A petition to legalise marijuana picks up more than 150,000 signatures - meaning a parliamentary debate on the subject is highly likely. What do UK women think?

A petition to legalise marijuana in the UK has picked up hundreds of thousands of signatures in a matter of days - meaning that parliament is 'highly likely' to debate the subject in upcoming months. But is this a long overdue move that could boost the economy and transform many individuals' lives? Or is it a sliding slope that could trigger mental illness and crime? We spoke to the women campaigning for and against it...

David Cameron’s government should embrace legalisation – the benefits of doing so would make sound economic sense

Derbyshire, Dorset and Surrey police forces are said to be willing to turn a blind eye to those who grow cannabis, a Class B drug, for personal use – in order to focus on more serious crime.

The move follows a similar one by the Durham Constabulary, which announced last week it would only pursue people growing the drug if there was a specific complaint or their use was blatant.

While the government has not officially decriminalized the drug, forces appear to be becoming increasingly relaxed about its use and more inclined to warn offenders than charge them.

There may also be economic constraints, given the effects of austerity on UK police forces.

Police chiefs in three more forces have signalled that cannabis smokers and growers are no longer their priority.

They suggested that small-scale dope users may escape the full force of the law in Derbyshire, Dorset and Surrey.

Those caught smoking or cultivating the drug are likely to be let off with a warning or ‘slap on the wrist’ caution.

This week’s best city stories from around the web talk about marijuana zones in California, a forgotten waterway under the streets of Auckland, a mushroom farm in Camden and mime-artist-assisted traffic control in Bogotá. We’d love to hear your responses to these stories, and any others you’ve read recently, both on Guardian Cities and elsewhere. Just share your thoughts in the comments below.

Pot city

EMMA Litleton will conduct an international hunt to discover how medicinal cannabis can best treat seriously-ill children.

The Moonee Valley woman is among 23 Winston Churchill Memorial Trust recipients, which will enable her to head overseas to pursue her studies.

Ms Litleton, a senior solicitor, is a specialist in children’s law and said the prevalence of children being treated with cannabis oil had increased.

“There’s a lot of ethical issues with children, where we have to ensure that their best interests are met and that it is safe,” Ms Litleton said.

He said children given cannabis mainly had “serious epilepsy” and their parents had found conventional medication wasn’t working.

Edgbaston ground staff using cannabis plant lamps

The sun has not always shone at Edgbaston in recent days so the groundsman has sought some extra help

Such is the pressure on groundsmen in an Investec Ashes series in which pitches have dominated the agenda, Warwickshire have turned to an unlikely source of inspiration ahead of the third Test at Edgbaston. Head groundsman Gary Barwell, who is preparing his first Ashes surface, is using lights normally used for the cultivation of cannabis in the hope of preparing the perfect pitch.

United Kingdom lawmakers may consider a bill that would legalize cannabis for recreational use, after an online petition garnered the support of more than 150,000 people. The petition asks for lawmakers to allow the sale, production and recreational use of marijuana.

Petitions that exceed more than 100,000 signatures require a formal response from the government, and the House of Commons must consider putting the item to debate. Those which receive the required number of signatures are "almost always debated," according to the site. The petition, which was introduced last week, has amassed more than 158,000 signatures. 

It's strange how reports sometimes coincide. County Durham police said they would no longer prosecute growers of cannabis in small quantities for home use and an online petition launched by Aberystwyth University student James Owen has forced MPs to consider a Westminster debate into legalising the drug.

Are we on the path to enlightenment? Or the road to perdition?

In response to Durham’s decision to focus police attention on more serious crime because of budget cuts, West Yorkshire Police confirmed their policy of prosecution remains the same for cultivators of the weed.

Which made me think that landholders in the North might be tempted to divide their acreage into allotments and let them to amateur horticulturists south of their borders.

Sharon Osbourne doesn't think marijuana should be legalized.

The 62-year-old star has revealed she thinks it's a mistake that four US states have chosen to decriminalize the drug and hopes that Britain doesn't choose to follow suit.

She said: "Anything that alters your mental state I don't think should be allowed."

The TV personality - whose husband Ozzy Osbourne has struggled with drug and alcohol abuse in the past - claimed making cannabis legal will result in more accidents.

She told America's CBS TV: "The next thing I am waiting for is when someone is working heavy machinery, when they are driving a car. It is all going to end in tears."