JOINT OPINION

Support Is Growing For The Legalisation Of Cannabis, But
Why Do Our MSPs Not Act?

David Rendell has cancer of the lymph glands. Jonathan Wilson has
stomach cancer. Elizabeth Ivol, Bill Reeve and Claire Hodges have
multiple sclerosis. They use cannabis to get relief from pain.

A smoke or some hash mixed in food gives them much-needed relief
without the nauseating side effects of prescribed drugs. They are
harming no one and improving the quality of their difficult daily
lives, yet, disgracefully, their use of cannabis makes them criminals
in the eyes of the law.

This ludicrous state of affairs exists because of the demonising of
all drugs by this Government and its immediate predecessors.

Current drug laws were enacted in 1971, but since then there has been
a huge shift in social behaviour and attitudes. Research studies have
established that young people who use drugs currently classed as
illegal, are outgoing sociable and in total control of their
recreational use. No one has died from a cannabis overdose.

The police will tell you - off the record - that there is much less
likelihood of trouble at events where soft drugs are being taken
instead of alcohol. Every weekend in the towns and cities of Britain
the catalyst for most arrests is alcohol, yet this drug remains legal
and freely available.

Despite 10,000 people in Britain regularly using cannabis to relieve
pain and three in five GPs saying it should be available for
therapeutic purposes, UK doctors cannot legally prescribe cannabis, a
Class B drug, to relieve pain. They can prescribe Class A drugs such
as morphine and heroin.

Similarly cigarettes, which manufacturers admitted for the first time
last week cause cancer and other terminal illnesses, can be bought
over the counter and smoked legally.

Clearly the current laws are too blunt and unsophisticated - it is
time for our politicians to start taking the subject seriously. The
'Just Say No' campaigns have failed miserably and the glib 'war on all
drugs' line of the tabloid press is futile.

Many of our MSPs have made a start in these pages by standing up to be
counted in the first comprehensive survey of their attitudes towards
the laws on cannabis.

We thank and congratulate those who took the time and trouble to vote.
We we're disappointed. however, that 34 made no attempt to answer us
while 12 abstained. It is depressing that out elected representatives
are not able te show more of a lead on such a big issue.

Perhaps an independent national commission due to report in the new
year will help concentrate minds. It has been examining current
procedures and their legal framework for two years, pulling together
experts from the law, medicine, social welfare, criminology, moral
philosophy and the media.

In the meantime, those MSPs unable to form an opinion would do well to
read the testimonies of David, Jonathan, Elizabeth, Bill and Claire in
the preceding pages and talk to their constituents.

At The Big Issue in Scotland, we favour a close scrutiny of current
legislation with honest and vigorous debate which examines all the
practical aspects of this complex issue.

All responses will be forwarded to Margo MacDonald, the Nationalist
MSP who has called for a commission of experts and lay people to
examine this contentious subject. It's time to move the debate forward
and turn words into action.

SIDEBAR
'Quote... ...unquote'

"It's better we debate this subject openly and honestly, rather than
have some policy being implemented by stealth by the Crown Office."
JIM WALLACE
Scotland's Deputy First Minister, on cannabis.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The way we operate nowadays, it's rare to report someone to the
fiscal for a small amount of cannabis for personal use."
ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S LEADING POLICE OFFICERS, speaking on condition of
anonymity about the force's attitude to cannabis.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Our policy on cannabis is unaltered from the previous Government's.
We have no intention at legal ising the drug."
SAM GALBRAITH
then Scottish health minister, last year on Labour's attitude to cannabis.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"This will have been a profound experience for him. I feel we will see
a more sensitive Home Secretary. There should be a new humility from
politicians of all parties about lecturing parents on how to bring up
their children."
LABOUR MP PAUL FLYNN
speaking last year after Jack Straw's son William was cautioned for selling
cannabis to an undercover reporter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"William is learning the lessons of this episode and has my support
I'm grateful for the restraint shown towards him."
JACK STRAW's comments in the aftermath of the cannabis sting by The Mirror
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It's no good politicians standing up and saying, 'We're against
drugs. Full Stop.' There are quite strong arguments against the
popular view that soft drugs lead to hard drugs. It's like saying
drinking lager leads to alcoholism."
SIR DAVID STEEL
now the Scottish Parliament's Presiding Officer, speaking in 1996 after his
son Graeme was released from a nine-month jail sentence for cultivating
cannabis
with an estimated value of UKP30,000.