Legalise weed or nah?

As we move closer and closer to the legalisation of weed in the UK, with marijuana being prescribed for those who need it to aid symptoms of physical problems, it has me thinking about whether it is in fact the best direction to go in or not. 

I know a few people in my personal life who have chosen to give up the substance for their own differing reasons, but it was hearing about celebrities such as Nicki Minaj and Stormzy giving up the substance which really got me thinking about how good it actually is for us, given that they can afford the best of the best and have still chosen to stay away from the drug.

Stormzy reports that smoking weed worsened his depression stating,  

“It does not help your situation. It will f*** you up. It feels good for, like, 20 minutes and then after that… we all know, us weed smokers, we know how it goes.”

Nicki minaj also recently tweeted that she was sober and loving life despite previously being open about her choice to smoke cannabis.  

On a personal level, it's great to see these celebs enjoying life without the drug and advocating for this. There are many celebrities advocating a life of sobriety following difficulties with alcohol addiction and drug use in general, whereas I'd say weed is much more idolized within the media, especially that which is consumed by the younger generations. Unlike alcohol, which has obvious and reliable negative consequences after consumption, weed doesn’t leave you with a horrid hangover, banging headache or head in the toilet bowl. Unless you’re unfortunate enough to pull a ‘whitey’, as long as you know your limits the worst consequence is usually feeling a bit more tired the next day (allegedly). Although for some, it does lead to feelings of paranoia or anxiety, for others it has no such effect and provides a much needed sense of calm and escape from reality. 

Some may be reading thinking what is the problem? Weed doesn't exactly cause harm, just some extra chill. Whilst  it is completely understandable why those with physical pain or other difficulties would use cannabis, is it time that we acknowledge the negative ways it affects people also, given the growing  popularity of the drug amongst vulnerable teens? It’s easy to access, cheap to buy (£10 per bag - easily purchasable with pocket money) and given that around 1 in 4 teens struggle with mental health these days, I imagine the tendency to look to weed to manage feelings is going to increase. 

Now I'm not saying that I've smoked weed but I've definitely smoked weed if you know what I mean. I can recognise the way in which cannabis provides a relief for people, whether that be physical pain or emotional. However, weed is not an adequate cure for emotional difficulties but rather a cheap, effective way of burying them. The suppression of emotions has little benefit for the human body and mind and it is for this reason that I question, is legalising weed the right thing?

What do you think?