GLOUCESTERSHIRE CORONER ALAN CRICKMORE SAYS CANNABIS HAS BEEN A FACTOR IN
ALL THE HEROIN DEATHS HE HAS INVESTIGATED.

Mr Crickmore has presided over more than 100 heroin-related cases and
cannabis use had been a feature of all of them. "At a time when the
harmlessness of cannabis is being trumpeted from on high, I have yet
to deal with a heroin death where cannabis has not also been
involved," he said.

The Government downgraded the classification of cannabis from a class
B drug to class C two years ago.

Mr Crickmore spoke at an inquest into the death of former Stroud pupil
Thomas Richter, 25, who started smoking cannabis at the age of 11.

The university graduate died after injecting heroin following a night
out on January 29 last year, the hearing was told. A keen cricketer,
he played for Bournemouth University and his local team, Randwick. The
inquest heard that he started having mental health problems while at
university.

"It is clear that for a period of time, this young man had misused
drugs," added Mr Crickmore. "He had started his drug habit with
cannabis from the age of 11. I am not saying that cannabis caused this
young man's death but it gives pause for thought."

Afterwards, Mr Richter's parents said Thomas had been a talented
sportsman until he used cannabis.

"Thomas was a gorgeous boy but he mixed with the wrong crowd," his
mother Victoria Sinclair said.

"Cannabis is a bad idea, it leads from one thing into
another."

Thomas' father Michael Richter said: "Before Thomas started using
cannabis he was a very outgoing, cheerful lad. It led to harder drugs.

"The reclassification of cannabis is wrong. The drug has been proven
to lead to paranoia and schizophrenia and in Thomas' case it did
affect his mental state.

"It also sends out the wrong message and allows young people to become
too complacent. There should be stiffer warnings and penalties."

Mr Crickmore recorded a verdict of accidental death, saying Thomas had
mistakenly taken an overdose.