Peter Hitchens argues that cannabis remains illegal in Britain but is widely used openly because police and courts rarely enforce possession laws. He cites people preparing or smoking joints in public and suggests this reflects a broader failure to take the drug’s potential risks seriously.

The article claims cannabis use is linked to violent crime and severe mental illness, drawing on examples from Britain and the United States, though these associations are presented as arguments rather than established proof of causation. It also attributes declining enforcement partly to lobbying for legalisation and says some American commentators and media outlets are reconsidering their previous support for wider cannabis access.