Ease Up On Cannabis Laws by Alun Buffry

Every year over 110,000 deaths in Britain are attributed to tobacco use. Every year in the UK over 50,000 people die from alcohol abuse, and daily violent crimes occur due to alcohol.

Yet both are legally imported and sold under license, legal to possess and to share, legal to produce one's own at home.
There are no deaths attributed to cannabis use per se.
Yet cannabis is illegal to possess, grow or supply and perpetual offenders are be fined and/or imprisoned.
The question is: should alcohol and tobacco be made illegal to ,possess or should the law on cannabis be changed?
Come on, Britain. Ease the suffering caused by the law's treatment of otherwise harmless and law-abiding cannabis users and free up a beneficial medicine .
Alun Buffry
Evening News, Norwich

Published on: Friday 9 September 2011

COMPARE THIS with my letter published in The Evening News in 1992 - what has changed?

Priorities wrong on use of cannabis

Evening News, Norwich
Thursday 05 Mar 1992

CAN someone please help me to understand?

Every year 110,000 deaths in Britain are attributed to tobacco use.  Every year 50,000 people die from alcohol abuse, and daily violent crimes occur due to alcohol.

Yet both are legally imported and sold under licence.

There are no deaths attributed to cannabis use, little illness and very few crimes of violence.

Yet cannabis is illegal and perpetual offenders in possession, or those involved with importation or supply of cannabis, can be fined and/or imprisoned.

The question is: should alcohol and tobacco be made illegal and cannabis be legalised?

Come on, Britain. Ease the suffering caused by the law's treatment of otherwise harmless and law-abiding cannabis users and suppliers.

Alun Buffry