DEALING WITH THE DOPE

Cannabis convictions risk hindering treatment options, writes the Manawatu
Evening Standard in an editorial.

Cannabis destroys young people's vitality, ambition and capacity to learn,
says National's Education spokesman Nick Smith.

But criminal convictions, even at youth level, don't do a lot for their
prospects either.

It's just not appropriate to make everything that's bad for us illegal.

Dr Smith was in Palmerston North drumming up signatures for a petition
opposing government moves to stop making criminals of anyone caught with a
joint.

City high schools provided receptive ears for the message, although they
have been known to make a fair fist of enforcing school rules without
needing the back-up of the law.

The petition asks that instead of reviewing the decriminalisation of
cannabis, the Government concentrates on increasing the effectiveness of
education programmes, treatment of users and support for families.

It's not an either-or matter. The Government should do both, and the
education, treatment and support issues could be more openly dealt with
without the stigma of criminal offending.