Letter: Cannabis hypocrisy

Sir: I am once again appalled at the amount of time and public money being spent prosecuting a person for an offence involving a virtually harmless plant - cannabis. By now it should be clear that cannabis is remarkably safe. This has been confirmed by every major government and scientific investigation including our own 1968 Royal Commission report.

Laws are meant to protect people and society, not simply impose the will of the Government on its citizens. Recently beef on the bone, like cannabis, has been declared dangerous. Yet known poisons and dangers, not only the likes of alcohol and tobacco but also clingfilm, pesticides, pollutants and food additives, are allowed.

The act of Jack Straw's son in supplying cannabis had no victim; nobody was hurt (except possibly the pride of his father). Millions of people have supplied each other with cannabis since this case has been in the press, with no harm done. The only victims will be the lad himself - a victim of a nonsense law - and the public, who will foot the bill.

What we need is truth, not a nanny state run by hypocritical individuals who seem hardly capable of living within their own rules.

ANN CLARKE

Norwich