A CORONER'S VERDICT ON THE DANGERS OF CANNABIS

Your leader on drugs control (February 7) is a reflection of what informed
opinion has been aware of for many years, and ignored by two generations of
judicial authority for too many of those years. As the coroner, for more
than a decade, for the southern district of Greater London, dealing with
4,000 reported deaths per annum, I have yet to come across a death directly
caused by or directly connected with cannabis.

A recent parliamentary reply covering the last decade fully supported that
conclusion. However, cigarettes are responsible for in the region of 100,000
deaths per annum, alcohol directly causative of over 5,000 and, from my
experience, a major contributor to very many more. However, I can enjoy my
Chardonnay in public or private without fear of arrest, but the youngster
with a relatively harmless amount of cannabis risks a jail sentence. I have
seen at first hand quite brutal sentences inflicted by judges after their
lunchtime tipple and tobacco.

That is not to argue that there may not be dangers associated with the
regular use of cannabis, but when I consider the 30-40 deaths per annum
resulting from exposure to asbestos it helps to put the matter into more
perspective.

This is not a party political issue but successive governments have ignored
the damage done to our criminal system and the alienation of youth, while
all barring the Liberal party and the police foundation are misrepresented
and tainted as favouring the use of drugs by the blanket condemnation of
what is seen to be an outmoded establishment.

Paul B Rose
Kenton,
Middlesex