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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Cannabis worst drug of them all
Mark Hookham Daily Post, Liverpool
Thursday 29 Jan 2004 CANNABIS is the most dangerous drug in Britain, according to a leading Liverpool academic. Dr Russell Newcombe, a national expert based at Liverpool John Moores University, claims dealers are cutting the drug with motor oil, dirt, glue, turpentine, disinfectant, ketamine, melted-down vinyl and animal faeces. Cannabis has today been down-graded to the same status as anabolic steroids and anti-depressants, changes which Dr Newcombe has branded a "mess and a muddle". In the biggest shake-up of Britain's drug laws for 30 years, cannabis will move from class B to class C. Under the new law, cannabis possession will be illegal but will "ordinarily not be an arrestable offence". But people can be prosecuted for possessing the drug in aggravating circumstances - such as smoking it in public - and will face up to two years in prison. Trafficking or supplying the drug, which includes growing it at home, could still lead to a 14-year jail term. Dr Newcombe, who is currently writing a book on the subject, believes banning the growth of the drug will lead to more people using unscrupulous dealers who mix-in dangerous additives. He said: "It's just a mess. The Government has fallen between two stools. My belief is the possession of the drug should be ful ly legalised because this would cut out the dealers. "If people grew it in small quantities at home they wouldn't have to risk buying it off the street. "I tell all my students that cannabis is currently by far the most dangerous drug on the market." Recent research by the Edinburgh University Cannabis Resin Impurity Study Project (CRISP) discovered cannabis resin can be up to between 80pc and 90pc impure. Dr Newcombe compares this research with a study in the journal Addiction Research by Ross Coomber which found that heroin, crack and cocaine are very rarely cut with impurities and when they are the additives are relatively harmless substances such as sugar. Dr Newcombe added: "Contrary to what many people think, the hard drugs are rarely impure because dealers want to keep their users interested. "However, with between 3m and 5m people using cannabis a year, dealers can make huge profits if they sell cannabis which is 90pc impure." Ministers have always said today's move is designed to free up the police to be able to target hard drugs. The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) has drawn up guidelines which say arrests should only be made in the following aggravated circumstances: * Possession of the drug inside or near places where there are children, including schools and night clubs; * Smoking in public; * Repeat offending; * Where there is fear of public disorder. Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Ian McPherson added: "It must be remembered that although cannabis has been reclassified it still remains illegal to possess it. "The retention of the police power of arrest in certain circumstances will enable officers to have greater flexibility in dealing with incidents on the street." But it remains unclear what specific quantity of the drug officers will view as too much to be for personal use and a recent national newspaper survey discovered some police forces will continue to arrest users in possession of small stashes. Both Cheshire and Merseyside forces last night declined to state how much cannabis would qualify as an "arrestable" amount. A Merseyside Police spokeswoman said: "If we were to give an exact amount dealers would be able to skirt around the law." Anti-drugs campaigners have condemned today's change in the law for sending mixed messages to children. Marion Hill, co-ordinator of Liverpool-based Parents Against Drug Abuse, said: "I have spoken to 13 year-olds who have a spliff before bedtime. This change in the law will give children the impression that it is OK to smoke cannabis." Professor Ray Donnelly, founder of Roy Castle Cancer Foundation, said: "Many cannabis smokers do not realise the long-term health implications "Not only does long-term cannabis consumption lead to bouts of anxiety and paranoia, it can also precipitate latent schizophrenia. "Medical research has shown that cannabis smokers predisposed to schizophrenia often exhibit symptoms - violent behaviour, paranoia, extreme anxiety - that characterise latent schizophrenia. Cannabis contains carcinogens, so it is obviously very damaging to health."
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