CANNABIS AND THE LAW

I ADMIRE Don Quinn for "is bravery in stating his beliefs (We should go
Dutch, Postbag October 28) on cannabis.

It is a. great pity more elected officials do not follow his example. What
does Colchester MP Bob Russell and aspiring politicians have to say and what
about Mr Quinn's fellow councillors - they are all remarkably quiet on the
subject.

That said, I am sure that many Gazette readers would agree with Mr Russell
that we should be looking at incremental changes in laws and policies on
cannabis rather than sweeping changes that may not be possible in the short
to medium term - in principle I am not against this.

However, from a practical point, until the law is clarified concerning
testing body fluids for recent cannabis use in the workplace, and for
impairment while driving, decriminalisation cannot be a serious
consideration for the UK.

Consider also the problem of people who use hemp seed oil supplements for
its health-giving qualities. Hemp seed products test positive for illicit
cannabis use. Are health food shops going to put warnings on its hemp seed
products?

Full legalisation and utilising of the cannabis plant to its full potential
is the only way to avoid chaos.

I hope this helps Don Quinn to understand why I believe that the Dutch
decriminalisation system may not work here.

Don Barnard, Legalise Cannabis Alliance,
Aetheric Road, Braintree.