Should the use of medical marijuana be legalised in South Africa?
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) says the medical use of marijuana could potentially be legalised in South Africa by the end of February. Do you agree with this notion?
The news from the political party stems from the late Member of Parliament Mario Ambrosini, who battled lung cancer. Mr Ambrosini pleaded with President Jacob Zuma to decriminalise the use of medical marijuana in 2014 during a debate in Parliament.
Unfortunately, Ambrosini, who was diagnosed in 2013, took his own life in 2014, before the notion could be passed. For years the political party has been pressing hard to get the medical use of marijuana legalised.
“I think there is a bit of a misconception with a number of people that have seen this on social media – that there is going to be a ‘free for all’. It is certainly not a free for all, it’s a point of departure for government is that ‘okay let us accept that we need to research the efficacy of these products for pain relief," party chief whip Narend Singh said to EWN.
Do you think legalising marijuana for medicinal use will lead to it being abused or the way in which people access it being abused?