Pubdate: Sun, 08 Apr 2007 Source: Quesnel Cariboo Observer (CN BC) Copyright: 2007 Quesnel Cariboo Observer Contact: http://www.quesnelobserver.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1260 Author: Chris Kempling MENTAL ILLNESS ANOTHER REASON TO BAN MARIJUANA Editor: There are often letters to the editor in this paper suggesting marijuana is a harmless herb which should be legalized. Ironically, a liberal newspaper in Britain (The Independent, March 18) has now publicly apologized for calling for the legalization of marijuana, due to the increasing damage the drug is doing to young British people. The British National Treatment Agency reveals the number of teenagers seeking treatment for marijuana addiction almost doubled in a year (from 5,000 in 2005 to 9,600 in 2006), and 13,000 adults also sought treatment. Part of the problem is that today's cannabis is much more potent than before. Dr. Robin Murray, a professor of psychiatry at London's Institute of Psychiatry attributes 10 per cent of the nation's 250,000 schizophrenics to cannabis abuse. Professor Colin Blakemore, chief of the Medical Research Council stated, "The link between cannabis and psychosis is quite clear now; it wasn't 10 years ago. Evidence of the damage to mental health caused by cannabis use -- from loss of concentration to paranoia, aggressiveness and outright psychosis -- is mounting and cannot be ignored." A 2005 New Zealand study at the University of Otaga revealed pot smoking raised the incidence of mental illness by 50 per cent. Our mental health system does not need the additional burden of dealing with the effects of marijuana abuse. Young people need to realize today's pot can make you crazy -- permanently. CHRIS KEMPLING Quesnel - --- MAP posted-by: Steve Heath