Pain relief or Enjoyment ? (Should cannabis be legalised?)

Member Name: sdean

Product:	Should cannabis be legalised?
Date:	23/01/09 (91 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Help to sleep, pain relief

Disadvantages: Possible Schizophrenia

I'm sure most of the British population have experimented with it in one form or another. Some, as media hype suggests, will have gone onto harder drugs, others will be quite happy having a giggle, raiding the fridge and falling asleep.

Which just sounds great. But I have a 50/50 argument.

Argument 1 - Pain relief, Sleep.

This I can deal with. Given to people who suffer with extreme pain, MS sufferers, people with back pain etc. This may be the only way to go. Why live a life of pain, if you can relieve it, it is- to all intents and purposes a natural plant which can be used for pain relief amongst other things. So why not use it. Available on prescription only, monitored carefully. This could provide relief to many.

Argument 2 - Psychosis

I went to school some years ago and was surrounded by cannabis use. As time went on people would just buy some for the weekend or a special occasion, some were just at school to show off, others daily like they were normal cigarettes.

However after leaving the 6th form of the same school and meeting up with some people a couple of years later - they were still living in the same area, I had moved. They enlightened me with story of 2 people in the year below us, who they knew really well still and had both been admitted to the mental ward and had schizophrenia. 2 people. Out of, I don't know 100. Only 2% in that school, but being regular users of the stuff, would suggest to me that this may have contributed to their condition.

Well I wouldn't want to risk it.

In conclusion I agree this could be a life saver for someone, but on the other hand, could send someone who perhaps had schizophrenic tendencies over the edge. With careful monitoring by a medical professional in the method of pain relief this could be a winner.

Summary: Pain or pleasure?