'HASH IT OUT'
CELEBRITIES, politicians and experts have backed calls to decriminalise the booming cannabis industry.
But will the regulations around the drug be relaxed in the UK and where in the world is it already legal?
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Will cannabis be legalised in the UK?
Currently anyone found possessing cannabis can be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison, an unlimited fine or both punishments under UK legislation.
Supplying or producing the class B drug can land people in prison for a maximum of 14 years an unlimited fine, or both.
There has long been an argument to legalise the drug to help people with chronic pain and anxiety.
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Drug Policy Reform says tens of thousands of people in UK already break the law to use cannabis for symptom relief.
The issue was debated on October 12, 2015, and closed after the government responded by saying: "Substantial scientific evidence shows cannabis is a harmful drug that can damage human health.
This week, UK parliament will be debating the issue again, after a proposal that the drug should be partially legalised for medicinal purposes.
In 2018 a boy suffering from severe epilepsy was allowed to receive medicinal cannabis oil after the Home Secretary Sajid Javid intervened.
Billy Caldwell began using cannabis oil in 2016 to control and reduce the frequency and severity of his seizures.
On June 19, Javid told the House of Commons he was launching a review into how marijuana is regulated for medicines.
However, he ruled out any moves to legalise cannabis for recreational users despite a call by top Tory William Hague to end the “war on drugs”.
Restrictions and laws for medicinal use of cannabis and cannabis oil will be relaxed on November 1.
Which celebrities support the legalisation of drugs?
Celebrities have also added their names for legalisation with Russell Brand, Sir Richard Branson and Sting all arguing for regulation to be relaxed.
Rapper Professor Green has made a documentary for the BBC entitled Is It Time To Legalise Weed? at the end of which he argues rules should be relaxed to improve safety.
Singer Paloma Faith has said people should be allowed to grow their own cannabis so they know it is pure.
She said, : "I think people should be able to smoke weed. Grow it in the garden, then it’s much nicer and not laced with anything.
"You won’t end up in hospital because you smoked something dodgy."
Another supporter is John Huffman who created a synthetic and extremely potent drug Spice while studying how cannabis affects the brain.
In the run up to the 2017 General Election, the Liberal Democrats announced plans to legalise the drug for sale on the high street.
The policy made them one of the first political parties to fight an election on the ticket of relaxing drug laws.
Think tank the Adam Smith Institute has said £750million to £1bn could be generated in taxes if the drug was regulated like tobacco or alcohol.
Criminal justice savings would also add up, with 1,363 offenders currently in prison for cannabis-related crimes at a cost to the taxpayer of £50million a year.
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What have scientists now said?
Researchers say that naturally occurring compounds in the plant can block the blood supply to tumours and stop the spread of cancer cells.
Scientists claim that phytocannabinoids — the main compounds in cannabis — can stimulate systems in the human body that are responsible for functions of the brain, endocrine and immune tissues.
Previous research has shown cannabis compounds can help lessen the side-effects of anti-cancer therapies, such as nausea and sickness.
Cannabinoids may also stop cancer cells from dividing and invading tissue.
Studies also indicate they enhance the body’s immune response against the growth and spread of tumours.
Is medicinal cannabis available on prescription yet?
Medicinal cannabis will be available on prescription from next month, the Home Secretary announced today.
Doctors will be able to prescribe cannabis products to patients from November 1.
The new rules apply to England, Wales and Scotland, Sajid Javid said in a written statement.
It follows several high-profile cases, including young epilepsy sufferers Alfie Dingley and Billy Caldwell, whose conditions appeared to be helped by cannabis oil.
In order for a cannabis product to be considered medicinal it must meet three requirements: it "needs to be a preparation or product which contains cannabis, cannabis resin, cannabinol or a cannabinol derivative; it is produced for medicinal use in humans and; is a medicinal product, or a substance or preparation for use as an ingredient of, or in the production of an ingredient of, a medicinal product", according to Mr Javid's statement.
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Where is marijuana already legal?
In some countries - including Norway, the Netherlands and Portugal - it is legal to consume small amounts of marijuana.
In others police do not arrest people for possession, although dealers still face harsh penalties.
Portugal became the first country in the world to decriminalise the use of all drugs in 2001.
In Australia, Puerto Rico, Poland, Czech Republic, Canada, Croatia and Macedonia it is legal for medicinal purposes in some form, and in Turkey for the cultivation for the same purpose.
In Uruguay, Spain, Slovenia, Netherlands, Jamaica, Columbia, Chile and the US states Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts,Minnesota, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio Oregon and Washington, Rhode Island, Vermont it is legal or decriminalised in some form.
In Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virgina marijuana is legal on medical grounds.
'Spice' inventor John Huffman speaks about legalising cannabis
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