A CANNABIS CAFE WOULD BE A SAFE PACE

Sir - Lesley Harper, whose son became ill in January after taking
amphetamines, is wrong to use that as an argument against the plan by Mr
Chris Philbin of the Legalise Cannabis Alliance to open a cannabis cafe in
Essex. ("Cannabis cafe plans slammed by mother", EADT, 22 March)

For a start there was no such thing as a cannabis cafe in Essex last January.

The chances are that her son obtained the "speed" from a local pub, street
dealer, or dealer's house, all of which may offer a whole variety of drugs
which, like amphetamines, are far more toxic and dangerous than any amount
of cannabis that can be consumed.

The presence of a cannabis cafe in any community would give users somewhere
safe to go, and somewhere safe to buy. As in Holland, where such cafes
have successfully operated for over 25 years and where there is a far less
serious problem with hard drugs, the chances are that such places in the UK
would have strict operating rules, such as no hard drugs, no youngsters, no
drunkards.

Had Lesley's son chosen to use cannabis and bought it from a cannabis cafe,
chances are he may never have been offered amphetamines.

It is quite clear that there is little that the law can do to prevent use
of cannabis or any other drug which is so widely and easily available from
illegal suppliers whose profits encourage diversification of drugs on offer.

That is a fault of the law and Government policy that has thrown a range of
drugs with vastly differing risks, all into one basket.

It must be time that we adopted a policy of education and protection rather
than punishment. The legalisation of cannabis would enable that to happen.

Whilst having every sympathy with people who have suffered, whether from
illegal drugs, alcohol or even coffee (which harms far more than cannabis
does), I see no sense in sticking to a policy that is failing miserably