POLICE DRUG EXPERT IN WARNING ON CANNABIS

ONE of the most experienced drug prevention police officers in Gwynedd has
spoken out against the legalising cannabis.

Community Safety Officer for Gwynedd and Anglesey, PC Ian Williams, told
members of Gwynedd council's Dwyfor Area Services Committee of his concern
if cannabis was legalised.

With 30 years service, PC Williams, responding to a question from council
chairman, Wynn Williams, said "Person-ally I would not legalise cannabis,
for in my view this would create serious problems.

"The danger for young teenagers, in particular, would be to experiment with
cannabis as a dare and then move on to ecstacy," he said.

"I appreciate that there are different views on the cannabis issue, but I
am concerned that young people who claim they are bored are looking for
something different such as drugs.

"Lots of young people feel that cannabis is normal and many are being
misled. I would much prefer to see cannabis as a Class B drug rather than
being legalised."

Earlier, PC Williams told members that last year 27 people had been
arrested in the Dwyfor area for drug related offences, ten of them in Llyn,
12 in Pwllheli and five in Porthmadog. Of this total 23 involved cannabis
with the others being amphetamine, cocaine and ecstacy.

"Having said that," said PC Williams, "let's not lose sight of the fact
that alcohol is the greatest problem in the Dwyfor area."

Much was being done, he said, to alert schools of the dangers of drugs and
a review is to be published.