Pubdate: Wed, 01 Dec 2004 Source: Scotsman (UK) Copyright: The Scotsman Publications Ltd 2004 Contact: http://www.scotsman.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/406 Author: Tony Jones, PA Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?207 (Cannabis - United Kingdom) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?232 (Chronic Pain) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) CANNABIS BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT The debate about the effects of cannabis will be reignited today by new research which warns it could cause future health problems for certain young users. Supporters of the drug claim it is non-addictive, has proven pain-relief qualities and does not cause people to misbehave and commit public order offences. But medical professionals and other bodies have cited various studies linking it to depression, lung cancer, amnesia and panic attacks. The new research found frequent use of cannabis during adolescence and early adulthood increased the risk of users suffering psychotic symptoms in later life. The German study, involving almost 2,500 young people aged 14 to 24, discovered that the risk of developing symptoms was much higher in young people who already had a pre-existing vulnerability to psychosis. In January cannabis was reclassified from a class B to a class C drug ranking it alongside bodybuilding steroids and some anti-depressants. Some organisations and politicians criticised the move but at the time Home Secretary David Blunkett said the change in the law was necessary to enable police to spend more time tackling class A drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine, which cause the most harm and trigger far more crime. A spokeswoman for DrugScope, a leading independent centre of expertise on drugs, said the organisation agreed with the reclassification. "Evidence didn't show it was as harmful as other class B drugs and most of the experts agreed it should be Class C." But she said that the reclassification had confused some of the public and stressed it was still illegal and potentially still harmful. She added that the new research made it even more important to give young people information about the effects of all drugs. "The bjust say no' drugs campaign was very high profile, but a lot of the evidence has shown shock tactics don't work well with young people, they respond better to factual information," she said. "Let them make the decision themselves rather than being told bdon't take drugs, drugs are bad'. She added: "People can become psychologically addicted to anything. If someone feels something makes them feel better or not, they could crave it. "There's no evidence of a physical dependence with cannabis use, but regular users can rely on cannabis to get them through the day." Discussing the positive benefits of certain outlawed substances she said: "If illegal drugs can be used to relieve suffering, that's got to be a good thing." The spokeswoman highlighted an ongoing US study where Ecstasy is being used to treat post traumatic stress disorder, and a spray derived from cannabis is being developed to treat arthritis and Multiple Sclerosis sufferers. Eye surgeons also use a gel during operations which contains traces of cocaine, she said. A Multiple Sclerosis Society spokesman said it did not support the smoking of raw cannabis only treatments derived from the drug. "Many people with MS have alot of anecdotal evidence cannabis can alleviate symptoms," he said. "Our stance has always been we must have properly controlled trials to establish the safety and efficacy of a (cannabis derived) drug." Steve Barker, a spokesman for the Campaign to Legalise Cannabis, said earlier this year that the drug causes problems in only 5% of the estimated 3.2 million people who use it in the UK. He explained that in those rare cases where the drug does have an unfortunate side effect on people's personalities, they usually just stop taking it. "It's not an addictive drug -- it can be habit forming but it isn't addictive," he said. "If people don't like it, they usually just stop. Those users with psychological problems often have these problems anyway, so the drug has nothing to do with their condition." Mr Barker also denies that cannabis has any long term health dangers and that an increased use of the drug could cause a major headache for the NHS in the future. "Cannabis has been with us for 5,000 years in the Far East and there has been no particular problems emerging there of lung cancer. "It has many positive effects. It doesn't cause public disorder and misbehaviour like alcohol and it's not addictive -- people can take it or leave it. "Medically speaking, it can be twice as effective as any painkiller for people suffering from chronic pains and aches." - ---