MAKE CANNABIS LEGAL SAYS CLARE

Psychiatrist Anthony Clare says cannabis should be de-criminalised but
he warns that it can trigger psychosis in some people.

He said people prone to psychotic illness seem to be made worse by
alcohol or cannabis. But he said if there was a newspaper
advertisement asking people to sign up to demand that cannabis be
de-criminalised, similar to appeals made in the 1960s, he thought he
would sign.

Asked in an interview in Hot Press magazine if he would legalise
cannabis, he said: ``I'd listen to the arguments. But there should be
no debate about decriminalisation. It should just be decriminalised
... If you pushed me really hard said `it's got to be legalised or
not' I'd probably go for legalisation.''

Professor Clare, medical director of St Patrick's psychiatric hospital
in Dublin, was asked if he ever recommended cannabis to patients, to
calm them.

``No,'' he replied, and said: ``And I do have one major reservation
about cannabis being used in this context. And alcohol. There are some
people, prone to psychotic illness, who seem to be made worse by
alcohol or cannabis.

``I'm not saying cannabis causes psychosis. But there are patients I
strongly advise not to smoke cannabis. It seems to trigger their psychosis.

``But I am also aware that we have legalised drugs that are quite
complex. Aspirin, alcohol, nicotine. So, obviously, there are vestiges
of liberalism about me. The public should be free to choose.

``And the public really are indicating that cannabis is a drug they
regard as a drug of recreation, no worse than alcohol.''

But he viewed hard drugs as a different issue and would be very uneasy
if there was any weakening in the legal position regarding hard drugs,
he said.