Something I feel pretty strongly about. It should be decriminalised.
For clarity, I smoke occasionally, once every couple of weeks on a Friday night while out walking the dog. Without tobacco, no-one within a mile of me.
It doesn't negatively affect me, though I'm well aware of and do know people that aren't so lucky.
All of the negative stories on here have one thing in common, it was already illegal. That hasn't stopped any of the problems, it has more likely compounded them.
While it's illegal, people like me, heavy users, people with mental health problems, children, everyone, needs to access a world that's no good for them to obtain it. That doesn't stop us getting it but I'd much rather we could just go to a shop like we can to buy a beer.
The profits from it being sold by and large currently go to criminal gangs, it's unregulated, potentially cut with who knows what and there's no benefit to anyone apart from drug dealers.
With decriminalisation police time is freed up, proper medical studies can be performed, you don't needlessly criminalise both people that otherwise are law abiding members of society or children that don't understand the consequences of their actions. It can be taxed and benefit everyone through that taxation. No more county lines (for weed at least), people who need it medicinally (I believe there's nothing better for MS or epilepsy) can have access to it without fear of prosecution.
Nothing good comes from cannabis being illegal, plenty of good could come from decriminalisation. I really don't understand arguments to the contrary.
It happens anyway, everyone can smell it in any town on any day. Let's stop giving that control to people that really shouldn't have it and all benefit?