CANNABIS - HARMFUL, NOT HARMLESS

I was concerned by the comment of Professor Margaret Hamilton that "the
majority of recreational cannabis users don't experience harm" (The Age, 2/8).

I have practised as a general practitioner with a special interest in drug
and alcohol management for 15 years, and nearly everyday meet recreational
cannabis users with paranoid aggression, short-term memory loss, loss of
motivation and loss of self esteem. Furthermore, it is unusual to meet a
heroin-dependent person who did not start with recreational cannabis use.

It is time that cannabis was recognised as a major health hazard,
particularly for teenagers, and that parents cease to provide safe havens
for its use.

Dr PETER DRAKE, Bentleigh