Elder statesman Quinton Edness has warned against the legalisation or decriminalisation of marijuana.

Mr Edness, a former Home Affairs Minister and twice Health Minister in UBP Governments, said he was “diametrically opposed” to a loosening off the law.

But Mr Edness added he did back the use of medical marijuana — although it would have to be strictly controlled.

“I don’t think any Government should be bringing in legislation which should encourage people to become intoxicated or rendered into a state of euphoria like this,” he said.

“I know we use this crutch of keeping young people out of court but we could manage that without decriminalising marijuana. We could find ways to educate our young people better and let them know they could get into trouble.”

He added: “I can understand marijuana being legalised for the purposes to do with various types of diseases, like cancer — but it has got to be used for medical purposes only and very much restricted to that.

“If the medical world has found it has some benefit for people with cancer, why not?”

Mr Edness said that legal drugs like alcohol and tobacco caused health and social problems which cost the country “millions and millions of dollars.”

“It’s not just the cost of in terms of money, but in the destruction of lives.”

Although US states like Colorado might make profits from a commercial trade in marijuana — it had brought problems in its wake, he said.

“A lot of people are saying the States are doing this, we have to do this.

“We don’t drive and ride our bikes on the right hand side of the road. We didn’t go that way.”