Legal Cannabis would promote responsible use and safe supply and would stop many people's futures being needlessly destroyed

Legalisation would encourage use of cannabis and other drugs, creating more problems and increasing the profits of drug barons.

• There are at least 2½ million (perhaps 7 million) cannabis users in the UK.

• More police are needed, with greater powers to stop this widespread flaunting of the law.

• People convicted of drug offences have their future prospects massively hampered.

• People who choose to break the law must accept that they will be severely punished for doing so.

• Cannabis is often contaminated with inert or toxic components which cause more harm than the cannabis. A legal supply would be pure and therefore safer.

• Pure cannabis still has dangers.

• Prohibition alienates a huge number of youths.

• Most parents disapprove of all drug use – legal or not.

• Legalising does not mean glamorising – cannabis use should still be discouraged even if it were legal.

• Legalisation could make cannabis socially acceptable, and so encourage use.

• Countries which have experimented with decriminalisation have not encountered massive increases in use.

• Legalisation could encourage use of cannabis, which in turn could encourage the use of more dangerous drugs such as ecstasy.

• Minors can buy cannabis as easily as adults on the uncontrolled black market. A legal, controlled market would restrict cannabis to adults.

• The legal penalties for selling drugs to minors need to be increased.

• Prohibition is extremely expensive to enforce – the money could be better spent on education and treatment.

• Tax payers do not want their money spent on treating hopeless drug addicts.

"My body is my own and if I choose to experiment with it, it is me who pays the price and not the state"

The government has a duty to protect its citizens from the harm caused by drugs and the organised crime groups behind them.

• It is fundamental to our society that we consider adults to be intelligent enough to make decisions for themselves.

• Most people are not sufficiently aware of the dangers of drugs to make sensible decisions.

• Drug use has no victim – it is a consensual crime. No-one else is affected if someone chooses to use cannabis in private.

• Drug use has many victims including the families of addicts and innocent people killed by drug-crazed monsters. The NHS must pay for junkies' treatment.

• The prohibition of any drug is a violation of human and civil rights, an unwanted invasion into privacy and compromises freedom of religion.

• Drug prohibition is for everybody's good in the long run. Prohibiting human sacrifice compromises some religions – but who wants that legalised?

Cannabis has few health risks – even when used regularly for long periods.

All drug use has some dangers; there is no need for anyone to risk their health for pleasure.

• In studies comparing regular, long-term users with non-users, mental and physical health differences were observed only in the respiratory system.

• There are reports of people experiencing cannabis induced mental trauma, called 'cannabis psychosis'

• There is no evidence that cannabis use itself causes the use of harder drugs. All the evidence suggests that the cause is a personality type.

• Almost all heroin addicts started with cannabis. It is the first step on the road to hard drug addiction.

• Overdose on cannabis is nearly impossible

• Many people have unpleasant experiences on large amounts of cannabis

• Cannabis is not addictive

• Frequent cannabis use is common

• Cannabis causes no brain damage

• Short term memory loss and paranoia are sometimes observed in heavy users

• There is no evidence that Cannabis smoke can contribute to lung damage or increase the risk of lung cancer.

• Cannabis contains a significant amount of tar, and is usually smoked with tobacco.

• In 10, 000 years of use, no deaths have been firmly blamed on cannabis.

• Cannabis has been linked to at least five unnecessary deaths in the past ten years.

• Cannabis causes people to be calm and peaceful, unlike alcohol which often causes violence.

• Cannabis can cause paranoia, which in turn could cause violence.