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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Re: Policing cannabis reclassification - easy as ABC"
Don Barnard LCA Press Release
Monday 13 May 2002 With the Police federation Annual Conference voting against legalising Drugs yesterday ; The Prime Minister admitting Anti Drug Strategies were not working on BBC 2 News last night; The Home Affairs Select Committee on UK Drug Laws due to officially announce it's findings falling short of decriminalisation within the next few days; To be followed in a few weeks with the Home Secretary expected to recommend to parliament the reducing of cannabis possession offences from a "Class B" of schedule 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 to "Class C" of Schedule. Clearly, There is a need to clarify and define the issues, and present the arguments within a framework of logic that will help people to consider whether there may - or may not - be a more satisfactory ways of dealing with cannabis in a changing society. Your contribution to the issues at this time would be welcome. The Legalise Cannabis Alliance does not want to ask "should cannabis be legalised/Decriminalised", the question is far too simplistic - Anyway these options are not available to the UK Government without first amending international treaties on narcotics. WE WANT YOU TO ASK - MP's, Police Officers, Local Authorities and your audience which alternative for regulating cannabis described in the "Policing cannabis reclassification - easy as ABC" written by Detective Sergeant Monaghan, would they support. In summary: Writing in the Jan/Feb edition of "DrugLink Magazine" [a DrugScope publication] Detective Sergeant Monaghan says there are four option open to the Home Secretary for the disposal of cannabis possession offences and goes into great detail how each option will impact on police powers of arrest, search, evidence gathering and solving other more serious crime. He argues: If the government wants the whole UK police service to adopt a system similar to the Lambeth model, it will need to amend not only the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, but also the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 and the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. Moreover, it will need to review the 'case disposal' system To ensure national compliance by all police officers government would also need to introduce legislation to exempt the possession of cannabis from the provisions of s.25 of PACE. This would mean there would be no power of arrest at all. Making the offence unique in English law. says He concludes: If politicians decide to remove arrest and search powers; remove the police service's ability to identify , with certainly repeat offenders; cease the prosecution of possession offences and frustrate both their ability to clear up other crimes and intelligence gathering process - then so be it. But at least they should stop being mealy-mouthed and admit that this policy amounts to decriminalisation. [Detective Sergeant Geoff Monaghan is a serving Metropolitan Police Service officer. Until recently, he was the Staff Officer to the ACPO Drugs Sub Committee. He is currently seconded to International family Health]. To read full article: http://www.lca-uk.org/Don/PolicingCannabis.doc Don Barnard Press Officer for the LCA said: "David Blunket wants landlords to have chill out rooms and freely available water for pill users, why shouldn't I smoke a joint in the beer garden with beer I bought or my free water? "None of these models go far enough, without allowing for supply it does not make sense. "I believe, if government were to announce that smoking in the street was undesirable. But, allowing the consumption of cannabis at home or designate (regulated) premises...The vast majority of the police and public would accept it as the obvious and logical step to take....Seems silly to me to put off the inevitable. Kind regards Don Barnard Press Officer Legalise Cannabis Alliance PO BOX 198 Norwich NR3 3WB O7940 485115 donbarnard@lca-uk.org Editors notes 1] Editor contact numbers for DrugLink: fax: 020 7928 1771 Phone: 020 7928 1211 2] Legalise Cannabis Alliance became a UK political party in 1999. "CANNABIS: LEGALISE AND UTILISE" ISBN 0-9535693-1-4, the party's manifesto, can be downloaded at http://www.webbooks.org/Synopses/lca_mani.php 3] Keep up to date with forthcoming action at http://www.ccguide.org.uk/events.html Posted Tuesday 14 May 2002
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