CANNABIS 'RUSSIAN ROULETTE' WARNING

A Hertfordshire MP has warned of a major public health risk with young
people "playing Russian roulette" with their lives through the use of
skunk cannabis.

Introducing the Commons adjournment debate, Charles Walker
(Conservative, Broxbourne) said the drug had changed over the last 30
years and was now was "highly toxic and highly dangerous".

He called on the Government to do more adding: "We can't talk about
harm reduction - we have to talk about harm prevention.

"Up and down the country too many families are suffering the torture
of watching their children squander their futures - bright children
who have so much to live for ending up with so little.

"This is brought about too often by an addiction to skunk cannabis, a
drug that is ruining lives."

The drug, he said, created a sense of euphoria, but had many
side-effects including hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, attention
impairment and emotional impairment.

He said: "Child and adolescent mental health services across this
country are dealing with thousands of youngsters and adolescents who
are suffering severe psychotic illnesses and there is a causal link
with skunk cannabis."

Mr Walker said one in four carried a faulty gene for dopamine
transmission and if a youngster had that gene and smoked skunk
cannabis they were six times more likely to get a psychotic illness.

He added: "Skunk cannabis is like holding a loaded revolver to your
head and playing Russian roulette. You don't know if you have the gene
and you don't know when the bullet will fire."

Responding to Mr Walker's concerns, Health Minister Anne Milton
pledged to do all she could to protect the health of young people, and
acknowledged that skunk cannabis was on average four times stronger
than herbal cannabis.