Madam,

I am afraid I most strongly disagree with comments of the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, Arfon Jones, reported in your north editions of 18 April (‘Let people grow cannabis says police chief’).

Whilst it is true that we should consider if the current policy is effective in reducing dangerous use of drugs and also reducing the criminal behaviour associated with raising money to purchase drugs; but I do not believe it is true to imply that cannabis is less harmful than alcohol.

True, I see frequently in medical practice the severe adverse effects of alcohol on many people but, at the same time, it is relatively safe for the vast majority of people to enjoy in reasonable amounts.

Cannabis can, and often does, cause permanent mental derangement after a single use, often including paranoia, which may be persistent or lifelong; depression, character changes, apathy, lethargy, inertia, causing a descent into poverty; and quite often psychosis - with no way to predict who will be adversely affected or how long for.

In addition, there are numerous scientific articles documenting that smoking of cannabis carries, not only the above risks of unpredictable permanent mental derangement and inability, but also has a higher and more varied risk of cancer than does smoking of tobacco cigarettes.

I would also suggest the literature shows there is no significant reduction in tendency to criminality in users since, whilst becoming under less pressure to finance their cannabis habit, they are at increased risk of carelessness whilst driving, inconsideration of the needs and rights of others, and dangerously unpredictable behaviour including increased risk-taking, and lack of respect for others and nature as a result of distraction by hallucinations and damage to character and perception.

We should never consider anything which might result in an increase in the number of people having easy access to cannabis, because it is deadly dangerous.

Yours etc, David Church, GP.

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