The cannabis debate: Should it be legalised?

Cannabis and its benefits: Research suggests Cannabis can be more harmful than ecstasy and LSD, and less harmful than drugs such as Alcohol and Cocaine.

However, in recent years there has been increasing worldwide support for the legalisation of cannabis for medical purposes.

The active parts of the plant that is used as a form of medical treatment are known as the Cannabinoids.

The purported medical benefits of the Cannabinoids vary. The intake of Cannabinoids is generally accepted to provide pain relief in patients, and is used to treat migraines and chronic diseases.

It has also been shown to act as an effective muscle relaxant, and has been used as an effective treatment for patients suffering from seizures and multiple sclerosis.

Research has also provided evidence to suggest that medical cannabis could help suppress cancer, reduced blood pressure, treat glaucoma, and even prevent the effects of HIV.

California is one of 21 US states to have legalised medical cannabis, and in October of this year, Romania became the 10th country in the EU to allow the medical prescription of Cannabis.

However, the UK's 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act makes it clear that the classification of drugs depends upon their potential harm, not on account of any potential benefits.

In May 2008 the UK government re-classified Cannabis to a Class B drug. Currently, the maximum penalties for the possession of Cannabis include up to five years in prison, and for the supply and production of Cannabis, include up to 14 years imprisonment.

Cannabis and its increasing strength and burden on health service: Drug strategy manager Paul Bunt said THC - the active ingredient in cannabis - has a much higher concentration now than ten years ago.

He stressed the dangers, which are still being researched, of people consuming the same quantities of the drug.

A 2012/13 survey recorded that 6.4 percent of adults in the UK aged 16-59 use cannabis.

Maggie Telfer, head of the Bristol Drug Project, said that the form of cannabis known as ‘skunk' is the more problematic.

She said the THC chemical is more prevalent and has a "stronger impact" in the skunk form.

Ms Telfer added that skunk can have mental effects such as "drowsiness", and for those using "large amounts over a long period of time, it interferes with life and health".

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk 30/10/2013