CANNABIS

CORRESPONDENT L.H. Weston (30.5.05) states that "marijuana is clearly
poisonous", and yet no person has ever died from an overdose of
marijuana. Marijuana, an incredibly useful medicine itself, is
therefore safer than any pharmaceutical drug.

L.H. Weston also claims that marijuana "is undoubtedly the cause of
many crimes and of accidents", and although the authorities and the
media are trying to create that impression, a more thorough analysis
usually proves otherwise. A perfect example is the report headlined,
"Cannabis found in skipper's bloodstream. Ship's stability
questioned" (ODT, 24.5.05) which began, "Cannabis may have affected
decisions made by a tuna boat skipper whose boat sank . . " This was
based on the pathologist's "estimate" that the skipper had "taken"
cannabis one to eight hours earlier. Such a supposition is absurd,
however, as the THC (cannabis' active ingredient) concentration can
vary typically from about 400 ng/ml of blood after one hour, to 2.5
mg/ml (the minimum needed for effect) after about 2.5 hours, to 0.1
ng/ml after five hours or even days later.

The report headed, "Recordings show 'lack of leadership' in police"
(ODT, 28.5.05) suggested a different explanation for the deaths of
the two fishermen.

Finally, L.H. Weston claims that prohibition controls drug abuse,
"one of the greatest threats to our society". Yet every major
governmental study has found instead that prohibition poses the far
greater threat to society and is the real cause of the "drug
problem". Prohibition clearly has not reduced illegal drug use,
prevented drug abuse or protected youth. Credible drug education is
impossible because all use is labelled abuse. Prohibition does,
however, cause hardship, ruin lives and kill; waste police time and
resources; allow organised crime and corrupt officials to make
significant amounts of money; and provide scaremongers with a
convenient scapegoat for society's many ills.

Jason Baker-Sherman

Dalmore