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September 2008
This article was published in the Daily Mail 'You' Magazine 14 September.
'We love our son, but we can't live with what the drugs have done to him': Mothers against cannabis
Early next year, cannabis will be restored to Class B status, and for families of addicts, the reclassification will not be a moment too soon.
• The drug was downgraded to Class C five years ago, giving users the false impression that it was virtually harmless, but the four mothers featured here know the reality: 80 per cent of the cannabis seized in Britain today is skunk, which is up to 25 per cent stronger than the cannabis smoked by previous generations.
• Skunk users are 18 times more likely to develop psychosis, and there is increasing evidence of a link between skunk and schizophrenia. In the past five years, the number of people admitted to NHS hospitals suffering from cannabis-related mental and behavioural disorders has almost doubled.
Meanwhile, there is little support for addicts' families, most of whom find themselves isolated by fear, guilt and shame. Talking About Cannabis, a new parental pressure group, is hoping to change that. These four women reveal how their friendship and contact with each other through TAC has helped them deal with the challenge facing their families.
By Catherine O'brien
Click HERE to read the full article
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August 27 2008
BBC
Radio 1 xtra aired a documentary on cannabis today at 2.30. You can listen to this online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra/tx/documentaries/homegrown.shtml - it’s an excellent piece. Debra Bell CEO of Talking About Cannabis was in the studio afterwards for a live discussion.
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May 2008
Will gives interview to The Observer newspaper 4 May 2008 - click here to read his updated view on cannabis
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Debra Bell is available to speak at events, workplaces, schools, conferences: either about cannabis and the young or about attempting to make the changes you'd like to see in the world! Contact us for more details.
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Debra writes in Daily Telegraph
Click to read
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David Cameron talks to Adam Boulton on Sky News, calling for reclassification of cannabis, April 6 2008.
Transcript is HERE
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The Forthcoming meeting of All Party Parliamentary Group on Cannabis and Children is honoured to have as speaker Professor Robin Murray, from the Institute of Psychiatry talking about his ongoing research into the links between cannabis and mental illness.
The meeting will be on 28 April from 4.30 - 5.30 pm and will be chaired by Graham Brady MP. This group has three Vice Chairs from across the political parties. For more details please email Mandi Cooper at manditac@googlemail.com, or contact us through the web-site. Entry is strictly by invitation only and places are limited.
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Briefing held in the House of Commons on October 30 2007
'Cannabis and Children - no complacency is not an option'
This was a two hour seminar on cannabis, organised by Talking About Cannabis, focusing on the potentially damaging effects of cannabis on the mental health of children and teenagers.
Speakers included: Professor Robin Murray, Head of Institute of Psychiatry; Dr Ian Oliver, UN consultant on drugs; Peter Walker, drugs testing expert; Edward Garnier MP; Mary Brett, Europe against Drugs UK spokesperson;
Dr Hans-Christian Raabe, GP; Elizabeth Burton-Phillips, bereaved parent and author of 'Mum, can you lend me twenty quid'.
Transcripts and speakers' PowerPoint presentations can be downloaded using the links below:
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