Sir, – The news that the current Government is examining the possibility of decriminalising cannabis (April 23rd) and relaxing the relevant laws sends a terrible message to young people.
For many people who become addicted to harder drugs such as cocaine, heroin, etc, cannabis is the gateway drug. The fact alone that the Government has announced that it is even considering decriminalising the substance says to young people, in particular, that cannabis is not a serious drug which they should avoid consuming.
Study after study is showing the deleterious effect which sustained cannabis consumption can have on the development of the brain during the crucial years of a young person’s growth.
The State risks betraying a generation of citizens by effectively telling them that cannabis use is okay. It should not so soon be forgotten the damage which “head shops” were able to wreak in the relatively short time that those shops were able to operate as legitimate businesses before the public demanded that their politicians acted to put them out of business.
Even if cannabis is not ultimately decriminalised in this country, the message sent by the possibility of its decriminalisation is hugely regrettable and will not be without consequence. – Yours, etc,
JOHN B REID,
Monkstown,
Co Dublin.