Pubdate: Mon, 14 May 2007
Source: Portsmouth News (UK)
Copyright: 2007 Portsmouth News.
Contact: http://www.portsmouthtoday.co.uk/ContactUs.asp
Website: http://www.portsmouthtoday.co.uk
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2411
Author: Simon Jones
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?207 (Cannabis - United Kingdom)

STUDENT CUT HIS WRISTS AFTER TAKING CANNABIS

A student slashed his wrists and ran through the  streets wielding a
kitchen knife after playing violent  computer games and smoking cannabis.

Dominic Anderson threw himself in front of cars and  attacked police
officers with the blade during a  psychotic episode brought on by the
drug.

Today the 20-year-old warned other teenagers about the  dangers of
using cannabis.

The sports science undergraduate said: 'The first thing  I remember
was waking up in hospital bed and seeing  nurses and police stood around me.

'I couldn't really remember what had happened. It was  all a blur.
There were bits I could recall but it was  like I had been watching
myself do all these things and  I couldn't help it.

'I'd only taken cannabis a couple of times before and  thought it was
just a social thing people did to chill  out. But in reality it's
completely different and can  have horrific consequences.

'People need to be more aware of what can if happen if  you take
cannabis and it starts with the government  reclassifying it aE" it
should not be seen as a soft  drug.

'People need to know that cannabis is not cool.'

In 2004, the then home secretary David Blunkett  downgraded the drug's
classification to class C, the  lowest, which meant the penalties for
getting caught  with it were reduced.

Anderson's father, Clive Anderson, 41, added: 'This has  been six
months of hell for Dominic and our family.

'It has shown us the truly horrific effects that  cannabis can have on
people.'

When officers tried to restrain Anderson he lunged at  them with the
knife. He had to be repeatedly hit with a  baton before he was disarmed.

He sustained self-inflicted injuries and needed half a  dozen stitches
in each wrist.

He also suffered internal bleeding and was in intensive  care after
the incident

which happened at the Bradford Road junction in  Portsmouth on
November 13, last year.

Police said Anderson's actions showed a shocking  similarity to the
computer game - Saints Row - which he had been playing just before he
slit his  wrists.

Drugs intelligence officer Detective Constable Steve  Kelly said:
'People don't know the effect a drug can  have on them before they
take it. This is an extreme  example of what can happen.'

At Portsmouth Crown Court Anderson, of Britannia Road  North,
Southsea, was spared an immediate prison  sentence.

Instead Judge Graham White imposed a nine-month prison  sentence
suspended for two years saying: 'It was your  taking of the cannabis
that led to this psychotic  episode but for this you would have never
been involved  in this kind of behaviour.'

Anderson, who admitted one count of affray, was also  ordered to
complete 150 hours community service.
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