the year, the pressure of getting assignments done on time started to get to him and he just couldn't seem to find the motivation to finish the year. I don't know if it was because of his drug of choice or just a personality trait with him, but he put me off the idea of taking drugs.

It is a hallucinogen, which means that it distorts how a person sees the world. If it was legalised it might be great for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy because it helps with appetite, but I'm not sure it would do the rest of us much good to have a higher percentage of the population walk around in a distorted haze.

by Sarah Bell

I don't like drugs. I generally don't enjoy when others around me are on drugs.

Saying this, I've heard some excellent for the legalisation of not just marijuana, but other drugs too. I think it's clear that making something illegal doesn't stop it from happening... legalising drugs can lead to safer and more controlled drug use.

by Natasha Stewart

Canabis should be legalized for medical purposes only. Just about all the guys that I see around me using this drug have become air heads. They sit around all day talking all kinds of nonsense about politics and other things that they haven't read or heard about. I think their worldview is really distorted.
In the end, they become a strain on the community and their families that are left to support them. They also tend to move up to harder more destructive drug.
Cannabis as medicine yes, Creation - no

by dwatk

I once knew a lad who used mauiwowie and he used to drive his car and had no idea how fast OR slow he was going, he would be having head spins and couldn't feel the accelerator. Yeah, sure, legalise it, it's harmless. NOT. Ask the people who have lost loved ones to drugged up, irresponsible losers. It's just an excuse not to grow up. . . I know families with adult sons who will never be leaving home as all they do is watch tv, smoke weed and avoid life. Then there's the whole bronchial aspect - ask a specialist.

by Rice

On prescription, I think it might be okay, but in general, I think legalising drugs sends out the wrong message. I do see the reasoning behind it though, as it might be easier to monitor usage.

by Bryony Harrison

Interesting points raised. I have never tried it, though I know people who have. Regardless of what is done about cannabis, I do think that it is safer than alcohol in the short-term. I have never heard anyone link cannabis to a king hit, for example.

by Vee

Short term, cannabis may not be too harmful. A person takes the drug, imagines he is really happy, eats a bunch of food and sleeps it off. In the long term, it causes paranoia where people can think they're being chased when they aren't, and this can even happen after the effects of the drug have supposedly warn off.

Apparently it also increases the chances of developing schizophrenia in people who are predisposed to the disease.

Don't like drugs either, yet as teenagers it was fun and harmless. Should stay illegal.

by Justine Crowley

NO Way!

by jonaja

no idea why it is putting up two of my answers again.sorry guys....

Not even for medicinal purposes?

No not even for medical reasons...simply because I have seen what it did to my son.It 'then' becomes an excuse...and I think medication, in the true sense, for me should be a pill.I have seen first hand, it can cause some nasty side effects.
Broke my heart.

Fair enough jonaj, I see your point now. I'm sorry to hear about your son. I suppose I haven't seen first-hand any terrible side-effects.

I think it has been looked at as just a plant, but in some people it can have powerful effects on the brain.Once you mess with the brain, you are in trouble.
Sometimes marijuana use can produce anxiety, fear, distrust, or panic.
My son had all that and more.

NO Way!

by jonaja

Yes, it should - it is possibly THE most harmless drug that doesn't incite any form of violence and only leaves you hungry and in zen mode.

Why the hell not?

by Xarah

It is no way a harmless drug...

As long as it is done in moderation (like everything else) - I'd say it's pretty harmless. It makes one happy and doesn't have horrible side-effects like MDMA/Ecstasy.

Drugs and moderation . . no such animal. jonaj is quite right and we have lived a lot longer.

I think cannabis should be decriminalised right across the world cos the WAR on drugs has works so well so far right?

It's often been said that cannabis is a gate way drug but if you take it away from the drug dealers then that argument is completely mute.

Let people grow their own for personal use without fear of prosecution

We need to stop filling the prisons the world over with pot smokers. We need to stop spending tax payers money, yes that includes the pots smokers tax money arresting people for the recreational use of cannabis.

Do a bit of research and you will find it was large corporations and chemical manufactures that got cannabis band in the first place so we would all turn to prescription drugs and they would make lots of money.

No one ever said 'Oh i could not possibly take this drug it's illegal don't you know!

PROHIBITION OF ANY KIND DOESN'T WORK

by butterfly lady

I like the way you think butterfly lady. Though I don't think they would every allow people to grow pot for their own personal use, even if they did legalise its use. I don't see how you could put a tax on pot if people grew it themselves.

Here in Australia in some states notably ACT and SA you can already grow a very limited amount of plants for personal use

I wasn't aware of that.

Having just been robbed in my home by a drug dependent thief has led me to consider the war on drugs and its effectiveness.
My new position is that the prohibition has been a complete failure that has generated massive cost to the community across policing and insurance.
My assessment of the cost in total for policing and insurance, home repair to date would be 3 to 4 thousand dollars for the theft of $550 cash plus $1000, credit card fraud. If they catch the thief it will probably be up to $100,000.00 to process and gaol him.
All this so he can get stoned.
The only winners in all this are the crime gangs that produce and market the drugs. The community suffers from the crimes and then pays to gaol and feed the fools who consume the drugs. It is clear that what we are doing currently has failed. If the government took control of the drug distribution they could tax it and use the profits to campaign against the consumption. Simply turn the problem back on itself like back burning a bush fire.
Communicating with the consumers would be easy because they would be out in the open and not hiding in the underworld. Let’s face it currently criminals profit and the community suffers. The addicts will still suffer and die regardless of who supplies the drugs but the management will be easier for the government. The crime rate will reduce and the profits will be used to re -educate people who will be able to respond without fear of prosecution.
Existing tax laws can be used to mop up the people who try to exploit the changes and driving under the influence laws can be used to constrain the consumption.
The result will be crime reduced, cost to community reduced, fools who reject good advice from the community will suffer the fate they choose.
Citizens can sleep in peace in the sanctity of their home without fear.

by kstew

Yes it should under certain situations. It is good as a pain relief and I work with people who are in chronic pain who would be very grateful.

by Kate Carlin

anyone who has seen someone fitting could not say NO there is no reason this can not be made into tablet form for those who need it. Everybody else NO

by vjmmi

Probably -perhaps if it is legal, less people would become addicted -we seem to like those things that are naughty or not allowed!!

by Finy

Touché, Finy.

yes 2 stop spending enormous sums of money on crime prevention and clogging up the court system
no because my observations are that it seems 2 inhibit personal growth as a human
definitely NO one should drive stoned

by jimsw

All valid points.

We already have alcohol and tobacco and look at the devastating effects they have on our community.
On the other hand its medical benefits for those in need are well documented.
I used it recreationally when I was much younger and grown outdoors and not pumped full of chemicals to make it grow. And make it so potent that it leaves the user almost dribbling.
I have never known it to make anybody violent like crystal meth does.
Legalising marijuana would also remove the criminals from the scene and the millions we spend prosecuting and enforcing the laws prohibiting its use.
I think ''dope'' should be policed in the way drink driving is.
Willie Nelson seems to be travelling well with it.

by jimsw

I believe for medicinal purposes only. Had a friend whose wife suffered with cancer and the only relief she could get was from the brownies he baked for her. If we were in his position where her daily suffering was eased by maijuana we might think twice about supporting it for medicinal purposes.

by helga