|
Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
|
|
UK: Cannabis possession limit to be 500 joints
Richard Ford and Stewart Tendler The Times
Thursday 01 Dec 2005 DRUG users caught with enough cannabis to make more than 500 joints will be able to claim that it is for personal use under Home Office plans published yesterday. Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, is planning to set a threshold for the amount of drugs a person can possess without being charged for dealing. The move was announced as police in Brixton, South London, were preparing to take a tougher approach on cannabis because drug dealing has increased since the area was used to test a more liberal attitude towards people caught with cannabis. Anyone caught with any amount of the drug will face arrest under the new strategy. Threshold limits proposed by the Home Secretary will provide guidance to police and the Crown Prosecution Service on whether to prosecute for dealing or possession. A letter from the Home Office said that it was minded to set the thresholds at levels already being operated in Nottingham. The personal use threshold for cannabis would be 4 ounces, enough to roll more than 500 joints. The letter said: "Being in possession of a lower-than-prescribed amount of a controlled drug will not prevent prosecution for the offence of intent to supply if other evidence demonstrates that the defendant had the necessary intent, for example the possession of dealing paraphernalia." The Association of Chief Police Officers has avoided setting a threshold because it said that it could lead to dealers carrying amounts just below the threshold. A Home Office spokesman said: "This is to clarify the point at which the quantity of drugs in a person's possession becomes above and beyond that reasonably held for personal use, and so help the courts to differentiate between possession and intent to supply." Alistair Carmichael, the Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman, said: "The Government was given ample warning during the passage of the Drugs Bill that this idea would backfire. Set the limit too low, and you treat all users as dealers. Set it too high, and many dealers will argue that the drugs were for personal use". Cheryl Gillan, the Conservative home affairs spokesman, said that setting out thresholds would help dealers to know what they could get away with. The move was announced before the introduction of powers today under which there will be more drug testing of people arrested for offences such as burglary, robbery and theft. An estimated 250,000 people each year will be tested for drugs when they are arrested. Anyone who tests positive will be forced to attend a drug assessment to help them into treatment, even if they are not eventually charged. A person who fails to undergo a drug assessment faces a fine of up to UKP2,500 or up to three months in prison. Another power coming into force today will allow courts to refuse bail to an alleged offender unless he or she agrees to a drug assessment. Paul Goggins, a Home Office Minister, said: "Testing on arrest and compulsory assessment will help to identify more drug misusing offenders within the criminal justice system...and so make communities safer."
After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back.
|
This page was created by the Cannabis Campaigners' Guide.
Feel free to link to this page!