Cannabis

James, 22
I smoked weed since i was 16,6 years. I definetely think it should be legalised,the government could make money by taxing it and its your own choice if you wish to smoke it. I've got a good job my own house,car and lovely girlfriend who doesn't smoke it.I feel after work when i get home smoke a spliff it's a lovely feeling,ahhh like having a nice relaxing bath

David, 23
I've smoked cannabis since I was 16. I've had no problems at all. I don't believe for one second that it ruins your life, I would put the blame on the user, not the drug. I don't mean any disrespect, but I believe that in the vast majority of cases it's the user and not the drug.You're all very young here, and I don't think you can understand the drug. I do believe that it should stay a controlled substance, but along the lines of Holland's views.

Maryjane, 21
I think it is important for people to research this plant before using it medicinally or recreationally. That being said, if smoking cannabis makes one feel paranoid and lazy, it is probably a direct result of that person being paranoid and lazy to begin with. I have never actually met someone who has had a negative experience with this plant; I encourage more of these morally delinquent individuals to show their faces rather than hide behind confidentiality and spread vicious rumors about a plant which once was a major economic resource. I smoke a little to help my mind reach out creatively when studying for my university classes, and a little more when I'm in pain or can't sleep. I have never experienced a more peaceful or productive way of living than smoking recreationally at the end of the day in the privacy of my own home. I encourage everyone to actively seek more information about this unique plant.

ella , 14
my boyfriend smokes weed!!! i thought that it was pretty bad when he told me , but as i love him so much i could deal with it!! He also promised never to smoke it around me !!Then a couple weeks a go i found out that its his mum that gives him the weed!! and a night they both sit at home smoking it !?!? IM REALLY NOT SURE WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE WHOLE SITUATION !!! xx

Ned Flanders, 37
Some people in society have a greater genetic propensity to be addicted to a range of substances. My friend is from a family of alcoholics. He does not drink beer at all now as he has been made aware of this trait. For those that tripe on 'oh cannabis made me unstable'. Dam stop. It is easy too. For all others that smoke peacefully without harming ourselves, leave us be please without castigating us as criminals!

beth, 15
i personally think that there isn't much wrong with cannabis, it has been demonized wrongly by society, i used to smoke it regularly, i don't know, but I think it's absurd how so many people think people who smoke it are the dregs of society.

john, 22
I am a graduate studying criminology. I have smoked cannabis for 6 years both lightly and heavily. Having studied the criminalization/legalization issues regarding cannabis it is very hard to come away with a certain decision (even if i may be considered biased). I think the key is to first educate our youth on the ACTUAL, KNOWN risks without scare mongering and increasing the stigma and paranoia aimed at smokers. I think if it were to be legalised, the new forms of skunk would have to be wiped out reverting back to the strains with less THC content etc. the fight against this widely used drug cannot be one, it has already been lost.

Peter, 18
I think that there are negative sides to weed, but then again there seems to be more negatives to alcohol or tobacco. I'm not saying completely legalise it, but the way politicians close up about the subject and use it as a scapegoat makes me see the need for at least a dialogue on the matter! think objectively, and think about why drunk & disorderly behaviour is more 'accepted' than blazing with friends in private

Tammy, 13
my friends smoke canabis and it makes them all chilled out.they have been smoking it for about a year and theybare no longer bubbly and funny they are more moody than anything else.i do not smoke so do not know what it feels like, but by looking at my friends i know im never going to smoke it. they are addicted to it and its changing them.I dont know who to go to so i cant help them.

max, 20
i have smoked since i was 12. i go through perods of heavily smoking but when i want to stop i find it extremely easy. It is just a plant whereas alcohol is man made dribble that cause people to do things they wouldnt normally do. i wouldnt call dope a good thing but its definately not a bad thing. whens the last time you saw a stoned person fight? evry1 that drinks has had a fight of somekind. smoking leads to relaxing. drink leads to fighting, ecstacy, cocaine and lots of s**t. marijuana is a PLANT

Kara, 14
I live in a small town in Devon and even here there is a problem with Cannabis. I have seen one of my friends thrown out of school because of it. Two of my other friends have been in trouble for posession too. Although I never have and probably never will smoke Cannabis I imagine it is easy to get hold of. If I'm honest I think the re-classification will just help to support the drug dealers with a rise in prices. It's a stupid idea...

