The Government had pledged to 'launch a major campaign' this spring targeted at young people. The move came after the divisive reclassification of cannabis two years ago from a class 'b' to a class 'c' drug.
But Professor Murray told BBC Radio 4's 'You and Yours' that the Home Office was dragging its feet on the issue.
'It has been absolutely useless', he said. 'In January Charles Clarke announced that they accepted cannabis could cause schizophrenia and that they would initiate a major education campaign.
'Since that time Charles Clarke has gone and absolutely nothing has happened.'
Professor Murray attributed the inaction largely to Mr Clarke's unceremonious departure from the Home Office earlier this year and a subsequent change of policy emphasis.
He relayed: 'Charles Clarke was interested in it and he took a particular interest and, indeed, I think if he had stayed we perhaps would have seen some action but clearly John Reid has other interests and other pressing problems.'
And Professor Murray, who has long been a proponent of rolling out a health education campaign, said the Government paled in comparison to the actions taken in other countries on the issue.
'Well we know that in the continent and, particularly in the United States, there is a very active campaign whereas the Government here has being doing nothing', he remarked.
'One evening I got a phone call from the White House to say they initiating their programme to counter the problems associated with cannabis and they wanted me to go over to the launch of this campaign.
'They have launched this campaign. All of the newspapers, cinema have videos all about the dangers that you can go psychotic if you smoke a lot of cannabis.'
But again he expressed regret over how 'nothing' had happened in the UK, accusing the Home Office of putting its proposed education campaign 'in a drawer and forgetting about it'.
Asked what then needs to be done, Professor Murray advised: 'We have to provoke them into actually delivering on their promise, that we know there are increasing numbers of young people developing psychosis becoming dependent on cannabis.'
'This is costing the Government a lot', he observed. 'It is one of the reasons why our mental health services are in such a mess because there are so many people whose illness does not recover and they are at this point doing nothing about it.'
In a statement, the Government insists it is 'committed to educating young people on the harms of drugs'.
Source: Mon, 17 Jul 06 |DeHavilland Report - Broadcast