FACTS MATTER IN CANNABIS DEBATE - PT 1

THE West report (Fight looms on cannabis law change, 20/3) states that the
State Government is moving to decriminalise cannabis use.

The latest Australian research figures (2003) show that 39 per cent of the
general population have used cannabis and 64 per cent of University
students have done the same. This means that almost 40 per cent of the
population are defined as having engaged in a criminal activity. This
immediately has a marginalising effect. People feeling that they are on
the "outside" of society can have very dire long-term effects for a society.

In the report Colin Barnett is quoted as saying: "This society does not
need another widely used and legitimised drug". The problem for Mr Barnett
is that it is already widely used and obviously already considered
legitimate by a big section of the general community.

The other difficulty with the Government handling of cannabis use is the
way in which it "cries wolf". Public comment and advertising campaigns
commonly highlight the point that links cannabis use and the onset of
schizophrenia - a drug-induced psychosis. The prevalence of schizophrenia
is usually put at about one to 2 per cent of the population. Clearly there
is a very big percentage of cannabis users who develop no mental health
problems. The problem is the youth of this society will quickly realise
that they are, at worse, being lied to about this public health issue or at
least being given very exaggerated public health information.

Then when they hear other public health information about things like safe
sex and the transmission of HIV they can easily conclude that they are also
being given either downright false information or very exaggerated
information. It is essential that we give accurate information in public
health campaigns even when we want to scare people away from using cannabis.

TONY WHITE, psychologist, North Perth.