Source: Evening News, Norwich UK, published letter

Pub Date: 24 September 1998

Author: Jack Girling

Subject: Judge's Views Went Against The Evidence

JUDGE'S VIEWS WENT AGAINST CANNABIS EVIDENCE.

We read with dismay the comments of Judge Paul Downes when sentencing a Great Yarmouth man to 15 month in prison for supplying cannabis. (Evening News, September 19)

He said: "The court takes the view that it (cannabis] is a dangerous drug can cause endless problems for people who get addicted to it."

We wonder what his qualifications regarding cannabis are, as he seems to disagree with all the Government-sponsored reports on cannabis produced over the last 100 years, including the most recent

These conclude that cannabis is not dangerous and is not addictive.

A tiny minority of users may experience problems related to their psychological predilections or physical allergies, but to suggest that the majority of users get "endless problems" must be seen, in the light of the experts' reports, as complete nonsense.

The evidence shows that cannabis is safer than almost everything we eat or drink, from food and alcohol to prescribed or over-the-counter medications.

Any sentence based upon wrongful speculation or misinformation that cannabis suppliers harm the users must surely be wrong. The prosecution of cannabis offenders is in neither their interest or the public interest

If is a gross waste of public money, and prison sentences just increase the costs.

Jack Girling