Personally, I believe that the benefits of growing the plant itself as a crop far outweighs the risks of drug abuse associated with it.
From the hemp plant you can produce polimers, (or plastics) medicinal drugs, cotton like fabrics, oils, (both for fuel and lubricants) and the plant itself actually enriches the ground it grows in with nutrients that other crops need. In other words, farmers who have to leave a field free from any crops every year, on a rotation plan to let it recover nutrients lost growing the previous crop, could instead plant hemp and make extra profits.
No one has been proven to have ever died of a cannabis overdose, although a risk of cancer cannot be ruled out (especially if the drug is taken with tobacco) but on the whole it would appear to be a safer recreational drug than alcohol.
I think it should be legalised, but only government controlled crops should be made available for sale as a recreational drug, at a price that matches current street prices, to combat the criminal element.  |