DOCTORS DEBATE CANNABIS LAWS

Doctors are set to consider calls for cannabis and other recreational
drugs to be legalised.

The move will be proposed at the British Medical Association's annual
conference in Torquay on Wednesday.

Connie Fozzard, 70, a retired surgeon who will propose the motion,
said she hoped it would spark a debate among doctors and the general
public.

The BMA advised against the legalisation of cannabis when it gave
evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee in 2002.

The committee recommended downgrading of the class A drug ecstasy to
Class B, but this was rejected by ministers.

Ministers did agree to downgrade cannabis from Class B to C, but the
Home Office is opposed to legalisation.

'Cut crime'

Miss Fozzard will propose the motion on behalf of doctors in
Cornwall.

She will tell the conference that legalisation could help to cut
drug-related crime.

"The government has a responsibility to the public to reduce crime,"
she told BBC News Online.

"Prohibition does not work. Just look at the experience of the United
States when they tried to ban alcohol.

"What arose out of that was Al Capone and armed gangs and that is what
is happening now in this country."

"This is also about the nanny state," she said. "Consenting adults
should be allowed to do what they like."

Miss Fozzard said legalising drugs would enable the government to put
taxes on them and also ensure the quality of drugs.

She suggested many drug users were putting themselves at risk by
taking adulterated and low-quality drugs.

"We want the BMA to debate this. We want the public to debate this,"
she said.

On Tuesday, doctors attending the BMA conference held an informal
debate on the issue.

There were mixed views although most appeared to be against any
proposals to legalise drugs.

Dr Fay Wilson, a GP in Birmingham, said: "Legalising drugs will not
help. It will not do a thing to reduce crime.

"There are quite a number of people who do not take drugs because they
are illegal."

Other doctors called for studies into the possible effects of
legalising drugs.

Dr Noel Olsen, chairman of the Alcohol Education and Research Council,
said: "We need research and an evidence base."

The UK charity DrugScope welcomed the debate.

But a spokeswoman said: "We believe that this debate must be based on
the evidence that has been given to the government on the harmful
nature of drugs, such as our support for the reclassifying of cannabis
and ecstasy, as well as the recent outlawing of GHB."