What you said: on light rail Stage 2 and legalising marijuana

Canberra Times

Should the ACT Government launch into construction of Stage 2 of light rail as soon as it has federal parliamentary approval? 

Yes 48%, No 45%, Unsure 7%

Light rail needs to be a whole system, not just one section.

Stage 2 light rail should be subjected to a serious cost-benefit analysis. Unlike Stage 1, Stage 2 has little prospect of a development boom along its proposed corridor and no chance of passing even the "pub test".

Although I am a great supporter of our new Stage 1 light rail and can't wait to take my first ride, I'm not convinced Stage 2 has the route right. I think Belconnen needs it more than the southside. I also think Stage 1 should run for a year or two to iron out any problems before Stage 2 is commenced.

Stage 2 light rail is a terrible idea looking for a big bucket of money to waste. Don't screw over Adelaide Avenue or Commonwealth Avenue.

Readers were divided over whether the government should start constructing Stage 2 of the light rail.Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

With hindsight, I wish that the ACT had never started this light rail nonsense. The money would have been better spent on a new hospital to benefit all of us.

The ACT government should not spend a single cent on any further tram routes until the current tram has been in operation long enough for a fair assessment of its benefits and detriments.

The feds should get out of the way and let the government Canberrans elected to build our light rail

The planned stage 2 of light rail has nothing to do with transport but is to maximize land development return along the route.

Light rail? The topic everyone is sick of. Let's see how efficient and well patronised the current first section of light rail works, before spending millions more for expansion of the network.

Stage 2 of the light rail must not proceed until there is a fully independent and published costing (and no excuses of 'commercial-in-confidence') AND not until after the next election.

Light rail stage 2 should be abandoned because it will take too long to get to Woden, for much of the route the population is small, and the construction would require vast emissions of greenhouse gases - all that steel and concrete. Besides, light rail is so inflexible.

Before rushing to extend the light rail, wait and see what the usage of Stage 1 is before building Stage 2. No point extending it if the usage does not meet targets.

19th-century transport ie light rail, at least there was a traffic problem from Gungahlin, there is no traffic problem from Woden to Civic, so why do it??

Do you support moves to legalise the personal use of marijuana in the ACT?

Yes 53%, No 35%, Unsure12%

Just over half of readers supported moves to legalise marijuana for personal use.Credit:Eduardo Leal

The risk to motorists and other road users from marijuana and other illicit drugs outweigh any perceived benefit. If it is to be legalised there needs to be complementary legislation to make users who cause or are involved in accidents the presumed responsible person due to diminished mental acuity.

I would like to know if I became ill that there would be the option of taking marijuana if I wanted it.

Marijuana should only be legal for people with a clinical need for. It should be legalised for recreational use.

Personal marijuana: I've lived in cities and states of the US whilst they've allowed that. It's not a big deal, other than a boring issue, initially, because initially, users go overboard and thus become boring to listen to.

There are far too many drug problems in our society already, without making it even worse by legalising marijuana for personal use.

Marijuana has many long-lasting adverse effects, including psychological, and is often wrongly dismissed as a benign drug. Casual use is less risky, but I worry about heavy users if it gets more readily available.

If pollies want to maintain the ban on marijuana, then they need to justify the continuing legality of other drugs such as alcohol and tobacco which have far greater health impacts.

Evidence from overseas indicates that legalisation has only minor impacts on usage and shifts the issues from criminality to health. This is a win-win on so many fronts.

With marijuana, as with many other controversial matters, a trial period should be designated during which effects should be measured and reviewed to determine future courses of action.

Marijuana - use not recommended but filling jails does not stop it, just costs a lot and messes up a few lives.

And no to personal marijuana use - I've seen how it affects young people in particular and I don't want the road and marijuana affected car drivers to be an added danger on the roads.

Smoking marijuana is not a good idea. Too many people who have the proclivity for schizophrenia are driven psychotic by the smoking of marijuana. And you know that I'll drink to that: Cheers!

Medicinal marijuana should only be for those suffering from serious medical conditions. If it is legalised without conditions it will be open slather for consumption by drug addicts with the serious consequences for the health of such addicts.