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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Doctors warn of dangers as cannabis downgraded
Debbie Andalo The Guardian
Wednesday 21 Jan 2004 Doctors' leaders fear the public may think cannabis is a safe drug and does not damage health when it is reclassified from a class B to a class C drug next week, which will place it the same category as tranquillisers and steroids. The mental health charity, Rethink, is also worried that the government's UKP1m publicity campaign, which begins tomorrow and highlights the drug's reclassification, does not mention the risks the drug poses to mental health. The British Medical Association, which represents UK doctors, welcomed the campaign by the Home Office, which will include national and regional newspaper and radio advertisements as well as posters and leaflets. But the deputy chairman of its board of science, Dr Peter Maguire said; "We are extremely concerned that the public might think that reclassification equals 'safe'. It does not. "We are very worried about the negative health effects of smoking cannabis and want the government to fund more research on this issue. "Chronic cannabis smoking increases the risk of heart disease, lung cancer, bronchitis and emphysema." Paul Correy, the head of policy and campaigns at Rethink - the mental health charity for people with schizophrenia and their carers - said reclassifying cannabis as a class C drug was "logical" because it was widely used, But he added: "The publicity campaign must include material that people, especially young people, can understand, which boils down to the simple message that you are putting your mental health at risk if you are using this drug." He said there was growing evidence from the UK, Netherlands and US that cannabis can trigger a psychotic episode in people who have schizophrenia or those who are at risk from the illness. Long-term use of the drug, particularly if started from teenage years, can also pose a risk to mental health, the charity said. The Home Office confirmed its reclassification campaign will stress that cannabis is still an illegal drug and is harmful. The Home Office is working on a leaflet to highlight the health risks of the drug with the mental health charity Mentor, a spokeswoman said.
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