Dear Editor,

So Ms Morris (former Youth Affairs Minister now aged 30) longed to light up at Parliament during her three years in politics and considers herself a "role model in moderate, responsible use of cannabis" (19 July).

In justification, Ms Morris said she "resented that it was acceptable around Parliament to drink excessively, but not to smoke cannabis".

Surely, as Youth Affairs Minister, it should have been her objective to be the role model she believes she is by encouraging Parliamentarians to drink less and not to be encouraging the use of another drug (banned at that).

Her comments that cannabis "energises me, I become inspired, I become really talkative etc. etc." says it all.

The drug simply temporarily changes her psychological profile (as does alcohol) from one of uncertainty to over-exuberance.

Surely, a good role model would be investigating and encouraging the means of permanently managing their profile to one of self-confidence by internal examination to understand what they fear and how to combat it.

Advocating the use of any hallucinogen is a cop-out of the first order and hardly what one expects from a role model.

Mirek Marcanik

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