According to reports, the victim took a number of Ecstasy tablets before leaving his home in Essex Avenue, Intake, in the early hours of February 26 and used a rope to hang himself from the bridge near Danum School. It was not until after 6am that a passing motorist saw it and alerted police.

Recording a verdict that Stuart Lester killed himself, Mr Hooper said he had been diagnosed as schizophrenic at the age of 17 and this was "thought to be brought on" by cannabis use as a child, although in the medical reports relating to Mr Lester's death there was no mention of whether he had recently used, and was therefore under the influence of cannabis at the time of his death, which brings into question the motivations behind the coroners announcement regarding cannabis, and the part it played in Mr Lester's suicide?

Its not the first time a coroner has decided to take it upon himself to judge the legal position of cannabis.

Back in January 08, Dr Louay Al-Alousi, of the University of Leicester, admitted making serious mistakes in the cases of two teenagers, saying their deaths were due to cannabis use when that was not the case.

The Home Office pathologist had restrictions imposed on his ability to practice in January last year after he admitted professional misconduct before the General Medical Council (GMC) over the cannabis cases.

Last year's GMC hearing was sparked by the refusal of Paul and Joanne Burgess, of Leicester Forest East, to accept Dr Al-Alousi's finding in relation to their son, James, said to have died as a result of using cannabis.

The parents enlisted their own pathologist, while an independent coroner had a third expert examine James. Both agreed his death was due to an unsuspected heart condition which was in no way related to cannabis or its use.

In spite of this, Dr Al-Alousi had signed off a death certificate which quoted cannabis as a direct cause of death.

It seems as the government strive for public backing in the reclassification of the class C substance, the race is on to register the first credible "death" record as a direct result of cannabis use and it also appears the powers that be will use either fair means or foul, to bring about such a finding.

In the meantime we already know 2008 will witness 10,000+ alcohol related death's, and that 90% of ALL drug related death's in the UK, will result from people using substances they have paid tax on?

Which begs the question of why alcohol and tobacco, both lethal, highly addictive drugs, are not in the same category or higher, than cannabis?

Its a question the government simply refuses to answer. But thats not to say the Canna Zine cannabis news portal will stop asking it.

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