[420 Girl]

Scores of readers posted comments following the arrest of a 35-year-old man in Fringford, near Bicester, for possessing and cultivating cannabis with an estimated value of UKP1,000. He was released without charge.

One correspondent - Jane, from Oxford - said: "What crime is this man committing to another person growing his own cannabis and smoking it in his home?"

Another said: "No wonder people don't respect the police any more, they don't arrest robbers and muggers, just law abiding citizens who smoke cannabis in their own home."

Michael, from Abingdon, added: "If the police continue to make cannabis harder to get hold of then there will be more call for harder drugs on the streets and that will result in more drug-related deaths and more crime to fund expensive drug habits." Other readers supported measures to clamp down on cannabis users and dealers.

Alan Page said: "Cannabis destroys the brain and renders long-term users little better than vegetables. My brother is a far brighter, funnier person since he cut down his habit."

The Legalise Cannabis Alliance also questioned whether police should concentrate so much time, effort and money on tackling cannabis. But spokesman Don Barnard added users of the drug should respect the job police were doing. He said: "Laws are there to protect society from people who do dangerous things and harm others."

Thames Valley Police released the 35-year-old man whose house was raided with a caution after officers "uncovered a well-organised cannabis cultivation set-up".

Spokesman Toby Shergold said: "Our officers were responding to concerns raised by local people and if criminality is going on we have a duty to respond.

http://www.420magazine.com/forums/in...gs-debate.html