This house believes that cannabis should be legalized.

For

It cannot lead to a fatal overdose as you need to consume 1500 pounds in 15 minutes for it to be fatal.Caffeine is supposed to be just as addictive as marijuana

Medicinal properties: Cannabis is used to reduce nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy, to improve appetite in people with HIV/AIDS, to treat chronic pain, and help with muscle spasms.

It treats glaucoma, prevents cancer from spreading to other parts of the body, reduces anxiety, slows the progress of Alzheimer's disease, improves metabolism and is even said to spur creativity in our brain.

Cannabis has psychoactive and physiological effects when consumed. The immediate desired effects from consuming cannabis include relaxation and mild euphoria (the "high" or "stoned" feeling), while some immediate undesired side-effects include a decrease in short-term memory, dry mouth, impaired motor skills and reddening of the eyes.

Increased revenue for the government. Government will be able to exercise better control over it. It will eliminate illegal trade and associate crimes Marijuana addiction is rare

An epidemiological study showed that only 9 percent of those who use marijuana end up being clinically dependent on it. The 'comparable rates' for tobacco, alcohol and cocaine stood at 32 percent, 15 percent and 16 percent respectively.

It will create job opportunitiesLegalization of marijuana for recreational and medical purposes in Colorado has created 10,000 new jobs in the area. There are a plethora of jobs that can be created by the marijuana industry and help reduce India's unemployment rate.

It will help the localsIn states like Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, where cannabis plants grow, marijuana is the only source of income for many locals. However, being a banned substance, the farmers are forced to sell it at a very cheap price to the drug dealers and they face additional pressure from the police as well, who are paid to destroy the cannabis plantations. Legalizing marijuana will end this 'war on drugs' targeting our own countrymen.

Limited withdrawal symptoms Less harmful than alcohol. Prohibition has not helped.

However weed is widely tolerated by the Indian Police and in most cases if they catch you possessing a limited amount, they'll let you off after taking a small bribe. Most colleges in India have a significant number of students who have smoked or seen someone else smoke pot/weed/grass.

There are many stories heard about how Lord Shiva loved weed and would come for it whenever he had a tiff with his wife. :-) Shiva wandered into the fields after a family tiff. Drained, he fell asleep under a leafy plant. After waking up, he sampled the plant's leaves. Rejuvenated, he made it his favorite food.

Bhang which is made from the leaves of cannabi plant is drunk by many in the festival of Holi. Its use is ancient, has religious sanction among Hindus.Soldiers often drank bhang before entering battle, just as Westerners took a swig of whisky.

Against

Impaired Motor Skills, leading to more accidents. Stoned Youth Population. Chronic use causes respiratory problems. Although most people have said it should be legalized , once legalised in no time it would

become the cheapest means of intoxication and will be used rampantly. Causes Problems in Pregnancy:

1. Smoking marijuana (weed) reduces the amount of oxygen that gets to your developing baby, which can affect her growth.

2. Heavy or chronic use of marijuana has been linked to an increased risk for pregnancy and birth complications, including premature birth, low birth weight, and small for gestational age infants.

3. Some studies have also linked heavy or chronic use of pot in pregnancy to problems in children (from birth through adolescence), such as impulsive behavior and differences in sleep patterns, memory, and academic performance.

4. What's more, weed may be contaminated with other drugs or herbicides that could put your baby-to-be at even greater risk. Even legal dispensaries are not closely regulated, although some claim that their products have been approved or certified.

In a country like India with 2.5 lakh road deaths every year , "stoned" drivers would wreak more havoc on the streets. Also there is no instant test like breathalyzer for THC , so enforcing DUI rules is going to be a non starter.

Compared to non-smokers, people who smoked cannabis regularly in adolescence exhibit reduced connectivity in specific brain regions associated with memory, learning, alertness, and

executive function. A study has suggested that sustained heavy, daily, adolescent onset cannabis use over decades is associated with a decline in IQ by age 38. No effects were found in those who initiated cannabis use later, or in those who ceased use earlier in adulthood.

