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Scotland: Letter: We should take positive steps to protect our children from early use of cannabis

John Shelton

The Herald

Thursday 30 Aug 2012



As a regular cannabis user with a first-class honours degree, I cannot agree with Alan Taylor ("Smoking cannabis?

It's just for Dopes", The Herald, August 29). He has not experienced the positive effects of cannabis, of which there are many.

He is correct to point out that the earlier you smoke cannabis, the more harm it causes the brain and that this is nothing new. It merely reinforces what we already know – that cannabis, as with any psychoactive substance, can be harmful to the developing brain. This is welcome scientific research. Professor Terrie Moffitt, of the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London, who took part in the recent study, has said: "I am fairly confident that cannabis is safe for over-18 brains."

Therefore, the argument must surely be: how can we protect our children and prevent the early use of cannabis? Evidence from countries with a regulatory framework – the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and 16 states in the US among others – would suggest that more must be invested into preventative measures (such as education) rather than the damaging punitive approach, which Ken Clarke, the UK Justice Secretary, has recently admitted does not work. The law does not offer any meaningful deterrence to prevent cannabis use. This has, in fact, created the market conditions for a home-grow industry to thrive. Criminalising more young people and burdening them with criminal records for the rest of their lives have permanent impacts more harmful than cannabis would ever have.

Cannabis in moderation has been shown to be safer than alcohol and tobacco – two completely legal and harmful drugs available in the shops.

Rather than try to criminalise millions of people and ruin career opportunities in the name of saving us from what is ultimately a non-lethal (although not safe) substance, we should take a more pragmatic approach towards cannabis.

John Shelton,

93 Fernleigh Road, Glasgow.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/letters/we-should-take-positive-steps-to-protect-our-children-from-early-use-of-cannabis.18730189

 

 

 

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