DRUGS DEBATE: 'SMOKING A PIPE IS FAR MORE DANGEROUS'

Verity Fletcher, 35, full-time mother of three-year-old Myrtle "Cannabis
is less harmful than alcohol. It relieves pain in a few major illnesses.
Cocaine is much more addictive, but all drugs should be legalised. On
cocaine I would say yes, but a qualified yes."

John Bosworth, 69, retired RAF navigator "Put me down as a 'don't know'.
I don't feel I know enough about it. I definitely think hard drugs ought
to be still illegal. A lot of criminality is to finance drugs.
[Legalisation] is a very dangerous experiment. If it fails it could be
disastrous."

Rowan Crowley, 48, publishing director "I think it is a complete waste
of time prosecuting. Cannabis should be legalised and taxed like
cigarettes. I think there are bigger issues about cocaine. I'm not so
clear in my own mind about the addictive quality of cocaine."

Olive Christie, 37, carer "I think cannabis does damage to people,
mental damage. If it is legalised, schoolchildren would get hold of it.
Cocaine should not be legalised. It is damaging to families."

Winston Richards, 33, jeweller "I think that crack cocaine should be
very much illegal and the police should hit out strongly against it...
But ganja has been used by so many people from ancient times. I am a
Rastafarian man and use it for religious purposes."

William Borlase, 73, archaeologist "I've never actually taken cannabis
but I've smoked a pipe all my life which is far more dangerous. There's
no reason why we shouldn't deal with cannabis as they do in the
Netherlands - there's nothing wrong with the Dutch. It's not a good idea
to legalise cocaine. I'm against legalising the synthetic drugs like
ecstasy."

Brian Studak, 30, designer "I think it would be good if there was some
kind of halfway house on cannabis. I think decriminalising makes sense.
The approach in Holland made a lot of sense. I've been there and it was
just a lot of chilled out people. I don't think cocaine should be
legalised. It's not a positive drug, it's an ego drug. It makes people
very selfish."

Jo-ann Hart, 22, executive assistant in PR "I would be against
legalising cannabis. It would be like saying it's all right to be drunk
all the time. We seem to have enough problems with kids taking drugs. On
cocaine I would say no. It seems to have become a lot more socially
acceptable and I know a lot more people now who take it. I'm just not
happy with drugs being legalised."

Dee Williams, 42, cleaning supervisor "If you legalise cannabis what's
going to be next? I've got two children and their futures are at stake.
Cocaine should definitely not be legalised, It is dangerous in the eyes
of the law. Once a substance is prohibited it should stay that way."

Bryan Bale, 57, designer "I think anything that's forbidden always makes
young people want to do it more. I don't think society should make up
people's minds for them. I worked in Holland where it is not forbidden
and I think Dutch society is more sophisticated than ours. I don't think
hard drugs should be legalised because in my experience when people
start to take hard drugs it is definitely a downward spiral."