Pubdate: Sun, 13 Mar 2005
Source: Sunday Herald, The (UK)
Copyright: 2005 Sunday Herald
Contact:  http://www.sundayherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/873
Author: Aideen McLaughlin
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?207 (Cannabis - United Kingdom)

DRUGS EXPERT WARNS:

CANNABIS AS DANGEROUS TO SOCIETY AS HEROIN

A LEADING Scottish drugs researcher has claimed that cannabis could be
as big a danger to society as cocaine and heroin. In a comment piece
written for the Sunday Herald, Professor Neil McKeganey, of the Centre
for Drugs Misuse Research at the University of Glasgow, warns that the
government and drugs workers should put the focus back on cannabis to
solve the problem of illegal drug use in Scotland.

McKeganey argues that the threat of cannabis is not so much its health
risk to the individual, but that it creates a climate in which the use
of harder drugs could become increasingly socially acceptable.

He writes: "It is possible that the perception that it is OK to use
illegal drugs if they are not seen to cause much harm to the vast
majority of users, is a judgement which has been assisted by the
perception of cannabis as a harm-free recreational drug.

"If this is the case then cannabis - at a societal level, if not at
the level of the individual - is just as dangerous as heroin and
cocaine." He calls this the "societal gateway" theory.

But McKeganey's comments drew angry reactions from Scotland's drugs
workers. David Liddell, director of the Scottish Drugs Forum said:
"Research has overwhelmingly shown that poverty and deprivation - not
cannabis - is more likely to be the gateway into problematic drug use.

"People who develop serious drug problems do so by using any type of
drug, irrespective of what it is. Cannabis per se is not the issue -
people's personal and social difficulties are.

"The nut which society really needs to crack is the underlying issues
which cause people to turn to drugs as an escape route in the first
place."

Dr David Shewan of Caledonian University, co-author of a recent
controversial report which showed that heroin use did not always lead
to negative health or social problems, agreed.

He said: "There are health concerns in relation to the high strength
of some cannabis available now, particularly when smoked by young
users, and people with existing mental health problems.

"But I am not convinced that dealing with these health issues would be
helped by what Professor McKeganey appears to be arguing for, a 'war
on cannabis'.

"Making cannabis use primarily a criminal justice issue would
undermine a more constructive focus on these health needs.

"It would distract attention from more intrusive issues of crime and
underpinning problems of socioeconomic deprivation.

"If the concept of the societal gateway is accepted, then the drug
that most obviously serves this function is alcohol."

Kenny MacAskill, justice spokesman for the SNP, agreed that alcohol
had to be considered when addressing drug use.

"There is no easy answer to the drug problems in our society, and that
includes alcohol," he said. "I am not for greater liberalisation, but
I am certain that greater repression is not working either.

"We need to find a solution though, because repression and retribution
on their own have not worked and will not work. It requires education,
a cultural change and, to some extent, people to believe in themselves
and have some hope rather than a nihilistic, escapist
perspective."

Alistair Ramsey, director of Scotland Against Drugs, said while he
doesn't wholly agree with McKeganey's theories, the debate into
cannabis, which he believes has been stuck for 20 or 30 years, needs
to be refreshed.

"This is an interesting proposition, but we can't ignore the fact that
cannabis can and does cause for some people significant health
problems, both mental and physical," he said.

It is estimated that 3.5 million people in the UK use cannabis. In
January 2004, the Scottish Executive reclassified the drug from Class
B to Class C status. But a spokesman for the Executive said that
reclassification is not the same as legalisation.

He explained: "It simply recognises that while all drugs are harmful,
some drugs are more harmful than others. Cannabis carries risks but it
is not as dangerous as, say, heroin and cocaine. But dabbling in it
could well leave you with a criminal record, as well as damaging your
health.

"The Executive does not condone the use of cannabis. It is illegal and
carries serious risk to both physical health and mental health. We
also know that sustained use can create dependence - around 10% of
people reporting to drug services say that cannabis is their main
problem drug."

Earlier last week, countries including France, Germany, the
Netherlands, Canada, Australia and Iran rallied at the annual meeting
of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs to persuade the UN
to reject a zero-tolerance approach in international drug policy.

Their appeal was vetoed by the US. The UK delegation stayed silent on
the issue. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake