Source: The Times, UK

Date: Friday July 12 2002

Pub LTE: Cannabis confusion

Author: Linda Hendry

Contact: editor@thetimes.co.uk

CANNABIS CONFUSION

Is the Government sending conflicting signals about the use of cannabis?

TOO much hot air is wasted on young cannabis users. What about the over-50s who have been using it for 20 or 30 years? Tony Blair does not realise that there are votes to be gained from legalising cannabis properly.

Four alcohol and tobacco outlets in my street sell killer toxic substances legally, but Class C brings me no nearer to being able to buy cannabis that is fit for human consumption. Growers can still use pesticides, middlemen can still include henna, nutmeg, coffee, animal dung, wax and more dangerous contaminants to bulk it out and shippers can smuggle it in sewage or diesel tanks so that pollutants penetrate the wrapping. As long as cannabis is of such poor quality people will have to smoke it in an effort to destroy germs, rather than eating it to avoid damage to the lungs.

All I want is legal parity for cannabis with alcohol and tobacco so I can grow a few organic plants of my own or buy cannabis chocolates from the newsagent.

Linda Hendry