House of Commons, 23 March 1999

(snip)
I am afraid that by convention, front bench spokesmen do not sign EDMs other than those proposed by the official Opposition.

However, it would be less than honest if I were to say that I am wholly in support of Paul Flynn's position on the matter. I can quite see that some people may entirely legitimately benefit from the use of cannabis as a genuine medicine. But I can also see that some significant dangers may arise if doctors are given this type of authority - since many of those who wish to use cannabis for quite other purposes may well seek to have their GP help them foster the habit by obtaining a prescription.

Yours sincerely,

Oliver Letwin MP
(Conservative, West Dorset)

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