CANNABIS USE NOT A SERIOUS RISK TO HEALTH SAYS MINISTRY

Cannabis does not pose a big health risk, the Health Ministry yesterday
told a select committee inquiry into the mental health effects of the drug.

The ministry's submission to Parliament's health select committee says most
New Zealanders who used cannabis used it only occasionally, and reported
few health problems.

"Overall, the current public health risks of cannabis use are small to
moderate in size, and are less than the public health risk of tobacco or
alcohol use," the ministry's submission says.

Studies had failed to demonstrate any evidence that even acute cannabis use
caused brain damage, and suggested that even long-term heavy cannabis use
caused only subtle impairment of cognition, the submission says.

High doses could produce short-term psychosis, and could exacerbate
schizophrenia in those already affected by the condition, and about 10 per
cent of users were dependent on cannabis, the ministry said.

"Beyond that it is difficult to draw any sort of definitive
cause-and-effect relationship between cannabis and mental illness."

Deputy director of mental health Nick Judson said no more than 2 to 3 per
cent of the population were at serious risk from cannabis.

The ministry also acknowledged that in many parts of New Zealand mental
health and drug and alcohol services had not been well coordinated, so
failed to meet the needs of many with mental health and substance abuse
problems.

Drug Policy Forum Trust director David Hadorn said that research had
largely exonerated cannabis as a cause of mental illness.

The mental health of New Zealanders was put at greater risk by
criminalisation of cannabis than cannabis itself, he said.

"Creating a climate of criminality around cannabis ensures that the
relatively few people who develop problems are less likely to seek help.
This sets off a spiral of alienation, marginalisation and anti-social
behaviour, which too often can culminate in criminality, mental illness and
violence."

"By driving cannabis use underground, we surely make the situation far
worse than would be the case under a controlled, regulated system of
cannabis distribution. Creating a flourishing black market for a widely
used substance inevitably fosters criminal activity."

Dr Hadorn said the only drug proven to contribute to violence was alcohol,
and cannabis had the opposite effect. "It tends to encourage people to
stay home and watch Cheech and Chong movies and listen to Pink Floyd."

"Honest" education programmes were needed to reduce cannabis use by young
people, but the "hyperbole approach" used by New Zealand police just
encouraged young people to experiment, Dr Hadorn said.

Assistant police commissioner Ian Holyoake said police opposed legalisation
of cannabis, but were "not blind to the issues raised by the legalisation
lobby".

But till there were better programmes to reduce the harm caused by
cannabis, its illegal status "remained a powerful tool", Mr Holyoake said.

"Police take the view that cannabis is an inherently harmful drug with
serious health risk to regular and long-term users, especially the young,"
he said.

Mr Holyoake admitted police had had limited success in reducing cannabis
offending, and had failed to halt involvement of gangs in cannabis
cultivation and distribution.

He said cannabis had a huge impact on Maori communities, especially in
Northland, Bay of Plenty and Poverty Bay.

"Police working in these communities speak of a dead generation or two, and
of young people losing touch with their elders and their families. Their
focus in life is cannabis -- growing, smoking and the culture -- rendering
them blind to life's opportunities.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski