A petition to legalise marijuana picks up more than 150,000 signatures - meaning a parliamentary debate on the subject is highly likely. What do UK women think?

A petition to legalise marijuana in the UK has picked up hundreds of thousands of signatures in a matter of days - meaning that parliament is 'highly likely' to debate the subject in upcoming months. But is this a long overdue move that could boost the economy and transform many individuals' lives? Or is it a sliding slope that could trigger mental illness and crime? We spoke to the women campaigning for and against it...

David Cameron’s government should embrace legalisation – the benefits of doing so would make sound economic sense

Derbyshire, Dorset and Surrey police forces are said to be willing to turn a blind eye to those who grow cannabis, a Class B drug, for personal use – in order to focus on more serious crime.

The move follows a similar one by the Durham Constabulary, which announced last week it would only pursue people growing the drug if there was a specific complaint or their use was blatant.

While the government has not officially decriminalized the drug, forces appear to be becoming increasingly relaxed about its use and more inclined to warn offenders than charge them.

There may also be economic constraints, given the effects of austerity on UK police forces.

Police chiefs in three more forces have signalled that cannabis smokers and growers are no longer their priority.

They suggested that small-scale dope users may escape the full force of the law in Derbyshire, Dorset and Surrey.

Those caught smoking or cultivating the drug are likely to be let off with a warning or ‘slap on the wrist’ caution.

If anyone would have suggested a year ago that Ohio might be on the verge of legalizing marijuana in 2015, I would have laughed at the idea.

First, Ohio is a conservative Midwestern state that is seldom, if ever, on the cutting edge on social issues. And second, 2015 is an off-year election, with no statewide or federal elections, meaning the voter turn-out would be lower and the likely voters would be older and less supportive than would be the case if the proposal were on the ballot in 2016, a presidential election year when younger voters turn out in far higher numbers.

South Dakotans have long been using marijuana illegally to treat a variety of aliments. A new initiated measure is aiming to legalize up to three ounces of marijuana for patients with serious medical conditions. The patient would need two separate doctor recommendations. 

Republican state Sen. Craig Tieszen isn't the stereotypical backer of medical marijuana in South Dakota.

For more than three decades, Tieszen wore a badge as a police officer, spending the last seven years of his career as Rapid City police chief.

And now he is a suit-wearing lawmaker, who is serving the final year of his fourth term in the South Dakota Senate.

As Breitbart News reported in “Pot Tax: Sacramento Politicians ‘Jonesing’ for a Spending Fix,” the Democrat-controlled California Legislature is desperate for marijuana taxes, which could arise from a 2016 ballot initiative legalizing marijuana, in hopes of gaining a consistent new tax revenue source.

However, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) estimates that illegal pot growing is drying up watersheds and causing some at-risk fisheries to approach collapse.

While a bipartisan House task force works on a compromise medical marijuana bill, House Speaker Mike Turzai told the Pennsylvania Press Club on Monday that concerns still have to be addressed.

Pending legislation would allow for a certain number of licensed medical cannabis growers and distributors, but Turzai, R-Allegheny, voiced some lingering questions.

Rep. Mike Turzai speaks with at the Pennsylvania Press Club on Monday.Photo by Sam Janesch 

Kevin Sabet has become synonymous with the opposition to  marijuana legalization in the US. As a former drug policy adviser to the White House and co-founder, with Patrick Kennedy, of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), Sabet has long acted as a major counterpoint to pro-legalization groups like the Marijuana Policy Project and Drug Policy Alliance.