Mass confusion'
claim on Cannabis law change.
Source: [UK] Braintree and Witham Times
Pub Date: Thursday 29 January 2004
Author: Ben Attenborough
ben.attenborough@thisisessex.co.uk
Web site: www.thisissessex.co.uk
Contact: bwtnews@nqe.com
'Mass confusion' claim on Cannabis law
change.
A CAMPAIGNER for the legalisation of
cannabis has criticised the way the Government has advertised changes to the
drug law.
Don Barnard, a member of the Legalise
Cannabis Alliance in Braintree, says the planned reclassification of cannabis
has led to mass confusion.
He said: "There is still much
confusion on how reclassification will work, the benefits to be gained, and the
relative harms associated with cannabis use.
The changes in the law are due to come
into effect on Thursday, from then cannabis will still be illegal but it will
be downgraded from a category B to a category C drug.
It will still be an offence to possess,
use or deal the drug, but there will be a "presumption against
arrest" of cannabis users.
This would mean people possessing small
quantities of the drug will normally get an formal warning and have the drug
removed instead of facing arrest. But
people found dealing could still be arrested, especially if found dealing to
vulnerable people.
However, Mr Barnard said: "It's an
illusion of change. The laws on cannabis have not been amended.
"Reclassification is a change in
sentencing practice not a change in law," he added.
He believes the prohibition of cannabis
has made the situation worse and is arguing for access to the drug to be
regulated rather than prohibited.
"The Legalise Cannabis Alliance
strategy would help restrict access to the young, remove the criminal contact
in obtaining cannabis from a street and introduce quality control."
"And it would supply credible drugs education literature and advice in language understood by the targeted audience." he added.