Surprisingly, none of these reasons are that it makes bass-heavy hip hop tracks sound great, or that it really brings out the best in pizza.
With recreational marijuana now legalised in two American states, political momentum is building up towards full legalisation across the pond.
Even here in the UK, experts are now speaking out in favour of the idea – in the hope that a political ‘domino effect’ leads to worldwide relaxation of anti-drug laws following the US’s lead.
Just in time for 4/20 – the pro-dope day being celebrated here as well as in the U.S. – here are some of the most persuasive reasons experts offer for why we should free the weed.
1) Weed is 114 times safer than alcohol
Cannabis could actually be the safest drug available, after a study found it is actually 114 times less deadly than alcohol, according to the journal, Scientific Reports.
The report's‘ authors studied the effects of alcohol, heroin, cocaine, tobacco, ecstasy, crystal meth and cannabis.
2) Surprise! Legalising dope doesn’t cause a crime epidemic
Despite the predictions of right-wing nutters, in Colorado, which legalised recreational use of marijuana,there has been no epidemic of crime.
Overall, crime has fallen by 15% and murder has dropped by 50%.
3) Weed can kill cancer cells
Marijuana can kill cancer cells, the US government has confirmed – and can also shrink some of the most serious types of brain tumours.
The research was carried out by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), which is funded by the federal government.
4) Dope is actually less addictive than drinking coffee
Coffee’s addictive effects mean that it might actually be a more harmful drug than weed, an expert has argued.
Matthew Lazenka, a researcher at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System argued this year in Science 2.0 that caffeine ticks off just as many boxes as for drug abuse as THC, the active ingredient in cannabis.
5) Legalising weed would recharge your countries economy
If we legalised cannabis, huge amounts of money could be raised annually in taxes, according to the Institute for Economic Research.
States such as Colorado which have legalised cannabis have seen increased tax revenues.
6) Most people now believe smoking dope is safe
A majority of people now believe that smoking weed is safe – and no longer worry that a puff on a joint will either kill them, or turn them into a murdering psychopath.
There has been a MASSIVE shift in public opinion in the past decade – in 2002, a majority of people believed that there were large risks attached to smoking dope once or twice a week.
That figure has now dropped from 51% to 40% in AMerica, according to data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
7) Legalising weed creates jobs
In American states such as Colorado, where cannabis has been legalised, thousands of jobs have been created.
Ten thousand people now work in the area’s cannabis industry.
8) Legalising dope DOESN’T encourage young people to smoke it
In Colorado, legalising cannabis has actually led to a drop in the number of young people smoking it.
9) Most people in the most countries now support weed being legalised
As states in America have legalised weed without society breaking down, people’s attitudes to it have softened.
In both America and Britain, opinion polls show that a majority of people support dope being legalised – it’s just political parties who don’t.
10) Political heavyweights such as Barack Obama are getting behind legislation
Barack Obama, who freely admits to having smoked dope in his youth, this week signaled his support for a legalisation bill in the U.S.
President Barack Obama said that the Senate should ‘follow the science as opposed to the ideology’.
11) Some believe cannabis oil can ‘cure’ cancer
A cancer patient claims to have been cured by cannabis.
David Hibbitt had been told he only had 18 months to live but now he’s looking forward to life with his new bride after being given the all clear.
The 33-year-old, from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, said this miraculous turn of events was down to him taking cannabis oil, which cost £50 a gram from a local dealer.
So the world needs to wake up. Don't legalize - Looses the laws all together. Free the plants.... All of them.
Let people use plants for their medicinal and recreational properties - Pure freedom.
No drugs should be legal man.
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