UN WARNS OF NEW CANNABIS DANGERS

NEW strains of highly potent cannabis are as dangerous as heroin and
cocaine and the drug can no longer be dismissed as soft and relatively
harmless, the United Nations has warned.

In an implied criticism of Britain's decision to downgrade cannabis,
the head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Antonio Maria Costa,
said countries got the drug problem they deserved if they maintained
inadequate policies.

His comments indicated deep unhappiness with the British Government
decision to reclassify cannabis from a class B drug to class C. Heroin
and cocaine are class A, attracting the toughest penalties.

"Policy reversals leave young people confused as to just how dangerous
cannabis is," Mr Costa said.

"With cannabis-related health damage increasing, it is fundamentally
wrong for countries to make cannabis control dependent on which party
is in government. The cannabis pandemic, like other challenges to
public health, requires consensus, a consistent commitment across the
political spectrum and by society at large."

Mr Costa said cannabis was considerably more potent than a few decades
ago. It was a mistake to dismiss it as a soft drug, he said.

"Today the harmful characteristics of cannabis are no longer that
different from those of other plant-based drugs such as cocaine and
heroin," he said.

The UN report estimates 160 million people worldwide use cannabis. It
claimed a significant number had experienced panic attacks, paranoia
and "psychotic symptoms" during cannabis intoxication -- dangers
heightened by growing availability of stronger varieties.

It also expressed concern about growing cocaine use, particularly in
western Europe, where demand was reaching alarming levels.