Caritas calls for drug court

angelo cilia

Jul 1st 2011, 19:57

So if a roman catholic institution is so concerned about hard drugs why not employ another catholic institution that has a handle and expertise on hard drugs and their supply through its network of intelligence agencies . That roman catholic institution is the SMOM, so well known to the Maltese people. It is highly hypocritical for a spokesman of the catholic church to place cannabis in a bad light when its own vatican financial investments include stocks in distilleries. So, destructive poisonous alcohol is good but helpful non addictive cannabis is bad?? Some warped logic.
Cannabis is a very useful plant that has been safely used by mankind for over five thousand years. Other than its enjoyable properties cannabis is a safe non addictive pain reliever and a killer of cancer cells as recently re-discovered by Prof. Guzman in Spain and by a presidential appointed professional team of experts at the University of Virginia as far back as 1974 !

M. Grech

Jul 1st 2011, 19:41

Whenever the likes of Monsignor Victor Grech speaks on this delicate subject we should stop and think. With his experience in drug rehabilitiation he is definitiely onto something in the right direction.

Fran Abela

Jul 1st 2011, 16:58

Whilst appreciating the efforts being made by Caritas to help drug addicts and I also agree that they are not really criminals, I would like to ask a question: Has anyone come up with the idea of seeing why in the first place people take drugs ? There may be family problems, personal problems, lack of faith in all institutions, etc. etc. It would be good to have some sort of survey and not just increase entities, committees, etc. etc. Have the guts to say what is really the problem and then move from there. I admit one cannot completely eliminate the problem of drugs but at least we should first try to get to the bottom of the problem.

Dr Anthony Licari

Jul 1st 2011, 13:48

It has been long years that Mons Victor Grech and other serious, responsible people have been saying that victims are not criminals. Maltese society is dragging its feet insensitively without adopting suggestions by humanitarians like these social educators. Punishment is NOT the best form of teaching; on the contrary, punishment like prison for victims has the opposite effect. How many victims have been struck down by punishment when obligatory anti-drug reform should be employed. We are losing so many youths in prison as we are using an extreme-right policy i.e. punish the victim on top of the fact that s/he is suffering. Ergo give him/her double punishment: the one s/he is imposing on him/herself and the other that society whips him/her with. This also spoils a youth's chances of being professionally successful. A truly caring society! But flowers don't grow in parliament.

J lanzon

Jul 1st 2011, 13:31

" We affirm that all drugs are harmful, including cannabis, and there are cases where the damage could not be repaired," Mgr Grech said.

What has cannabis done to a human being? The only slight irritation it causes is when smoked by paper as it irritates the lungs cause of the carcinogens.. but even burnt toast has that and irritates it. Prove a proper study about cannabis and get your story right instead of feeding lies to this country. You just make situations worse instead of helping them.

Mr SILVIO BONAVIA

Jul 1st 2011, 12:48

Decriminalize cannabis even for cancer patients,its a good painkiller for patients on cemo instead of morphine also cannabis users would not be funding organized crime to buy it and also less tax payer money for the law enforcement of this so called drug.

Paul Smith

Jul 1st 2011, 11:13

I would like to see the proof of any damage from cannabis, i doubt there is any evidence, without a doubt cannabis is blamed many a time when their are other circumstances involved. For instance, many people with existing mental illness use cannabis because the CBD has a balancing effect. many people with a probable disposition to mental illness have got mental illness and Cannabis is blamed. There is no link been found between Cannabis and mental illness. people arrested in the UK for possession or cultivation use addiction and mental illness as an excuse to seek lighter sentencing.

However, the proposals for drug courts to deal with hard drugs like heroin and cocaine are welcome, but please leave us cannabis users alone - we dont preach to others whom enjoy an alcoholic drink, which is far more dangerous than cannabis ever will be and thats a proven fact - Just spend a morning at the family court

David Caruana

Jul 1st 2011, 09:29

"Mgr Grech, however, spoke against the decriminalisation..."

But Mgr Grech, what you are proposing is in fact decriminialisation! Decriminalisation is different than legalisation and one should not make the mistake to cofuse the 2.

"We do not think that punishment and prison are the best measures to improve the behaviour of these young people..."

Exactly! Removing possession (for personal use) from being a criminal offence (no punishment, no jail) is exactly what DE-criminalisation is all about. With decriminalisation, the user would still have to attend to some sort of detox program instead of paying hefty fines or doing time.

Mr Karl Consiglio

Jul 1st 2011, 09:07

Mgr Grech is ignoring the experts.

Mr Carmelo Aquilina

Jul 1st 2011, 08:40

change the law - decrimimalise possession of soft drugs like cannabis which are less harmful than say heroin and you won't be sending too many people to jail without a good reason.