Source : The European
Contact:   Wed, 7 Jan 1998
Newshawk Comment : This letter was also published in The Independent on
Monday 5th
January (as a result of e-mailing it to dozens of papers at once).

Sirs,

I am once again appalled at the amount of time and public money being spent
prosecuting a person for an offence involving a virtually harmless plant -
cannabis.

By now it should be quite clear that cannabis is remarkably safe.  This has
been confirmed by every major Government and scientific investigation
including our own 1968 Royal Commission Report.

Our laws are meant to protect people and society, not simply impose the
will of the Government on its citizens.  Recently they have banned beef on
the bone - that, like cannabis, has been declared dangerous.  Yet known
poisons and dangers, not only the likes of alcohol and tobacco but also
mercury fillings, clingfilm, pesticides, pollutants and food additives, are
allowed.

Let's get the matter straight.  The act of the Minister's son in supplying
cannabis, had no victim, nobody was hurt (except possibly the pride of his
farther).  Millions of people have supplied each other with cannabis since
this case has been in the press, both supplier and supplied being happy to
be involved and with no harm done.  The only victims will be the lad
himself - a victim of a nonsense law - and the public who will foot the
bill.

What we need is truth, not the hidden agenda or some sort of Nanny State
run by hypocritical individuals who seem hardly capable of living within
their own rules.

Sincerely,

Ann Clarke
45 Mount Pleasant
Norwich