From George Murphy

Wednesday, 20 June 2018

Canada is proposing to legalise recreational cannabis use from September and there's a debate on legalisation in the press and in the Tory party at the moment. According to The Times, police officers are pushing for a change in the law. I'm worried about the effect of long term and short term use on a minority of users, having direct knowledge of the terrible impact of cannabis on a couple of local families.

I can see advantages in legalisation if it helps to control the strength and chemical make up of drugs. We also have a duty to help other countries where criminal gangs are involved in the supply chain to our streets. Advice from law agencies is important on this international trafficking and its links with funding terrorist and mafia-type gangs.

However, it might be that legalisation would work for the majority of users but still have a devastating and life changing impact on a minority of users. 

A few years back national media followed up stories about the increased incidence of suicides amongst young people in this valley and, from memory, I believe there was some implication (possibly unfairly) that this was linked to the life style and attitudes towards drugs by offcumdens in the 1970s being passed on to youngsters. 

PS So as not to appear holier than thou, back in the day I didn't inhale - but I was worried about my lungs rather than my brain and back then I didn't suffer qualms about criminal supply chains!