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UK: Cannabis decision endorsed

Mark Oliphant

The Guernsey Press and Star

Thursday 25 Mar 2004

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GUERNSEY was right not to follow the UK's lead and reclassify cannabis,
according to one local mental health charity.
The Guernsey Schizophrenia Fellowship, which believes that cannabis causes
mental health problems, said the UK reclassification proposals would only
encourage people to use the drug.
'The main problem will be that a lot of people bordering on using the drug
will now think that it can't be too serious and will give it a try. This
will put them on the slippery slope to further drug use,' said David
Poynder, vice-chairman of the fellowship.
He added that the States had made the right decision for the health of the
island.
'We were delighted with the decision of the States. People think that
cannabis is not a dangerous drug, but it is.
'It can cause just as many problems as the harder drugs.
'A large number of people suffer from schizophrenia and other mental health
problems as a result of smoking cannabis. Unfortunately, like any drug,
cannabis causes problems for human beings.'
The National Schizophrenia Fellowship, a charity that supports those who
experience the illness, has now been named Rethink but the local branch has
retained its name.
'There is strong evidence from a wide range of sources that long and
short-term use of cannabis can trigger a psychotic episode or schizophrenia
in people who are at high risk of developing schizophrenia - for instance,
people who have close family members who have schizophrenia,' said Mr Poynder.
'There is emerging evidence from a limited number of sources that long-term
use of cannabis, particularly when use begins in early teenage years and
continues into adulthood, can lead to people who should be at no or low
risk of schizophrenia developing the illness.'

 

 

 

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