The cannabis mythsApril 19, 2006Dear Sir,I would like to take this opportunity to comment on the issue of the downgrading of cannabis offences as has been highlighted in The Royal Gazette's April 17 & 18 editions. I support, in theory, National Drug Control Minister Wayne Perinchief's efforts, but quite frankly, I personally feel he doesn't go far enough. Allow me to explain.

As a hard working, middle aged Bermudian man, I don't appreciate being a quasi-criminal in my own country because of my judicious use of a plant for relaxation and recreational as well as preventative medicinal purposes (and let us not forget that cannabis is a plant before it can be labelled as anything else, such as a "drug"). I am considered a "criminal" because of Bermuda's support of the United States' "War on Drugs", a "war" which exists only as a method of social control, the "war" label allowing the US government a legal loophole to effect asset forfeiture in contravention to their own Constitution. Unfortunately, we as a country seem to be headed in a similar direction.

Those in favour of retaining the status quo as far as cannabis' illegality is concerned are fond of espousing oft repeated "facts" for the sake of political expediency, these "facts" having been successfully disproved and relegated to the annals of gutter science. For example, accusations are often made that cannabis could become addictive, could cause cancer, could be a gateway drug or could cause mental illness. However, the facts prove otherwise.

Cannabis has been proven to be as addictive as one's favourite dessert; in other words, the "addiction" is psychological as opposed to being physical, where the real problem of addiction lies. As for cannabis causing cancer, recent research from the Hebrew University in Israel has developed a quinone-type cannabinoid (known as HU331) which has been shown to not only shrink cancerous tumours in mice by half (after 35 days), but is also able to inhibit T cell lymphoma cell growth more than certain known anticancer drugs (doxorubicin, mitoxantrone and etoposide). The "gateway drug" theory has long been disproved (since according to this theory,if one had been prone to drinking coffee before they started to drink alcohol, then caffeine could be considered a "gateway drug").

As for cannabis causing mental illness, a recent study from the University of Cologne raises evidence that purified Cannabidiol (an herbal cannabinoid) has antipsychotic properties statistically the same as amisulpride ( a known antipsychotic) and in fact, the cannabidiol revealed significantly less side effects than amisulpride. Furthermore, an in depth study published last year in the Journal of Clinical Investigation suggests that chronic treatment of adult rats with a synthetic cannabinoid known as HU210 produces anxiolytic- (anti anxiety) and antidepressant-like effects, likely via promotion of hippocampal neurogenesis (the generating of new neurons). In other words, cannabis (and the integrated cannabinoids) may in fact be responsible for helping to generate new brain neurons as opposed to causing brain damage as we've been deceived into believing for so long.

As far as the assertion being made that Mr. Perinchief as National Drug Control Minister was akin to"—the fox guarding the hen house—", I believe that cliché is a more appropriate label for a former police narcotics head apparently earning brownie points through his "guarding the henhouse" of truth as far as cannabis is concerned. The fact that his knowledge of the subject is gleaned from the attending of drugs commanders' conferences is suspiciously ominous, considering that the lucrative livelihood of these individuals is achieved in great part by the continued prohibition of cannabis and the resultant impingement of the general public's right to exercise their freedom of consciousness and related pursuit of happiness. People of Bermuda, do not be deceived!

Let me conclude by saying this: Mr. Perinchief, there are many of us who are suffering disenfranchisement because of the current laws and politics surrounding the usage of cannabis. We are citizens too and deserve to be treated as such, as opposed to being considered as criminals who have yet to be caught.

Our voices may not be heard as loudly as others' because of our wish to avoid unnecessary persecution from draconian prohibition laws, but we are here and we are not leaving. Please do the right thing and rescue this large segment of the community from the legal fiction that oppresses us. We could all use a break.WHO WATCHES THE WATCHMEN?

Hamilton Parish