CANNABIS

I'd like to thank Dr Ivan Harper for his reflections on my stance against
cannabis prohibition (6.4.01). It is an honour to have been the subject of
one of his unique diatribes. The prejudice and fear that clouds Dr Harper's
view of cannabis and cannabis law reform might have been taken seriously 10
or 15 years ago, but times have changed.

These days a large number of New Zealanders choose to smoke cannabis, and
the resulting harm is far less than that caused by alcohol and tobacco
abuse. Our flawed cannabis legislation unjustly criminalises hundreds of
thousands of New Zealanders, as well as presenting a major impediment to
drug education, treatment, and community intervention.

The impact of cannabis prohibition is by far the major danger associated
with cannabis use. Duncan Eddy

Dunedin

[Abridged. - Ed.]