Marijuana - legalise it?

Geoff_B said:
No chance it’s a gateway drug for harder drugs further down the line.

Won’t happen for some but most people with drug issue started on weed.
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It's only a gateway drug because criminalising it made it part of a drugs sub-culture where other drugs were bought and sold and hence dope users come across them. There's no logical reason why a dope user should gravitate to heroin any more than an alcohol user. Indeed, these days you can say alcohol is a gateway drug to cocaine, because people who've never smoked a joint will routinely be introduced to cocaine in pub toilets.
 
Smoking it is 100% legal, in all but the actual law. No one would ever be arrested for smoking it nowadays, or even possessing it in small quantities. Walk round any town or city centre now and you can smell it almost perpetually.

Doesn’t bother me either way but I never particularly enjoyed it the times I used it.
 
I'd legalise it, I'd much rather people were getting it from legitimate source rather than some dodgy dealer. A least you can then know it's strength etc.

I can see it now, Linthorpe road... takeaway shop, vape shop, "coffee" shop. Rinse and repeat.
 
Heine_Otto said:
I’d agree with it being legal, but I just can’t stand the smell
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I agree. It's every where and it seems to linger far longer than anything else. Have no problem with anyone smoking it but I can't stand the smell and weed smokers always permanently smell of it themselves.

I find vape smell awful as well but that seems to disappear with the wind and vapers don't smell of it afterwards
 
What's it like living in Portugal these days as they decriminalised all drugs over there back in 2001?

Did crime rates fall dramatically?
Has the health system suffered or benefited?
 
Glover_elbow said:
It does plenty of harm and causes or exacerbates mental health issues for many users. My wifes a mental health nurse and she seen many patients with psychosis brought on by heavy canabis use particularly if they have taken it from teenager years.

Also a real good mate of mine took all sorts of class A substances recreationally for years but none of those had the long lasting negative impact on his mental health as taking skunk on a regular basis.

The idea that its harmless is completely wrong and dangerous
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It doesnt cause mental health problems but can trigger psychosis in those already suffering from it. I was being a bit disingenuous to suggest that it is harmless but it is surely far behind alcohol in terms of damage to people.

But your argument could be equally applied to sugar, as far as the damage it causes. How many millions die from heart disease, strokes and diabetes because of sugar consumption?
But weed has most definitely been used as a medicine for lots of people - there is no doubt about that.
 
Nano said:
A large part of that is because people buy illegally from a drug dealer who does a bit of upselling. Like when you go to McDonald's for a Big Mac and you end up with a large meal and 20 nuggets.
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Super point I had never considered.

It's a resounding yes from me on the main question.
 
No it should remain banned, too many people driving now whilst under the influence and you have very little idea when you would be fit to drive. Possibly that may get easier to predict if you knew exactly what strength of drug you were taking.

The courts are rammed with drug driving young adults getting caught over the limit. We do need some education directed to them about this on a national level.

I accept that alcohol creates the same issues but it would be impossible to ban it now having been legal forever.
 
Of course it should be legal and so should other drugs. Criminality and the war on drugs are far worse problems than the effects of the drugs themselves if they were regulated.
 
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