Source: Hull Daily Mail, UK

Pub Date: Wednesday 17 April 2002

Pub LTE: Why punish the mentally ill?

Comment: Newshawk's headline

I'd like to respond to the anonymous writers of the two letters (Mail 8th and 9th April), who both claim that a family member has ended up in a mental hospital because of cannabis use.

There's a vast difference between saying that cannabis is safe and claiming that it can never have a bad effect on some people.

People suffer mental problems for all sorts of reasons and it's possible that in this case cannabis, or whatever illegal concoction it was that she consumed, may have played a part.

I am not a doctor or psychiatrist so I am unable to comment on individual cases, however, I must point out that this situation has been allowed to develop under the present prohibition policy.

The question I have to ask is: How can anyone justify punishing the unfortunate person who is apparently in a mental ward, let alone other cannabis users, which is what the law threatens to do?