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