# FILE NAME: 00002530.soc
# TITLE: Should we legalise recreational cannabis? [e690b98da6a120665861d1ef2b2532c8]
# DESCRIPTION: 
# DATA TYPE: soc
# MODIFICATION TYPE: original
# RELATES TO: 
# RELATED FILES: 
# PUBLICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# MODIFICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# NUMBER ALTERNATIVES: 5
# NUMBER VOTERS: 5
# NUMBER UNIQUE ORDERS: 4
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 1: Statement 1 - I am not sure on one hand the government could make million per year on taxes raised by legalising the sale of cannabis but I am sure the sellers will find away around that problem. By legalising would it lead to people moving on from cannabis to much more harder drugs which cause more health problems.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 2: Statement 2 - Legalizing recreational cannabis will definitely curb the black market thereby reducing criminal activity which in turn will promote community safety. I feel it will also promote medical research into it's therapeutic benefits. I also feel it will boost the economy where governments can make revenue from it's taxes on sales and redirect the same money into funding the public.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 3: Statement 3 - I don't think this is a priority, but legalising recreational cannabis would deal a blow to drug trafficking so it would be somehow positive, and it could also be a new source for taxes to help the NHS. I believe most of us have tried cannabis at some point in our lives and it's not such a big deal, and legalising it would help in tackling criminality and have less people sent to overcrowded prisons for such a minor crime. Ultimately, it's for people to choose whether to use cannabis, and I don't think it's any more harmful than alcohol for example.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 4: Statement 4 - I do feel that recreational cannabis should be legalised. I realise there is an argument for the fact that it may be a gateway to harder drugs but knowing a few people who use it recreationally who have never been tempted by anything else, and who still lead full lives, working and having families, I do not feel it is such a terrible thing to legalise. I feel if it was legalised, there would be LESS people going onto harder drugs.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 5: Statement 5 - Yes, we should legalise recreational cannabis, for many reasons. Firstly, it's fairly commonly used - we are currently criminalising everyone who smokes/consumes it - a big chunk of the population, very few of whom are doing any harm to anyone else. The medical harms are very low, certainly lower than the medical harms from excessive alcohol use. Legalisation would also free up police time, which could then be spent on tackling more serious crime. Also, we could tax legalised cannabis like we do alcohol - diverting money away from drug dealers and organised crime, towards something worthwhile like public health provision, or drug treatment for more serious addictions. Finally, there should be stricter limits as to what the government can tell us what to consume, and particularly when the personal and societal harms are so low.
2: 5,2,3,4,1
1: 5,4,2,3,1
1: 3,2,1,5,4
1: 5,3,4,2,1