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UK:Law change impractical - Met chief

Rosie Cowan

The Guardian

Friday 20 May 2005

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Cannabis should not be upgraded again, and if it is, fixed penalty fines
should be issued for the possession of small amounts, Britain's top
policeman said yesterday.

Sir Ian Blair, the Scotland Yard commissioner, said it was a waste of his
officers' time spending hours dealing with possession offences when
prosecutors and courts did not act on them.

If the government reverses the downgrading of the drug, as it is currently
considering, then he would push hard for fixed penalty notices, although he
refused to be drawn on what he considered an appropriate fine.

David Blunkett reclassified cannabis from Class B to Class C in January
last year. While possession is still illegal, those caught with small
amounts are not normally arrested, but have the drug confiscated and
receive a formal warning.

But his successor, Charles Clarke, has asked the Advisory Council for the
Misuse of Drugs to investigate whether cannabis use contributes to
long-term mental health problems.

Mr Clarke is also considering whether stronger "skunk" varieties of the
drug should carry more severe penalties. However, Sir Ian argued that such
a move would be "impractical"

 

 

 

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