CANNABIS IS HARMFUL

Matthew Adams in his Goss column has pointed out that we could not find
conclusive evidence that the use of cannabis is harmful.

I suggest there is deafening evidence that it is and he should do some
investigative journalism to verify or disprove my claim.

I simply state, Matthew, that it is too easy to legislate a blind eye to the
so-called soft drug of cannabis when the physical and psychological
consequences of the drug are still not proven.

Is it proven about tobacco? Has education in the schools stemmed its use and
abuse among the young? I think not.

Feeding tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and the narcotic drug usage must be
something far more powerful than education alone has managed to combat.

My experience of drug education in schools going back to the early 70s to
the present time, is of half-hearted programs, inconsistently applied and
reliant on the mandated harm minimisation approach.

We have been at this through education a long time without result.

What are the hard questions about today's society that you state make it
impossible for our young to just say no, that we should be addressing?

That is where the journalistic, summit process and community soul-searching
should be focussed before the "too hard" options are foisted on us.

Kerry Parkinson, Tamworth