Meyrick, 17
i have been smoking cannabis for a couple of years now, almost everyday. i go to school everyday, i am going to a prestigious london uni. im an honest guy, and merely fancy a splif as a reward for a hard days work. furthermore, it is the most social drug which properly controlled and regulated would stop the weekend drink fuelled punch ups. i dont fancy getting bottled, i fancy laughing till i piss myself.to say cannabis ruins peoples lives is ignorant of the fact most people smoking lead completely normal lives. cannabis is a scapegoat for laziness, stupidity, which more often than not is part of the character of the individual in the first place. bare in mind also that whilst cannabis use has increased and declined over the decades, the % of people with mental illness has stayed pretty much the same, suggesting simply some people are predisposed to it. done blame cannabis, stop moaning and just light up and calm yaselves down!!

ash, 24
i think that changing weed to a class B again is pointless! it makes no difference what class it is people will still smoke it. as far as its apparent long term damaging effects go in my experience there are none! i smoked for 8 years at least 6-10 spliffs every day. i have had to stop due to a new job so i have not smoked in 6 months and as far as I'm concerned it has made no difference to my health or my life! i don't know how the government can justify weed being illegal when compared to alcohol it is no even 10% as bad. weed doesn't make you violent, it doesn't do any major damage to your health and it doesn't fill up hospitals A&E every night with stupid people that have been injured from drinking too much. the plant itself is very versatile, its a great painkiller for serious disease like MS, it can be used in clothes, bags, shoes as well as many other things. if it was legalised it would make the government money rather than costing millions to try and police it. with the economy the way it is at the moment it could put money back into the country especially with the new figures out that 1 in 20 people smoke.

Dan, , 23
The health problems with weed are less likely than alcohol or any other drug, if the government legalised it and taxed it our economy would impove, police would have more time on our hands and those people who want to smoke can smoke and it can be controlled and mediated.

kelly, 16
i dont understand why its been put up to a class B drug now, you can get 5 years for having it on you, its not as bad as drink- no one has ever died from smoking it, and you've never heard of a person under the influence of cannibis who has had a accident!!

Lewis, 17
Cannabis is fantastic. It's not addictive, people don't smoke it for the sake of it, they smoke it because they like it. Are we criticising the people of Amsterdam by pressurising our community to stop smoking it? I think so. Legalise cannabis today.

dennis , 28
as it was said in one report!alcohol is proven to be more harmful to us the cannabis and the only reason its illegal is cause this gov cannot tax it!and yeah it CAN be harmfull to your mental health, but it all depends on the person.pretty much all of my friends smoke a large amount and not one of them has any mental health issuse or a bum!

Helen, 24
I have been a heavy cannibis user for 10 years, i have a very very good job, work hard, compete horses on a national level, and also have a lot of friend smokers. I have no Physciological issues- My family dont know or presume I am a user- I am productive and proffesional. There will always be people who over do any substance - such as alchol. But surely it would be better if there where more stoners than alchys in our society?? reducing criminal activity, damage and violence? I smoke about £20 of weed every day & re-classifying it wont stop me, I am not saying it doesnt effect some people negatively- because I know it does- however every1 has different tolerance levels and different responses to all drugs, so why ruin every ones relaxation because some people have no personal drive regardless of whether they smoke weed or not. The government could create a huge revenue if they legalised and taxed it. They are stupid & uneducated people who have not experienced the influences of it should not comment. Its a shame. More crime is committed because of alchol - on all levels.

Joe, 17
I have been smoking regually for the last 2 years and am currently applying for uni. I personally have had no problems with motivation or completing work on time etc. I just think it depends on the individual, and their mindset before they start smoking. With some people they easily slip into trends of missing college and deadlines. My advice is if you see your grades slipping, quit for a week or two to get yourself on track.

Ross, 21
I have smoked on a near enough daily basis since I was 15.. I dont have any problems, I hold down a job and do all the normal shit people do I just prefer to have a joint in the comfort of my own house instead of rotting in the pub and gettin liver disease. Same goes for all of my mates, most of which are at uni gettin theyre degrees..If its was legalised and regulated then different strenghts couldbe monitored and it would cut out the "crime" side of things.. on a last note.. if you have a family history of mental illness or have already been diagnosed..dont smoke weed?!!

