Columnist Peter Hitchens has once again stirred debate, arguing that Britain is beginning to confront a reality long ignored: many violent and disturbed individuals may be linked to marijuana use.
He suggests that understanding and addressing this issue is essential if society wants to prevent further tragedies.
Hitchens stresses a simple but controversial solution: enforce existing laws on marijuana possession.
“In countries like Japan, this is standard practice,” he notes, arguing that Britain’s reluctance is driven by both political elites and social media pressures.
The Elite and Social Media Problem
According to Hitchens, many of Britain’s decision-makers and influential commentators are unwilling to acknowledge the link between marijuana and mental illness.
“Our university-educated classes are full of past or present habitual drug abusers—or parents who let their children abuse drugs,” he says.
He also criticizes social media commentators who prefer labeling knife attacks as “terrorism” rather than confronting the unpalatable truth about mental instability and drug influence.
He cites the case of Valdo Calocane, responsible for killings in Nottingham, whose home reportedly reeked of marijuana.
Another example is Axel Rudakubana, the Southport mass killer, who reportedly changed dramatically in his early teens—the period when many children first encounter marijuana at school.
Hitchens contends that police and investigators rarely explore drug use in violent offenders, leaving a gap in understanding and prevention.
Terrorism Mislabeling and Train Attacks
Hitchens also critiques how authorities and media rushed to frame recent violent events as terrorism, including a Huntingdon train assault.
Initially, police used codes suggesting a coordinated attack, but further investigation revealed no terrorist motive.
Hitchens argues that mislabeling incidents distracts from addressing the real root causes, such as drug-induced mental instability.
He also dismisses the idea of “airport-style security” at train stations as impractical, suggesting that if such measures were truly necessary, they should be implemented in prisons first rather than punishing ordinary commuters.
Questions Around the Lucy Letby Case
Shifting focus, Hitchens highlights growing concerns about the Lucy Letby investigation in Cheshire.
A former senior policeman, Dr. Steve Watts, has publicly questioned whether Cheshire Constabulary properly explored alternative explanations for the deaths at Countess of Chester Hospital.
Watts criticizes the investigation as potentially biased, stating that detectives may have been influenced by confirmation bias from the outset.
“It seemed more an information-gathering exercise to prove that Lucy Letby did it,” he remarked, while emphasizing that he is not defending Letby personally.
Hitchens urges the Criminal Cases Review Commission and the Appeal Court to scrutinize the case carefully, calling it a potential miscarriage of justice.
Economic and Social Advice for Nigel Farage
Finally, Hitchens weighs in on the political scene, praising Nigel Farage for acknowledging Britain’s economic challenges.
Hitchens argues that true reform must go beyond nostalgic slogans like tax cuts and address the underlying issues, including the overreach of the state into family life, the misuse of schools for social engineering, and the misguided view that crime should be treated as a disease rather than punished.
Hitchens’ message is clear: tackling Britain’s social and economic crises requires honesty, discipline, and long-term thinking—not easy fixes or distractions.
What’s Next
Hitchens’ commentary continues to provoke debate across media and social platforms.
His perspectives on drugs, crime, justice, and governance challenge conventional narratives and demand attention from policymakers, law enforcement, and the public alike.