Mother’s backlash at ex-Met chief over cannabis

THE mother of a heavy cannabis user who developed schizophrenia and later died has led the backlash against a former Metropolitan Police chief’s call to consider legalising the drug.

Bernard Hogan-Howe, who led the force until last year, believes the Government should set up an urgent review to examine decriminalisation.

He said while cannabis can be harmful to some people’s mental health, making it legal would allow it to be regulated and cut down on organised crime.

Lord Hogan-Howe, pictured, also said he believed cannabis is in some ways ‘less harmful’ than other things you can buy in shops.

The remarks were criticised by Janie Hamilton, whose son James died aged 36 from testicular cancer – his inquest recorded part of the cause as his cannabis-induced psychosis, which had led him to refuse life-saving treatment.

Retired teacher Mrs Hamilton 66, who now works with police in schools, said: ‘The people considering the pros and cons of legalisation have many facts at their disposal. But the youth will just take one message from that – “It must be OK if the Government says it is legal”.

‘I could never bring myself to endorse the legalisation of a drug that derailed my son’s life and so many other young people’s I’ve seen in mental health wards.’

She added: ‘When someone has mental illness it can be an irreversible state of affairs.’

According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, cannabis is addictive and nearly 5.3million 16 to 24-year-olds have used it in the past year. It states that those who use cannabis – particularly at a younger age, such as around 15 – have a higher than average risk of developing a psychotic illness such as schizophrenia.

Writing in a Sunday newspaper, Lord Hogan-Howe proposed that a panel of experts examine ‘the accumulating evidence on legalisation’.

Comment – Page 16