NEVER FORGET THE INFLUENCE OF THIS DEVASTATING DRUG

As A retired Detective Inspector with Staffordshire Police, a
huge amount of my lengthy service was spent in involvement with drugs.

I worked for three years as a frontline detective in the 1980s with
the Staffordshire Police drugs squad, involved with nothing other than
drug abuse, drug dealing and numerous drug-related deaths.

I can honestly say with my hand on my heart that every single drug
user who I dealt with, for whatever kind of illegal drug, who cared to
tell me of his or her background, always claimed that their very first
experience of illegal drugs had been by smoking cannabis.

Even the amphetamine users from the old Northern Soul music scene
would tell me that had it not been for cannabis they would not have
had the courage to try 'speed'. LSD users were, without exception,
found to have had a prior drug experience with cannabis, as were the
'users' of the Class-A drugs that were available years ago. Had it not
been for cannabis they would not have progressed to the use of these
other drugs.

Cannabis undoubtedly poisons the mind, and very often will lead to
some form of psychological problems, if not schizophrenia. If it were
possible to establish just how many people are currently in mental
hospitals as a direct result of cannabis it would be astonishing. Not
everyone, of course, is affected by cannabis in the ways I have
described, but very few will be able to formulate an objective and
sincere opinion on the subject when confronted with a sensible
opposing view. The debate will more often than not turn into a tirade
of examples of what a mind-expanding experience it is, which should be
enjoyed by everyone, and that you cannot form an opinion unless you
have tried it. Dilys Wood's eloquent letter (The Sentinel, December 3
contains facts, figures, statistics and quotes which she writes in an
effort to convert the 'un-poisoned' minds of people who have never
used cannabis, into her way of thinking.

I have yet to find a person who holds strong views supporting the
legalisation of cannabis, who have not themselves used the drug.I feel
that the situation is so serious that no person who has used the drug
should be allowed to vote in any way on the subject, as their view
point will possibly be biased in favour of cannabis as a result of
their use of the substance.

If cannabis were to be reclassified again I would be happy for it to
placed where it should be - in the category of the very dangerous drug
that it is - A. Unfortunately, people do often need to be protected
from themselves in some circumstances, and this is one reason why we
must have laws telling us what we can and cannot do. Some people take
a long time to grow up and formulate sensible, intelligent and caring
views.

Often in the case of cannabis users, their objective judgment is
permanently clouded at an early age. Cannabis is not the 'relatively
harmless' drug that Dilys Wood suggests is the case 'when used in
moderation'. If she suggests that it is 'relatively' harmless then, by
her own admission, it is harmful. Moderation is the only unknown in
the equation; how you can moderate a person's use once they have started?

I would ask Dilys if she believes she could 'convert' two friends of
mine, both mothers living in Newcastle, whose children's lives have
been ruined by cannabis since my retirement. One whose child committed
suicide after years of mental illness, and the other whose son has had
his life shattered with schizophrenia. Maybe she would like to know of
a very dear friend of mine who suffered terrible mental illness due to
cannabis use. Apathy seems to have engulfed the police service in
general about drug law enforcement, and many senior police officers
are heard with wild and outlandish ideas.

The Chief Constable of North Wales, Richard Brunstrom, is no
exception, with his utterly crazy suggestions that all classified
drugs should be legalised.

Perhaps Dilys should join forces with Brunstrom, I think they'd get on
well.

John Pye,

Newcastle