I congratulate David Prior, Conservative MP for Norfolk North, for admitting
that he smoked cannabis for several years in his youth ("Cannabis may be
made legal for medical use", 16 March).

This comes at a time when a poll of new MPs revealed that 20 per cent have
tried an illegal drug. Yet so far the number that have announced it publicly
can be counted on one hand.

Almost every adult has either taken an illegal drug or known someone who has
and not reported them. For a government to ban a remarkably safe plant like
cannabis, whilst profiting from the trade in dangerous legal drugs like
alcohol, is hypocritical. To publicly support prohibition whilst concealing
their own "law-breaking" past is downright dishonest. One thing this country
does not need is a House of Commons full of liars and hypocrites.

Alun Buffry
Norwich