The great Cannabis debate

Drugs have been around since time immemorial and making any sort of drug illegal is a recent phenomenon. In the past, groups and societies lived with drugs and considered them part of normal everyday life.

Various arguments have been made as to why marijuana should be kept illegal, but none seem to be very convincing. It has been suggested that marijuana should be illegal because it is harmful to health. It is very difficult to defend that position because many things that we make use of every day can be, or are, harmful to health yet few are suggesting that they be made illegal. Just think of cigarettes, alcohol, kitchen knives, and even mobile phones and motor cars.

Marijuana and motor cars can be dangerous to health and the extent of the danger will depend on the behaviour of the user rather than what is being used. If somebody smokes marijuana once, it is enough for that person to be punished, but certainly cannot be considered harmful to health.

It is suggested that long term or excessive use of marijuana and alcohol (a legal drug) can lead to general sloppiness in behaviour, or unacceptable habits. That is probably true and could be a good reason for society to discourage such behaviour. But by far, the great majority of alcohol drinkers and marijuana smokers are not menaces to society and there seems to be a very good case to be made for these people to continue enjoying their habits. Addiction to anything would seem to be undesirable, but this is not a good enough argument for making things illegal.

Indeed, it is strange, but true, that people arguing against illegal drugs, or in favour of these being kept illegal, rarely have the courage to admit that thousands of people actually derive pleasure from their 'habits' and when weighing up the pros and cons this fact should not be overlooked. Millions of people worldwide have been, or are, marijuana smokers, without becoming menaces to society and millions will admit that they enjoyed the pleasure...something Bill Clinton could not get himself to do!

Those arguing to keep marijuana illegal will often suggest that marijuana leads to harder drugs. This is an absurd argument. It may be true that people that decide to use drugs will try a variety, but then again millions have smoked marijuana and just stopped there. There is nothing in marijuana that makes one want to try LSD... no more than there is anything in rugby that might want the player to try paragliding.

Certainly making marijuana legal would also bring about other benefits for society. It would be less of a burden on the taxpayer because less money will be needed for police and courts. It also means more money for the government as revenue could be raised in the same way as is done for cigarettes and alcohol. Finally legalisation will be a source of relief to people who otherwise could be deprived of a job, harassed by police, made to pay a fine or even end up in prison.

Julian Manduca is known for his active role in the Friends of the Earth lobby group

The great Cannabis debate

By Sina Bugeja

Marijuana is known to negatively effect the respiratory system more severely than tobacco smoking. On a psychological level marijuana smokers experience euphoria, hallucinations and time dilations. It impairs driving and the performance of other complex, skilled activities.

Cannabinoids are sometimes used therapeutically for glaucoma and to counteract nausea in cancer chemotherapy. Yet such effect could also be obtained through other medication.

Marijuana's non-lethal nature and little, if any, physical dependence, seems to have stolen the attention of those in favour of the use of this drug. Little or no regard is afforded, by this sector of society, to the subtle, inhibiting and damaging effects of this drug of abuse. It must be recognised as a gateway drug. Heavy regular users can also become dependent on it.

Sedqa's aim is to educate and care rather than entering into confrontation on issues as to whether a particular substance is patent as legal or illegal. The Courts of Malta are widely known to classify and mitigate the various types of drugs accordingly.

No benefits are perceived in legalising marijuana - thus our stand would be towards safeguarding life in its entirety. Drug use in general hampers the usual social functioning of an individual. The use of marijuana is no exception.

Ms Bugeja is Chief Executive Officer at Sedqa