EXPERT DENIES CANNABIS KILLS - CORONER CAUTIONED ON ECSTASY LINK

A drug expert has cautioned the Auckland coroner against linking
cannabis with the designer drug Ecstasy. Professor Sally Casswell of
Auckland University said there was no evidence that cannabis had
killed as Ecstasy had.

She also pointed to a study that showed most cannabis users never went
on to try Ecstasy.

On Wednesday, coroner Mate Frankovich attacked pro-cannabis
politicians and challenged them to attend inquests to understand
better the damage drugs caused.

His comments came in his ruling on the Ecstasy death of Jamie
Langridge, of Whangarei, at a Pakatoa Island dance party on March 4.

"I feel sure that some of our parliamentarians might revise their
thinking towards the decriminalisation of the use of marijuana … if
they were to attend a few inquests," Mr Frankovich said.

The coroner could not be contacted yesterday for further
comment.

Professor Casswell, director of the Alcohol and Public Health Research
Unit, said she did not know of any deaths directly caused by cannabis.
"It's extremely unlikely that there's any fatality … directly related
to cannabis, so it is a very different situation from the Ecstasy
fatality he was discussing in the Coroner's Court."

She quoted a 1998 study of 5475 people which showed that 24 per cent
of those aged 15 to 45 had used cannabis more than twice in the past
year but that only 1 per cent had used Ecstasy. "On that basis, you
could say that the vast majority of cannabis users don't go on to use
Ecstasy."

However, Professor Casswell supported the coroner's attempt to
highlight the dangers of drugs.

"I think it needs to be acknowledged that what he was trying to remind
us about is that cannabis use does cause harm, and heavy use does
cause harm particularly.

"He is quite right if he reminds us that if cannabis use becomes more
widespread there will be more problems and communities will have to
find ways of dealing with that.

"I understand, probably in part, where he's coming from …"