Ideas Factory: 3AW Mornings tackles debate about legalising marijuana

US rapper Snoop Dogg has launched a controversial weed-friendly lifestyle website intended to provide an ‘encyclopaedia to the cannabis world’.

In the Ideas Factory this week, 3AW Mornings tackled the debate about legalising marijuana and whether Australia should follow suit.

And unsurprisingly, the Help End Marijuana Prohibition Party has some strong beliefs.

HEMP president Michael Balderstone told Tony Jones while he discouraged young people from smoking, it should be distinguished from other illicit substances.

‘With sniffer dogs, pot is the bulky, smelly easy bust it’s encouraging people to use other drugs I think,’ he said.

But Tony Jones said Mr Balderstone was ignoring the drug’s harmful properties.

‘Prohibition and getting busted is easily the biggest detrimental effect,’ Mr Balderstone said.

‘It can really affect your career for life, give you a criminal record for life.

‘Prohibition has pushed pot indoors – so it’s grown by organised criminals in baths of chemicals.’

Click play for this week’s Ideas Factory