HOME Secretary Jack Straw today launched a broadside at a high profile campaign to legalise cannabis.

The Blackburn MP said it would worsen drug problems and torpedo efforts to tackle the menace in East Lancashire.

He was reacting to a call from some 100 celebrities, including Sir Paul McCartney and Richard Branson, politicians, business leaders and doctors for the drug to be decriminalised.

Mr Straw said a change in the law would undermine the good work being done by the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's Drive Out Drugs campaign and other initiatives aimed at tackling the rising drugs menace in the area.

He told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph: "The legalisation or decriminalisation of cannabis would be highly irresponsible.

"For a start it would lead to a huge increase in consumption. "It would be wrong to legalise or decriminalise a drug of which the long-term effects are not fully known but which can aggravate mental illness.

"For example, using it is known to increase absenteeism from work or school. It also causes lethargy.

"At a time when we are trying to tackle the problems caused by addiction to tobacco and alcohol, it would be irresponsible to consider legalising another drug.

"People often claim that cannabis is an alternative drug to alcohol.

"That is not true. People who use cannabis heavily tend to be heavy uses of alcohol as well.

"Such a move would undermine the efforts now being made in East Lancashire to tackle the rising drugs menace and would send out all the wrong messages."

Mr Straw's comments came against the background of a new survey which says that one in three 14 and 15-years-olds have tried the drug while 70 per cent of them claimed they knew at least one dealer.

It is 69 years since the drug was outlawed.

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