Mr Walker apparently told the House of Commons "young people "playing Russian roulette" with their lives through the use of skunk cannabis." In this Mr Walker (MP for Broxbourne) reveals his ignorance in many ways.
Firstly "skunk" cannabis is just one of a huge number of varieties and it's strength, like all cannabis, depends upon how it is grown.
Mr Walker also wrongly claims that cannabis today is the drug had changed over the last 30 years and was now was "highly toxic and highly dangerous".
The truth was revealed by Kings College, London, about a year ago, when after studying the strength of cannabis, reported that it has not changed.
As for toxicity, clearly Mr Walker does not know the meaning of the word, for the truth is that it is impossible for a human being to consume the toxic dose, which is measured in kilos.
Alun Buffry
Norwich
sent in reply to
Newmarket Journal, 13 June 2011
http://www.newmarketjournal.co.uk/news/regional/cannabis_russian_roulette_warning_1_2762093
Cannabis 'Russian roulette' warning
A Hertfordshire MP has warned of a major public health risk with young people "playing Russian roulette" with their lives through the use of skunk cannabis.
Introducing the Commons adjournment debate, Charles Walker (Conservative, Broxbourne) said the drug had changed over the last 30 years and was now was "highly toxic and highly dangerous".
He called on the Government to do more adding: "We can't talk about harm reduction - we have to talk about harm prevention.
"Up and down the country too many families are suffering the torture of watching their children squander their futures - bright children who have so much to live for ending up with so little.
"This is brought about too often by an addiction to skunk cannabis, a drug that is ruining lives."
The drug, he said, created a sense of euphoria, but had many side-effects including hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, attention impairment and emotional impairment.
He said: "Child and adolescent mental health services across this country are dealing with thousands of youngsters and adolescents who are suffering severe psychotic illnesses and there is a causal link with skunk cannabis."
Mr Walker said one in four carried a faulty gene for dopamine transmission and if a youngster had that gene and smoked skunk cannabis they were six times more likely to get a psychotic illness.
He added: "Skunk cannabis is like holding a loaded revolver to your head and playing Russian roulette. You don't know if you have the gene and you don't know when the bullet will fire."
Responding to Mr Walker's concerns, Health Minister Anne Milton pledged to do all she could to protect the health of young people, and acknowledged that skunk cannabis was on average four times stronger than herbal cannabis.
Yes it shows the ignorance and propaganda that continues to be spread about cannabis. It's still hard for me to believe that anyone of age can go into a bar and consume alcohol and get in a car and drive away. Alcohol is one the most dangerous drugs out there and it is the legal and accepted one. A close friend of mine died several years back from alcohol poisoning. It is impossible to die from smoking weed. Here in the U.S. a lot of states have decriminalized the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. Unfortunately, I live in Texas and it isn't one of them. I have chronic pain from a motorcycle accident, and I have found that a couple of tokes from a joint, and that works just as well as the narcotic pain medication that they prescribe. Not only are the pain pills bad for my body, liver, kidneys, etc, they also can be highly addicting. I cannot use cannabis because the doctors do random drug tests when I go in every month and if THC was detected, then I would be denied the pain medication I need to function every day and help relieve some of my pain.It's ridiculous that I am denied the use of a medicine that works just as well or better, lasts longer and doesn't do the harm that the drugs I am prescribed to. The Powers that be need to stop spreading the propaganda that marijuana is a bad and evil drug and allow it to be sold and used by anyone of age that needs it.
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