Pubdate: Mon, 09 Feb 1998
Date: 09/02/1998
Source: Evening News (Norwich UK)
Author: Authors: Alun Buffry
Authors: Alun Buffry
Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v98.n711.a10.html
Note: headline by MAP

Cannabis: Legalisation Of It Would Solve More Problems Than Stiffer
Sentences For Dealers, Say Readers Who Have Replied To A Call For Those
Trafficking In The Drug To Be Be Jailed For Life.

1: James Sandham (EN Aug 20) classifies all non-prescription drugs
together as harmful and wants suppliers jailed for life.

Alcohol, tobacco, tea and coffee and even colas are all addictive and
can be dangerous drugs.

Would he also throw away the keys on publicans and the supermarkets
and the corner shops?

Are we to ignore the experts in favour of some sort of "reefer
madness" scaremongering and lock away cannabis dealers for life?

There is already the possiblitiy of a life sentence for dealers in
large quantities of hard drugs, yet the situation is worsening, even
though many dealers are locked away for decades.

Giving them an automatic life-means-life sentence will not deter them
from the profits which the prohibition creates the opportunity for.

Legalisation, with supply controlled according to the danger element,
will immediately destroy the illegal market and everything that goes
with it and enable the speedy recognition of addiction.

Drug addiction needs to be treated as a matter of health, not of
law.

Alun Buffry
Norwich