Cannabliss or cannabin?

Is it time for the government to legalise cannabis, or does the law protect our health?

The war on drugs began with President Richard Nixon in the late 1960s. After the United States of America increased restrictions and prison time for the possession of weed, many other countries including the UK followed suit. However in the US, dope is now legal in over half its states with President Joe Biden pardoning thousands of prisoners who were convicted of marijuana possession. In contrast, the UK government seems to be moving the other way with calls from Conservative police and crime commissioners to make cannabis a Class A drug with enhanced sentences. According to tabloid sources, Suella Braverman, Home Secretary, supports the further criminalisation of pot and still believes studies that say cannabis can cause serious harm (which are arguably discredited). Some suggest the way forward is to legalise recreational cannabis use in the form of a recreational market. This could take the form of cannabis dispensaries like California or in the form of Dutch coffee shops like we see in Amsterdam.

One argument for the legalisation of ‘Mary Jane’ is that it may have anti-cancer effects. Research is limited but according to the

American Cancer Society (ACS), THC and other cannabinoids such as CBD oils slow the growth of and in some cases even kill - cancer cells in lab dishes. Some studies in animals show that medicines using THC and CBD can aid the treatment of cancer in a real body. Another pro is its ability to relieve chronic pain or nausea. The National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine supports the evidence of the effectiveness of this practice. Marijuana products also appear to be effective in calming muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis and easing nausea and vomiting with cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The National Academies also determined that cannabis, or cannabis-derived products (edibles, oils), can help patients who struggle with sleep apnea or insomnia.

However, a con for legalisation is that it proves to be harmful to adolescents’ brains. Studies show that regular use of marijuana by teens may have harmful and long lasting effects on our brains, this includes things like short term memory loss and cognitive function like problem solving, attention span and speed of processing. It can also lead to the