John, 20
I have been smoking cannabis since i was 13. i started smoking it heavily over my teenage years, so i'm aware of what it can do to me and my mates health, such as paranoia, mood swings ect. the effects totally depend on the person just like any drug. though i can't understand why it's illegal, when the effects of alchol are far more devastating, and the only reason it's legal is because the people in power drink. to me the goverments being hypocritical

Someone who isn't writing a fake anti-cannabis tes
I've smoked cannabis for years. Although smoking on a very very regular basis can cause short-term problems, these are easily solved by a short period of abstinence from the drug. Sensible people should have absolutely no issue with taking cannabis - if you're idiotic and unhappy with your life anyway, then cannabis may depress you more - it is a DEPRESSANT. But if you're not stupid enough to take it every day like some people seem to be (if any of the little anti-weed testimonials on here are actually real) then by all means, enjoy it. It has less serious health effects than alcohol - alcohol causes brain damage, liver disease, liver cirrhosis, colon cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, heart disease and it greatly increases your chance of having a stroke. So what is that compared to potential short periods of psychosis that are solved by abstinence and the slight chance of schizophrenia in an extremely small minority of users? Alcohol should be illegal, cannabis should not.

Zak, 31
I know ppl who smoke cannabis and they are always haapy and cheerfull and on the other hand i know ppl who drink alcohol and end up fighting with other ppl when they go out, if cannabis is an illegal drug then that means Alcohol should be banned full stop think about all them ppl who have been injured or killed by someome who was under the influence of alcohol and look at the same issues regarding cannabis ? yes cannabis can have mental health issues depending how much you smoke but so does alcohol there is less violence, rape, murder when cannabis is involved compared to other drugs that includes alcohol so wht can ppl drink 24 hrs a day and end up killing someone or even themselves but cannabis is illegal ?

Kate, 28
I'm an fairly intelligent young professional who started smoking at Uni like most of my peer group. Unfortunately I didn't stop at Uni and have spent the last 7 years watching myself slowing turn to mush. I ended up in counselling with the YMCA after finding nowhere to get help. I had a responsible job, a mortgage and good friends. All on the edge of being lost because I could no longer think straight, I could not get up in time for work, I never answered my phone any more, didn't go out and the bright, bubbly girl just seemed to fade away. It happens so slowly you won't notice it. Please don't even start.

lucy, 16
my ex is still smoking cannabis and i know he did it very rarely when we were still together, but recently he has gone off the rails altogether. i hate to see him do this to himself and it's all because of the people he hangs out with. i really want him to stop (and i know he is my ex, but i dont want to see him hurt himself) but i just dont know what to say to him.

Saira, 16
I don't believe skunk should be legalised that is absurd, People who have pains can use other forms of treatment this drug messes with your brain your thinking power is not as it should be. I have seen friends and family destroy themselves on this and they all lead the same life penny less, angry all the time (when they can't get hold of it) slow and why for a few hours of being happy! no thanks. Spend your cash on things that will make u happy in the long run. take care all x x x

sarz, 16
i have smoked cannabis for a period of time it relaxed me and made me more calm to situations i wouldnt normally be in over the last few months people have said that they have seen a change in me i took this on board and really tried my hardest to stop although it was hard to stop smoking i managed to and i wouldnt recomend anyone to start..

Kestral, 17
After smoking near enough non-stop for a year I can say Im fully aware of what the drug can do. You are not aware at the time but the long term effects are devistating,leaving you unable to think clearly or find motivation to do what you need to do to get through the day. 4 months off this crap and i only now feel my head is clear. Its not cool, it aint somthing you can do for a quock laugh. Your freinds change, your money dissappeares and you lose respect for yourself. Waste.

Will, 14
I think that cannabis should be legalised and controlled, because the government are spending too much money on enforcing cannabis' classification. If it were legalised, it could be researched, and many people with problems and illnesses like multiple schleurosis could have access to this very helpful compound.

onelife
drink_drugs_cannabis