LINKS TO A PRINTABLE TEXT DOCUMENT, AN IMAGE OF THE ORIGINAL WORK, AND EVIDENCE OF CERTIFICATION:
Chris Larham’s consideration of the pros and cons of cannabis decriminalization [36 out of 40, 2000/2001] can be opened in a print-friendly text document format here
An image of the original graded work can be seen here
An image of Chris Larham’s ‘A’-grade AS Level French certificate can be seen here
| FRANÇAIS | ENGLISH |
La dépénalisation du cannabis |
The decriminalization of cannabis |
|
Selon toute l’évidence scientifique, le cannabis est une drogue moins dangereuse que les autres drogues bien connus, comme l’héroïne, la cocaïne, l’ecstasy, et l’alcool; les cannabinoïdes sont même moins néfastes que le tabac! Le cannabis n’arrive pas à rendre les gens dépendants {la dépendance physique est “faible”}, il n’y a pas de neuro-toxicité et il y a très peu toxicité générale {c’est de la classification “faible” encore}. À part cela, la dépénalisation du cannabis serait un moyen d’éviter ou de contrôler le trafic; pour moi, c’est stupide de dépenser beaucoup d’argent en essayant de capturer les gens qui vendent ou qui achètent le cannabis quand ce n’est pas aussi dangereux que le tabac ou l’alcool! En plus, je crois que la dépénalisation pourrait diminuer le nombre de gens qui l’abusent: même si le cannabis devenait plus répandu, la part de danger serait beaucoup baissé. Ça serait beaucoup mieux pours les gens qui vivent dans le monde de la drogue, surtout les revendeurs et les dealers qui pourraient faire fortune d’une manière légal! Après une augmentation initiale, on aboutirait à une diminution à long terme, sans doute – bien sûr, il y a des gens qui le consomment parce que c’est interdit. À mon avis, il est hypocrite {en fait, aussi hypocrite qu’un homme politique!} d’interdire le hasch et pas soit le tabac, soit l’alcool: cette prohibition contribue à une démarche de prévention efficace. Je pense que c’est une question de choix individuel, et la plupart des pays européenes l’ont déjà dépénalisé. Enfin, je dis que le cannabis doit être dépénalisé, mais d’une façon sensée: il faut l’autoriser mais fixer une limite d’âge minimum et une limite qui nous dit de ne pas en abuser. [^] |
According to all the scientific evidence, cannabis is a less dangerous drug than other well-known drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, and alcohol; cannabinoids are even less harmful than tobacco! Cannabis use does not induce dependance {physical dependance is classed as “weak”}, there is no neuro-toxicity and there is very little toxicity in general {it is classed as “weak” once again}. That aside, the decriminalization of cannabis would be a way to avoid or to control trafficking; I think it is stupid to spend a lot of money trying to capture people who sell or buy cannabis when it is not even as dangerous as tobacco or alcohol. Furthermore, I believe that decriminalization could decrease the number of people who abuse cannabis: even if cannabis became more widespread, the danger of abuse would be minimized. It would be much better for people who live in the world of drugs, especially sellers and dealers who would be able to make their fortune in a legal manner! After an initial increase, decriminalization would lead to a long-term decrease – there are certainly some people who partake of cannabis for the precise reason that it is illegal. In my opinion, it is hypocritical {in fact, as hypocritical as a politician!} to prohibit hashish yet prohibit neither tobacco, nor alcohol: decriminalization contributes to an effective preventative approach. I think that it is a matter of individual choice, and the majority of European countries have already decriminalized it. In conclusion, I believe that cannabis must be decriminalized in a sensible manner – there should be a legal minimum age and a limit of consumption that people should not abuse. [^] |
Forty-year-old father of three wonderful children [William, Seth, and Alyssa]. Works as an Assistant Technical Officer in the Sterile Services Department of Treliske Hospital, Cornwall. Enjoys jogging, web design, learning programming languages, and supporting Arsenal FC. Obtained a BA degree in English from the University of Bolton in 2008, and has continued to gain qualifications in a diverse range of subjects thereafter.
