Cannabis addiction is a real but largely trivial condition. It arises in 10 per cent of regular users, a slightly lower prevalence than caffeine addiction amongst regular coffee drinkers. The withdrawal symptoms are also similar: insomnia, lack of appetite and irritability, easily overcome within a week or so.

This claim is a bare faced lie: “medical evidence of permanent brain damage caused by cannabis to tens of thousands of users each year: dementia-like memory loss and the psychotic episodes, often dangerously violent”.

There is no medical, scientific or any sort of evidence to support this at all. On the contrary, the US government owns US patent no. US 6630507: “cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia. “

Source: http://www.google.co.uk/patents/US6630507

The Wisbech Standard should take steps to ensure that such wildly inaccurate statements are not published. Mrs Gillick is entitled to her own opinion but not her own facts

PETER REYNOLDS

Clear UK

Cannabis Law Reform