It’s time to smoke out the lies about cannabis

Despite its portrayal, cannabis is not a soft and cuddly narcotic. Everyone needs to remember it’s a very addictive drug of marginal medicinal value, says Dr Bobby Smyth

CANNABIS is a complex drug, often presented as a miracle medication. But I see its darker side. Cannabis has become the dominant reason for young people to seek addiction treatment across Ireland, rising slowly and relentlessly over the past 10 years.

In the past week, our courts dealt with a young man killed over a drug debt of €100. Most media reports of this sad affair glossed over the drug involved. It wasn’t heroin. It wasn’t cocaine. It was soft, cuddly cannabis.