Impact on Adolescents

Memory, Attention and Learning

Early and continued use of marijuana can:

Affect memory, attention and ability to think clearly, making it difficult to concentrate, learn new things, and make sound decisions (Dougherty et al, 2013);

Affect movement and balance while intoxicated; Be associated with a moderate decrease in IQ in heavy current marijuana users

(Meier et al, 2012), though this study has been challeged for its methodology.

School Performance

While it is difficult to distinguish whether this is due to learning difficulties, lack of motivation, or because marijuana users mix with peers who may be involved in a range of risk taking behaviors (McCaffrey DF et al, 2010), using marijuana at an early age is independently associated with:

Poorer school performance; Increased absences from school; Increasing the risk of dropping out without graduating.

In Washington State, the Healthy Youth Survey results for 2012 found that, statewide, high school students who used marijuana were more likely to get lower grades in school (Cs, Ds, or Fs) compared to those that don’t use.

Problematic Behaviors

Studies have shown that those who use marijuana from an early age are at risk of later developing problems, characterized by social disadvantage, behavioral difficulties, and problematic peer affiliations.

A 2008 longitudinal study of heavy cannabis users from ages 14 to 25 in a New Zealand birth cohort found that increasing cannabis use in late adolescence and early adulthood is associated with a range of adverse outcomes in later life.  High levels of cannabis use are related to poorer educational outcomes, lower income, greater welfare dependence and unemployment, and lower relationship and life satisfaction.  These findings add to a growing body of knowledge regarding the adverse consequences of heavy cannabis use.  However, this study primarily established correlation rather than causality (Ferguson & Boden, 2008).

Using marijuana at an early age is also linked to higher risk taking behavior such as:

Higher levels of leaving the family home; Immature sexual activity, which can result in unplanned pregnancy (Bryan et al,

2012); Increased risk of driving while under the influence of marijuana; marijuana use

more than doubles a driver's risk of being in an accident (Ashbridge et al, 2012); Higher levels of criminal behavior such as motor vehicle theft and break-and-

enter offences to pay for drug use.

Increased Risk of Mental Health Issues

Marijuana use has been linked to a range of mental health problems such as psychosis, depression or anxiety. A 2002 study in Sweden found that heavy cannabis use at age 18 increased the risk of later schizophrenia sixfold (Arseneault et al, 2002).  Since then, numerous additional studies have found a similar correlation between adolescent marijuana use and psychosis or schizophrenia, especially in teens with a family history of the disorder (Copeland et al, 2013).

The potential for depression and anxiety is also increased in adolescent marijuana users.  The nature of this relationship is controversial, with some studies not supporting a causal association, but instead linking depression due to marijuana’s contributions to learning difficulties, poorer educational outcomes, and problematic behaviors.  However, a 2012 study found that increasing frequency of marijuana use was associated with increasing symptoms of depression, with the association stronger in adolescence and declining into adulthood (Horwood et al, 2012). 

Using marijuana from an early age places the person at risk of:

Impaired emotional development; Increased risk of becoming more dissatisfied with life; Increased likelihood to suffer from depression, anxiety, psychosis, or other mental

illness.

India is home to 20% of the total adolescent population with the age group accounting for 19% of India’s own population. Their condition is among the worst in the world, according to UNICEF.

56 per cent of girls and 30 per cent of boys in the age group are anaemic which places the country along with the least developed African nations. Almost 40 per cent of the section is out of school and 43 per cent get married before the age of 18, out of whom 13 per cent become teenage mothers.

School attendance in the 11-13 years age group is 86 per cent and 14-17 years is 64 per centSome 6,000 adolescent mothers die every year and there is a 50 per cent higher risk of infant deaths among mothers who are aged below 20 years. Adolescents with correct knowledge of HIV/AIDS is 35 per cent in boys and 28 per cent in girls.