'Superskunk me: What happened when one woman smoked dope daily for a month for a BBC documentary' By NATASHA COURTENAY-SMITH

I am nearly getting close to my main focus on Cannabis within the media and I feel that this project was very interesting and could say a lot about what the media has to say about Cannabis . . .but is this project actually correct?

'Just a few puffs on a rolled-up cigarette containing "skunk" - a strong form of cannabis - was all it took to strip Nicky Taylor of all her capabilities and to induce a terrifying combination of paranoia, fear and anxiety.'

This statement immediately leads its audience to give an effect of a ‘give what they want to hear’ factor, due to the fact that when you truly look at this experiment it will open your mind to understand why she felt this way.

'As the drug took effect, she was rendered incapable of doing anything, looking anxiously around her and trying to calm her trembling hands.
But Nicky is not just another of the millions of Britons who smoke cannabis regularly. She chose to experiment with the drug as part of a BBC documentary in which she investigated just how damaging smoking different forms of the drug can be - with herself as a guinea pig.'

What the writer has chosen to exemplify is ‘a divorced mother-of-three’s’ reaction to smoking cannabis but has not chosen to explain about the hardships in her lifestyle which recreational drugs such as cannabis would lead her to think about. She also displays her knowledge of the number of people who smoke cannabis in the UK but how can one person generalize the effects of the intake of cannabis?

"I had a feeling the drug had unlocked some sort of paranoia in my head that would never go away again - I suddenly felt everyone hated me. Without doubt, that was one of the worst moments of my life."

This statement from Nicky is a common effect that smoking cannabis can have upon someone, but she also had people around her, filming, asking questions upon her state etc which would also lead her to feel as if she is paranoid because she is smoking a class c drug that is illegal.

'At one point during her investigation, scientific tests proved that, thanks to the drug, she had developed a level of psychosis well above that seen in individuals with schizophrenia.
It is estimated that 15 million people in the UK have tried cannabis, and up to 5 million smoke it on a regular basis.
In the UK, cannabis use has increased 1,000 per cent since the Seventies, and according to a recent Unicef report, the UK has the third highest rate of young people smoking cannabis in the Western world.'

The use of facts and figures also gives the audience an incite into a generalised view upon cannabis and how it differs to harder drugs such as cocaine or heroine.

"Until now, I hadn't really considered cannabis had that much more effect than a bottle of wine might do, but now I know that's far from the truth.
"The drug took me to some dark and frightening places, to which I hope I never return."

The last statement from Nicky sends a message towards its audience of its true effects upon your mind and body physically and mentally. The way in which this investigation was run can be seen as very responsible due to the fact it would lead many people to not use the drug, but is its portrayal of cannabis responsible?

I feel as though the investigation was very biased and does not send out a true portrayal to its audience about the advantages and disadvantages of the drug because this could easily send teenagers out to do it. The age of Nicky also cannot represent the message either, due to the fact teenagers would not be able to relate or even people ranging between 25-35. It is a very good message which has been sent out but is the experiment responsible? I will leave you to decide, leave your opinions on my comment box.