I am once again appalled at the amount of time and public money
being spent prosecuting a person for an offence involving a
virtually harmless plant - cannabis. By now it should be clear
that cannabis is remarkably safe. This has been confirmed by
every major government and scientific investigation including our
own 1968 Royal Commission report.

Laws are meant to protect people and society, not simply impose
the will of the Government on its citizens. Recently beef on the
bone, like cannabis, has been declared dangerous. Yet known
poisons and dangers, not only the likes of alcohol and tobacco
but also clingfilm, pesticides, pollutants and food additives,
are allowed.

The act of Jack Straw's son in supplying cannabis had no victim;
nobody was hurt (except possibly the pride of his father).
Millions of people have supplied each other with cannabis since
this case has been in the press, with no harm done. The only
victims will be the lad himself - a victim of a nonsense law -
and the public, who will foot the bill.

What we need is truth, not a nanny state run by hypocritical
individuals who seem hardly capable of living within their own rules.

Ann Clarke
Norwich