for/against cannabis being illegal

For points FOR it being illegal I've simply got the matter of mental health issues it can supposedly lead to including psychosis, paranoia, depression, insomnia, schitzophrenia.

FOR

If they legalised it, it would have detrimental effect on our country. People will smoke it because its legal = day after most people will be out of work = loss of production = you will have straddlers who will just smoke it and lose interest in work.

Against: Cannabis has never led me to throw up all over the front and back of a night bus, nor has it led me to hospital.

For: Although it is likely that a lot of this stuff about mental illness is exaggerated, I agree that it would be dangerous to legalise it and thus make is easier for smaller children to get hold of it.





taking a puff of the holy herb isnt going to turn you into some catatonic couch potato.

Legalise everything, and contract the manufacture and supply out so that it can be produced cleanly, and taxed heavily, yet still massively undercut street prices. Impose extremely harsh penalties for supply to minors or any crime which can be linked to its use, and come down very heavily on anyone using machinery (driving etc) whilst under the influence. Sell it clean, cheap and taxed, and all purchases monitored in state pharmacies, with information about effects and dangers given. To buy you must be over 21 and apply for a biometric license, and this opens up your life to scrutiny about your financial circumstances to allow monitoring of potential crime (ie. if a dole-scrounging ex-burglar is feeding a £400/wk habit, where is his money coming from, and if he cannot justify it, he is arrested and investigated). Street-dealing, supply to minors or drug-driving carry long 'hard labour' prison terms. Show some responsibility for your own actions and respect for others, and do as you please.

Some nice ideas, but why legal age of 21? Why not 18? And a biometric license? Seems like an awfully high cost to implement. Distribution of things like khat, cannabis should be akin to tobacco and sales, they're after all similar. Sell them in shops

I know it wont too most, but i know of alot of people who would abuse it because it is legal.

people abuse alcohol, people abuse caffeine. its not exactly a great justification for banning something.

I know this. I have my own views on cannabis and what i believe the legality of it should be.

Personally i don't think it should be illegal due to the fact it is less harmful than alcohol and the fact it was illegalised is due to money not medical effects.

But then i believe that if it was legalised then the government being the government would impose a **** load of tax on it, they would only sell standard weed and pretty much **** up most smokers tastes.

Hell its easy enough to get hold of.

I have to have prepared an 'argument' to present to my class tomorrow on the +/- of the current law on cannabis.

For points AGAINST it being illegal I've mentioned that in 1998, the World Health Organisation suppressed a report which stated that cannabis was safer than tobacco and alcohol, and that it is less addictive. Also, that nobody has died directly from cannabis use, whereas alcohol can cause death by heart attack and alcohol poisoning etc.

For points FOR it being illegal I've simply got the matter of mental health issues it can supposedly lead to including psychosis, paranoia, depression, insomnia, schitzophrenia.

Has anyone got any other points I can use for either view? Especially those 'for' cannabis being illegal? Thanks.