cannabisnews.com: Cannabis No More Harmful Than Alcohol! Cannabis No More Harmful Than Alcohol! Posted by FoM on August 19, 1999 at 19:42:39 PT Says Churchman Source: Electronic Telegraph A LEADING churchman called for a review of the drugs laws yesterday, saying that cannabis was no more harmful than alcohol. Donald Macleod, of the Free Church of Scotland, backed the call by Charles Kennedy, Liberal Democrat leader, for a Royal Commission to investigate the laws. He was speaking a few days after the Episcopalian Bishop of Edinburgh, the Rt Rev Richard Holloway, admitted he had tried cannabis and spoke out against existing policy towards drugs.Prof Macleod said drugs policy was a hopeless failure which had not reduced demand, supply or the number of drug deaths. He told BBC Radio Scotland: "I do think it is quite illogical and hypocritical to be trying to criminalise cannabis and at the same time to be advertising and packaging alcohol." Scottish Tories condemned the professor's intervention in the drugs debate as "ill-considered".Annabel Goldie, deputy leader, said: "Representing as he does a church whose trenchant disapproval of alcohol is legendary, it seems bizarre to say the least that he should be supporting the legalisation of a substance which is notorious for destroying families and has been, in many cases, the lead in to addiction to hard drugs. His view, thankfully, is unsupported not only by the police, but by the many silent heroes and heroines throughout Scotland who work day in and day out with the tragedy of drug dependency."In a newspaper article, Prof Macleod also expressed contempt for the theory that soft drugs lead to hard drugs. He said: "To say the least, cannabis is no more destructive than alcohol. That leaves us with a clear choice; either we treat alcohol as we currently treat cannabis or we treat cannabis as we currently treat alcohol."He compared the laws on cannabis to American prohibition in the 1920s. He said: "Criminals have no interest in drugs as such. They're interested only in profits. Destroy these and the pushers will melt away. That will not necessarily end addiction. We still have alcoholics despite liquor being legal. What we don't have is a drinks industry controlled by criminals. For the argument that soft drugs lead to hard drugs I have only contempt. It deliberately omits from the category of 'soft drugs' alcohol and tobaccos. "A heroin addict who's been a lifelong non-smoker and a total abstainer is as rare as an anorexic sumo-wrestler. Let's be either consistent or reasonable. Consistency means placing alcohol and tobacco under the same ban as cannabis. Reasonableness means recognising that cannabis is no more harmful then tobacco or alcohol."He added that he knew heroin and cocaine destroyed lives but described current laws as a "hopeless failure". He added: "The policy hasn't reduced the supply. It hasn't curtailed the demand. It hasn't reduced the number of deaths. It hasn't brought down the number of drug-related crimes. It doesn't work even in prison. There the addict can easily satisfy his need and there the innocent can be corrupted and enslaved."He also attacked the packaging and marketing used to sell alcohol. "It is packaged to appeal to the young. It is portrayed as part of civilised life and culture, as if a wine critic or whisky buff were somehow part of the same world as T S Eliot and Mozart."Friday 20 August 1999By Electronic Telegraph CorrespondentUK: Scotland: Churchman Backs Cannabis Debate - 8/19/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread2548.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by FoM on August 30, 1999 at 18:35:41 PT: Scottish Parliament To Debate Cannabis Pubdate: Sun, 29 Aug 1999 Source: The Sunday Post (UK) Contact: post dcthomson.co.uk Website: http://www.sundaypost.com Author: Campbell Gunn SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT TO DEBATE CANNABIS LEGALISATION A motion submitted by MSP Margo MacDonald will be published in the Scottish Parliament Business Bulletin today (Monday 30 August 1999) calls for a panel of experts and lay people to examine the issue of cannabis in Scotland. A further 11 MSP's will have to indicate their support before it goes forward for debate. "The time is right for the issue to be debated." she added. "it's nothing to do with political parties, and I hope it will be discussed before Christmas". When she was part of the Scotland Against Drugs Organisation. Margo MacDonald left, because she says, they passed up the chance to change things when the Church of Scotland's social committee suggested a Royal Commission on the issue of cannabis. Margo MacDonald has to be thanked for not letting the issue of cannabis be swept under the table as is the case at Westminster, but she seems to be more concerned about the waste of recourses caused by the present cannabis law's other than the medical benefits of cannabis. Cannabis should be legalised as soon as possible for medical and social purposes and have the same penalties and restrictions as alcohol and cigarettes. Scotland has lead the world in modernisation for centuries let us lead the world in pain relief and the full issue of drugs. Where is the crime if their is no victim? The victims are people who are denied their birthright to be pain free. Newshawk: CLCIAhttp://www.paston.co.uk/users/webbooks/index.html Scottish Parliament To Debate Cannabis [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by steve1 on August 20, 1999 at 16:25:51 PT the truth It's time to tell people the truth, as this churchman is doing. Cannabis is NOT toxic. You can't die from an overdose. What else is there to say? Legalization or full decriminalization of cannabis is an evident solution to the problem of the black market's "try this too". [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Dankhank on August 20, 1999 at 16:12:26 PT: Churches ... It is past time for the churches of the world to come out and speak in defense of a humane solution to the problem of drug use and abuse. No One should be arrested for responsible drug use of any kind. Irresponsible use usually involves other bad behaviors ... let's address the behaviors ... 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