How could anyone vote to make cannabis more freely available when we know how much harm it does to our health, both physical and mental.

We have spent many hundreds of thousands of dollars encouraging people not to smoke as we all know how bad it is for our health, and cannabis will put us on a very expensive journey, as if our health budget isn't under enough pressure already.

We don't know either how many are suffering with schizophrenia, and other mental conditions because of smoking cannabis.

Yet here is a Government supporting the Greens move to encourage the smoking of cannabis.

None can guarantee that every effort will not be made to increase the THC in order to quicken addiction to the cannabis which today is often laced with methamphetamine.

So, think people before you unleash more problems on our families and children.

This referendum sends all the wrong messages.

People say alcohol is far worse and it is legal and is in every drink type imaginable, and is that what we want for cannabis?

All the hype and gloss being advertised now excludes and ignores the misery that drugs including cannabis cause our families and society.

M Murray-Benge, Bethlehem