Roel said:
I live in the Netherlands, so there's really no need for me to weigh in on this debate. Cannabis is already legal and regulated here, and still there are no deaths attributed to cannabis consumption...
There have never been any documented deaths related to overdosing on Cannabis. In fact, the safety margin on Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the 'bad bit' in Cannabis) is 1000:1. This means that the lethal dose is 1000 times greater than the effective dose. Alcohol's is 10:1 and Heroin's is 6:1.
One would have to smoke about 1500 pounds of Cannabis (depending on strength and THC amount) in less than half-an-hour to kill oneself.
I say THC is the 'bad bit' because far too much is put into Cannabis, which highly increases the chance of things such as Psychosis. In regulated amounts, THC can provide medical benefits for people with Cancer, AIDS, Glaucoma, Tourette Syndrome and Multiple Sclerosis.
Also, many of the Cannabidoids found in Cannabis, in particular Cannabidiol (CBD) has several marked benefits, including reducing the effects of Schizophrenia. It can be used as a sedative and can releive convulsions, anxiety and nausea. Also, it has been shown to reduce growth of aggressive cancers such as breast cancer and is a neuroprotective antioxidant.
Cannabis can be incredibly beneficial. It's all about finding the right balance between CBD and THC (i.e. 40% CBD and a maximum of 5% THC). Legalising Cannabis would allow the government (Of whatever country. I'm English) to achieve that balance. That's why I advocate the legalisation of Cannabis.