i can hear it just fine.

it comes as no surprise that hitchens is from the daily fail.

I agree with Peter Hitchens on one point.That of Doctors not being infallible.My experience bears this out in that my life was nearly ruined by a doctor who truly believed that antidepressants and sedatives were the answer to my problem.When I told him that when I smoked Cannabis my depressive symptoms seemed to ease, he assured me that this was in fact not the case and that I was simply masking the symptoms and that I stood a very good chance of becoming more depressed and even mentally ill and suicidal if I continued to use it than if I didn’t.Bear in mind that I had depression before I ever started using Cannabis.I took his advice and stopped using Cannabis and started using Seroxat and Nitrazepam.Within a few weeks I was admitted to the Maudsley hospital with a psychotic episode in which I attempted suicide.So much for quitting a supposedly dangerous drug that made me feel better for a combination of drugs which almost killed me!

On Peter Hitchens point about Paracetamol and Codeine needing to be personally approved by a pharmacist, I can confirm that this is in fact not the case.At least it wasn’t when I worked in a pharmacy.

NB:I am not talking about P.O.M’S(prescription only medications) but rather O.T.C (over the counter)

Until a year ago I used to work in a pharmacy as an M.C.A-Medicine counter assistant.
I have personally sold co-codamol without the permission of a pharmacist and can confirm that no such permission is required by law for an M.C.A to make that sale.There are certain questions which need to be asked before the sale of any over the counter drug is made by an M.C.A.Failure to answer one of these questions appropriately, or even if the assistant is not satisfied or suspicious of the answers of the customer, will then require that the assistant must refer to the pharmacist for further questioning.

The various reasons an M.C.A would refer to a pharmacist in regards to co-codamol would be either: 
A:The customer is taking other medication which could interact with co-codamol.
B:The product is for another person and not the customer themselves.
C:The reason for wanting the product is not what the product is intended for,IE:co-codamol is not approved for the intentional of promoting sleep.
D:There is a suspicion that the product has been and/or will be abused.This could also mean modification of the product for the intention of making an illegal substance.
And more importantly  
E:The customer is addicted to the product.
These are (I think) all or most of reasons that the M.C.A must refer to the pharmacist.

It should also be noted that codeine can cause headaches if used medium to long term and that addiction can occur in some people in as little as three days.It is therefore the job of the M.C.A to point this out to the customer and to refuse sale and refer if they believe that the product itself may be the cause of the complaint in the first place.

If I have made any errors in these statements, then I would appreciate a qualified pharmacist or gp to correct my errors, I may have forgotten, be mistaken or be outdated in these statements.

Personally I would suggest to Mr Hitchens that, in my experience, Cannabis works far better for headaches, (and in my case migraines) than co-codamol ever could!

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/cannabis-science-publishes-list-of-over-800-peer-reviewed-cannabis-and-cancer-references-from-scientists-around-the-world-2011-11-21
F.A.O Peter Hitchens.
More science based literature to try and rubbish.
Good luck…

I hate to admit it but Peter Hitchen’s does have a couple of valid points – shame he surrounds them with oppinionated twaddle.

My GP stuck me on Solphadol 30/500′s for 4 months without review or warning me they were addictive – when I said I didn’t want any more & could I have something else he gave me a prescription for Tramadol & Anmitripilyne?

At least I can swap those for some Weed down the pub if I want too!

I’m still suffering from tramadol withdrawal a week after stopping… I have never felt like this in my life. I quit cannabis 4 years ago with ZERO withdrawal symptoms… I should have been prescribed cannabis instead of tramadol.

Well done for not losing your temper with him Peter, it must have been quite frustrating listening to his biggoted drivel for an hour and a half. It seems that much of what Hitchens was saying were opinions of others, as opposed to actual scientific evidence. And, surprise surprise, any evidence put forth to him was ignored.

Hitchens does deserve some credit though; it takes some serious dedication to continue lying to yourself (and Daily Mail readers) for this long. It amazes me that someone can make a career from making people fearful of something relatively harmless.

What Hitchens and The Dail Mail fail to grasp thoug, is that an individual should be soveriegn over their own mind & body… who are they to tell me what I can and can’t do with my own body?