CANNABIS CAN KILL YOU

ANN WIDDECOMBE'S demand for a zero tolerance approach to drugs has been
met, predictably, with calls for a softer line on the use of cannabis.

Top politicians, police chiefs and even some doctors are implying the drug
should be regarded as a "safe" way to relax.

But they are the dopes. Cannabis KILLS.

Cannabis smoke contains FOUR TIMES as many cancer-causing chemicals as
tobacco smoke, and can also lead to lung cancer, bronchitis and emphysema.

There is also evidence it can trigger heart attacks.

The drug can cause hallucinations, aggravate schizophrenia and other mental
disorders and undermine the effects of anti-psychotic treatment.

Other effects include infertility and impotence. Excessive use has been
linked to low sperm count and, in women, reduced fertility.

Supporters claim the drug relieves pain. Indeed, the Government is funding
trials to see if it can help multiple sclerosis sufferers.

But the trials use a special type of cannabis inhaled as a vapour which
does not allow the user to get high.

When the active element THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is in full force in the
illegal variety, it is dangerous.

As a cannabis smoker inhales, about 400 different chemicals are released
into the bloodstream via the lungs.

It then rushes straight to the brain.

The pulse rate increases, blood pressure goes down, eyes become bloodshot
and the mouth dry.

The "high" effects start minutes after smoking and can last up to four hours.

Many of the fifty-something liberals who praise the drug they took in their
youth need to look at the facts. A shocking report earlier this year showed
that smoking dope was worse for your health than smoking cigarettes.

This is because users like to inhale more deeply and keep the smoke in
their lungs for as long as they can, to get the maximum high.

But they are depositing four times more burnt waste in the mouth, throat
and windpipe than with cigarettes.

The study at New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre showed the
risk of head and neck cancer was 2.6 times greater among cannabis users
than those who had never used it.

Cannabis use can lead people to think they can drive safely when they are
lethal accidents waiting to happen.

The drug stays in the body's fatty tissues for several days after use.
Smoking cannabis on a Saturday might impair your ability to drive until the
following Wednesday.

In countries where tests are carried out, more drivers have accidents under
the influence of marijuana than alcohol.

Unlike tobacco, cannabis persistently alters the molecular mechanisms of
the brain.

Researchers have proved that users will develop short-term memory loss.

Regular users slowly become dependent and often fail to realise they are
hooked.

They become lethargic and lack motivation. Cannabis is "a stealthily
noxious substance" says consultant psychiatrist Dr Andrew Wilski, of the
Pembury hospital in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

He says of regular users"With time, a state of low motivation with
reluctance to make constructive efforts in life develops. This can lead to
a general sloth, aimlessness and depression.

"I am convinced that wide use of the drug would in the long run cause
terrible psychological and social devastation."

There is also evidence that smoking cannabis can trigger heart attacks in
older people.

A study in Boston, Massachusetts, showed the drug could increase the risk
of cardiac arrest five-fold by increasing the heart rate by up to 40 beats
per minute.

Other scientists found that the drug could cause cancerous tumours to grow
faster by suppressing immunity.

Dr Steven Dubinett from the University of California, said"THC may
encourage tumour growth."

Professor David London is part of a team of eminent physicians and
psychiatrists who spent two years investigating the impact of drugs. He
said"I don't think anyone should go away with the idea that cannabis is safe.

"We know the effects of tobacco. I would hate it if in ten years there were
a similar epidemic of disease from the effects of cannabis smoking."