Brendan McAndrew

Virginia

"Many people pass judgment on the use of marijuana without looking at individual circumstances. Many jump to the conclusion that nothing but negative things stem from its use, mainly on the grounds that they are not educated about it. Education is the key, because once people are educated, they can make wiser decisions.

"Many civilized countries, until recently, endorsed a sex education program which relied solely on the promotion of abstinence, which failed greatly. Now we have proper sex education courses in schools to educate our children as to the dangers of unsafe sex and how to make proper decisions. We must educate our youth instead of simply saying, 'Drugs are bad, do not use them,' , if we are to fix the 'drug problem.' We all know that this approach has resulted in the complete eradication of drug use.

"I'm somewhat skinny, and cannabis helps me eat. For the first time in many years, I have begun to gain weight. It has made me see that there is a great and beautiful world out there. I want to make the world a better place just as John Lennon and Bob Marley (both marijuana smokers) did."

• College student
  

• Enjoys music, science, nature, and comedy