Lothar121

Cannabis Smoking Leads To Criminality, Judge Tells Arsonist
Stewart Payne | Telegraph.co.uk | 10/07/2005

A judge issued a warning about what he believes to be a clear link between cannabis and crime when jailing a drug user.

Judge Anthony Niblett told an arsonist who had set fire to his former girlfriend's house while under the influence of the drug: "Those whose minds are steeped in cannabis are capable of quite extraordinary criminality."

Sentencing Peter West, 33, a habitual drug user, at Hove Crown Court, East Sussex, he added: "Your brain has been steeped in cannabis for most of your adult life."

He described West as a danger to the public after hearing how the blaze gutted the three-bedroom house in Partridge Green, West Sussex, and left his girlfriend and her two young children with just the clothes they stood in. He had set light to her house in a rage fuelled by cannabis and vodka, the court was told.

West, from Cowfold, West Sussex, was a heavy cannabis smoker and also used heroin, cocaine and crack. Lisa Williams, his former partner, told police that West had become increasingly moody and aggressive in the weeks before the attack. On the night of the arson he suddenly punched her and said he was going to burn down the house with all of them inside.

Miss Williams fled with her children. West set the house alight, leading to their neighbours being evacuated.

West admitted assault and arson. Jailing him for life, the judge said West must serve a minimum of two-and-a-half-years before being considered for parole. However, he will remain under licence for life.

The judge criticised the Crown Prosecution Service for not charging West with the more serious offence of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

In March this year the Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to re-examine the dangers of cannabis. He acted after researchers in Holland said using it "moderately increases" the risk of psychotic symptoms among the young.

The latest research follows increasing concerns about the downgrading of the drug. Health campaigners claim that there is growing evidence that cannabis is more damaging to mental health than was previously thought.

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reggie_the_dog

ok so this guy uses crack, powder cocaine, heroin, alcohol and cannabis, yet the judge seems to think his attack was caused only by cannabis, somethings fishy here

jaman

that's just stupid , where do they come up with these stories ?

the Judge is obviously on drugs

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RL in IL

Obviously.. How does the judge come to the conclusion that it was cannabis when the man was a habitual user of all these other drugs? There should be some guidelines for judges like this in the UK to follow to help them understand the differences between cannabis use and multi-drug abuse.

king cola

He had set light to her house in a rage fuelled by cannabis and vodka, the court was told.

He drank vodka the night he set the house on fire and because he also smoked some pot they blame the marijuana

Vodka is capable of making people violent, especially if they are moody as it is. The guy uses all kinds of other hard drugs which is also capable of making people go violent and again they blame the pot. This guys mind might be shot but i wouldn't let the judge off so easily either, i would like to know how the hell he determined marijuana is responsible for all of this.

The latest research follows increasing concerns about the downgrading of the drug. Health campaigners claim that there is growing evidence that cannabis is more damaging to mental health than was previously thought.

These Health campaigners seem to have a lot of evidence Someone drinks vodka and goes crazy, or is on other hard drugs and the guy also smoked pot, so because he also used pot, that is their evidence for all of this Un f*ckin believable, these people lack common sense.

Some people on this site have smoked pot for over 30 years and don't have any criminal records and are probably the most harmless people some of these politicians would ever meet in their life. I would say the judge and these health campaigners aren't ones to talk and should probably go in for a brain examination themselves. I really can't believe how stupid they could be. It's not like the person was just using pot alone without anything else.

REEEEEEEEEFER MAAAAAAAAAAAADNESSSSSSSSSSS! Hey judge, got a light? :spark:

nerphroll

But didn't you read what the judge said? His mind was STEEPED in pot. STEEPED, damnit. Not muddled with cannabis. Not interfered with by it. Not even TAKEN OVER by it. But STEEPED in it. that's HARDCORE. Cocaine, codka, heroin, sure they can F*CK with your mind, but can they STEEP it? I think not.
Christ these judges and the like need these petty situations to preach. The fact that this guy was STEEPED with pot is probably what stopped his from torching the rest of the houses on the block when he was dnoe with his girlfriends'.
I'm just fed up. LEGALIZE IT, beatch.

Hashishi

well duh...it is illegal

seriously, if **** like that earns you a hammer and a wig this whole damn country needs a serious shake-up.

back on topic: that comment would be more appropriate directed at the countless teenagers who commit crime every day AND smoke cannabis every day...and even then its critically inapt.

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teufelfisch

Yeah, those cannabis users. Always committing arson. Can't stop them from burning down the house. Watch out!

Of course, this incident has absolutely nothing to do with alcohol, heroin, cocaine, crack, or any of the man's psychological problems. Blame it on the cannabis!

How do such uninformed and downright stupid people get placed in positions of power?

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