• Question: What is your opinion on the legalisation of marijuana?

    Asked by ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) to Greg, Jen, Laura, Mobeen, Paul on 9 Mar 2016.
    • Photo: Paul O'Mahoney

      Paul O'Mahoney answered on 9 Mar 2016:

      I think that government policy should always be informed by good, current research from credible researchers, and in this specific field I am not an expert so can’t really say for certain exactly about it’s potential medical effects (either good or bad). It is advisable however to avoid smoking as it is incredibly bad for your health and can cause irreversible lung damage.

    • Photo: Greg Melia

      Greg Melia answered on 9 Mar 2016:

      I don’t really know. Like Paul says though, it’s important to listen to the experts. Too much policy is made based on people who have strong opinions but don’t have much to base them on – you always need to look at all the facts before coming down on either side.

    • Photo: Laura Haworth

      Laura Haworth answered on 9 Mar 2016:

      I agree with Paul and Greg. The scientific evidence should be there to make an informed decision. I know there is politics and money involved but I don’t really know much about it to comment. There has been some evidence of the benefit of some marijuana in medicinal purposes for people in severe pain or with conditions such as multiple sclerosis. For social use smoking is never good for you and should be avoided. In addition the research into the long term effects of marijuana on the brain/ body is still quite new so we can’t say how bad the effects could be.

    • Photo: Jen Lowe

      Jen Lowe answered on 9 Mar 2016:

      Hmmm. I don’t think anything that would make it’s use more widespread socially would be a good idea – I am worried about the effect it has on brains – particularly those still developing like teenagers. However banning/legalising by governments is usually based on the harm done which for marijuana I suspect is significantly less than alcohol and cigarettes which are both legal (in UK). I guess it’s hard to measure whether marijuana use prevented someone from achieving their full potential and/or contribute to mental health or other issues in their lifetime.

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