Groups unite to beat the cannabis problem

1:02am Friday 6th June 2008

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Agencies across Bradford joined forces yesterday to discuss how to tackle the dangers of cannabis to young people.

The conference brought together a range of speakers from health and social care, magistrates and the police, to discuss the extent of the problem, explore the latest research, examine cultural and political perspectives and what services are available.

The conference was organised after Debbie Dickson, nurse manager for the Looked After Children's Health Team, which is part of Bradford and Airedale Teaching Primary Care Trust, attended a national meeting of the Advisory Council of the Misuse of Drugs which advises the Government on cannabis reclassification.

The Government decided to ignore the advise of the advisory council who said cannabis should remain a class C drug, and reclassified it a class B drug.

Speakers at the Midland Hotel conference included Chief Superintendent Allan Doherty, divisional commander of Airedale and North Bradford Police, Dr Norman Malcolm from the district's children and adult mental health service, Bradford magistrate Roger Davy and Debbie Dickson, on a carers' perspective.

A keynote address was given by Professor Louis Appleby, National Director for Mental Health in England and Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Manchester. He spoke about how recent evidence showed cannabis was not just part of the instability of mental illness but also a cause of it.

"When you look at the link between cannabis and psychosis it is reasonable to conclude it is a cause in some people," he said.

He spoke about research carried out in England and Wales over a five-year period which found about 70 per cent of young mental health patients who committed suicide were misusing drugs and alcohol and about two thirds of homicides committed by mental health patients were done so by patients misusing drugs and alcohol.

"It is a reasonable conclusion that cannabis contributed to these figures," he said.

He said it was a serious public health issue which the Government was not being idle on: "Cannabis is a harmful drug and it contributes to a pattern of instability in mental illness that is very damaging and a risk to people with mental illness.

"The Government has a responsibility to do the right thing and make a statement on behalf of the public about what the values of our society should be. If we are concerned about cannabis it is quite right to reflect that in the reclassification of cannabis."

He said he hoped it would deter drug dealers targeting vulnerable mental health in-patients but was worried it could result in more mental health patients picking up a criminal record.

The reclassification of cannabis to class B was supported by Ch Supt Doherty.

He said: "Cannabis is a gateway drug that can lead to harder drugs and crime. It is a lifestyle drug which leads people to mixing with people and into situations where they are more likely to be injured or even killed."

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