THEORY ON DRUGS IS `LONG DISCREDITED'

Sir, In your editorial (20 May) criticising the call from the Church of
Scotland for the decriminalisation of cannabis, you say the "Kirk finds
itself at odds with the new Government, which believes that pot smoking
can lead to harder and more harmful drugs and should therefore be banned".
This is not the case, as the Government does not claim that using cannabis
leads to harder drugs: the "progression theory" has long been discredited.

You go on to state that "there is no evidence that decriminalisation
alleviates the drug problem". Again, that is simply not true. The
experience in the Netherlands is precisely that; indeed,
decriminalisation there has reduced hard drug abuse substantially.

The point the Rev John Cowie was making at the General Assembly was that
decriminalisation leaves the supply of drugs in the hands of criminals.
Only full legalisation and the resulting control which could be applied
would solve that aspect.

There is no doubt that the Dutch experience has been very positive indeed.
It must be remembered that cannabis is now part of our culture and has
been for some time and to maintain this failed prohibition is a recipe for
social tension and alienation. I support the Kirk in its call to
decriminalise cannabis, a measure which is long overdue.

Derek Williams, Pembroke Road, Norwich

Sir I read with interest your report on the Church of Scotland's call
for the decriminalisation of cannabis, and then with dismay your editorial
comment relating to it. It saddens me that at a time when the General
Assembly finally becomes enlightened about the stupidity of the
prohibition of the harmless drug, cannabis, the Scotsman reiterates those
same, tired arguments.

Your view that it is the Government's belief that "pot smoking can lead
to harder and more harmful drugs" and, therefore, should be banned,
ignores the vital point that it is the illegal status of cannabis which
allows the users to be introduced to these harder drugs. It is unlikely
that a chemist or a legal "coffee shop" selling cannabis would try to push
other drugs on to the consumer, whereas dealers are only too happy to do
this.

The claim that there is "no evidence" of Amsterdam's decriminalisation of
cannabis alleviating the drug problem ignores the success achieved in
separating the soft and hard drug markets, resulting in a decline in the
number of heroin users at a time when most other European countries are
seeing a rapid increase.

The drug problem is certainly not alleviated through the policies employed
in the United States, which the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, is so keen to
copy.

The Kirk wishes to regain interest from the youth of Scotland. There is
substantial evidence to suggest that the majority of that youth has
indulged in cannabis smoking. Young Scots may regain an interest in the
Church, realizing that it isn't so out of touch after all, unlike the
Scotsman!

Errol Garbut, St Leonards Street, Edinburgh. eg@dcs.ed.ac.uk