Doctors to debate decriminalisation of cannabis
Up for discussion: Doctors will hear the arguments for decriminalisation of cannabis
Up for discussion: Doctors will hear the arguments for decriminalisation of cannabis
Cannabis should be decriminalised and treated as a health issue, leading doctors are set to hear.
The British Medical Association's annual representative meeting in Harrogate is to include a debate on cannabis after a motion calling on the doctors' union to back the legalisation of the drug.
Geoffrey Lewis, a retired consultant from Leicester, will present the motion at the conference, which is taking place this week.
He said: "Too often the focus on drug use and addiction is from a criminal justice rather than a public health point of view.
"Doctors see first hand the damaging effects of a system which seeks to criminalise drug users rather than a treat their addiction.
"Existing drug policy is contradictory and ineffective. The number of drug users has sky rocketed in the last 30 years despite the introduction of tougher and tougher drug laws. Our policy makers aren't prepared to have a sensible, rational, evidence-based debate on drugs.
"That's not to say that cannabis use isn't dangerous. It is. But the current law isn't working and only by adopting a different approach can we regulate, educate and exert a level of quality control.
"Cannabis use should be treated primarily as a health issue, not a criminal justice issue.
"Public health shouldn't suffer because politicians are too frightened to have an honest debate and doctors shouldn't shy away from doing what we can to keep this important issue on the agenda."
Other motions to be debated at the meeting include a call for a "forever" ban on cigarette sales to anyone born after the year 2000, and a proposed ban on the use of e-cigarettes in public places where smoking is banned.
http://www.standard.co.uk 24/06/2014
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