NO PROBLEMS WITH CANNABIS

I HAVE been following closely the marijuana debate. I find it interesting
that the correspondents to these pages think they know what they are
talking about. I am a mature-age woman who has been smoking cannabis on a
regular basis since the age of 18. I have numerous friends of the same age
who have been doing the same. Not one of us has ever had any mental problems.

I have, however, known people who have had their underlying mental problems
"triggered" by cannabis use. You see, unless you have a predisposition to
mental illness, cannabis will under no circumstances suddenly make you
schizophrenic.

I encourage mental health professionals to substantiate my claims. The only
health concern with cannabis is the fact you have to inhale it into your
lungs (cannabis has considerably more tar than cigarettes) and this in
itself does pose a health risk. I would also like to point out that alcohol
is a major cause of mental and general health problems, family breakdown,
domestic violence, crime and road trauma, to name a few, but that's OK
because society says it is an "acceptable" drug. I think not.

A. THOMSON, Mandurah.