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Blunkett's Law supports organised crime !
Nol van Schaik Dutch Experience Press Release
Thursday 11 Jul 2002 This Press message has been forwarded to you by the Legalise Cannabis Alliance http://www.lca-uk.org on behalf of: Nol van Schaik, Soft drugs salesman. co-founder of the Dutch Experience coffeeshop, Stockport, UK. www.dutchexperience.org www.globalhempmuseum.nl All enquiries to Nol van Schaik Mobile : 0031651852545 Haarlem, the Netherlands, July 12, 2002. New Law creates monopoly for street . You do not have to be a professor to see that the announced change in Law on Cannabis will not have any effect on the decrease of crime in the UK. The intended goal of the reclassification of cannabis to Class C, was to get more PC's available to fight organised crime, who have the trade in all drugs in a firm grip for decades, with all involved threats and dangers to society. Under the new Cannabis , which will become active in July, 2003, you should no longer be arrested for smoking a joint, in the privacy of your home, but not with underage children present. Yet, the penalty for possessing or using cannabis for social purposes, without a clear limited quantity, will be 2 years imprisonment, if the Police chooses to prosecute a potsmoker, with or without being arrested for it. Blunkett & Co intend to go tougher on people that supply others with cannabis, the penalty for for the UK's demand for cannabis, is increased to a maximum of 14 years, or is it 10, that did not become quite clear. Cannabiscafe's or -shops will not be allowed under the new Law, as they are supposed to be suppliers of cannabis, and will be punished likewise : 10 - 14 years imprisonment for those who would ! This implicates that the government has left no room for doubt, the distribution of cannabis will not be regulated through licensed outlets. There is no special Law on growing cannabis, but they will probably be considered as suppliers of cannabis : 10 - 14 years imprisonment. These penalties will stop a lot of entrepreneurs-to-be from carrying out their plans to open a cannabisshop in their area, and I can hardly blame them ! Organised crime, the intended target of Blunkett's efforts of the last 9 months or so, will not be impressed by the stiff cannabis , which will dissolve in the penalties they might get on being caught for trafficking and trading in Class A and B drugs as well. I guess the gangs that are in the ABC trade for decades now, feel like Blunkett gave them some kind of Branche-protection, by ruling out any possible competition, growers and eventual cannabisshops. The potsmoker, who should benefit from Blunkett's move, will still have to buy their low-grade cannabis from shady figures that are also involved in dealing Class A and B substances, from a different pocket. Many cannabisgrowers will stop growing, enlarging the marketshare for organised crime, who will import more low grade soapbar-hash to pollute their customers. The use of cannabis in general will increase, not because more people will start using it, but the present smokers will start using it more often, the threat of prosecution is taken of their mind. Another increase in business for organised crime, who will be very pleased with their monopoly on the UK drugmarket. Blunkett and all his commissions must have thought of this, I suppose, it will surely be part of some special tactics, if not, they messed up big time! Governments made prohibition, prohibition made organised crime, now, a new form of prohibition is boosting organised crime. Besides this major flaw, there is another downside, the new Law will cause a lot of arrests of people that supply or grow cannabis, if the plan works out. Where is the government going to put all the growers and suppliers of cannabis that it intends to arrest, and lock up for years, the UK prisonsystem is a few days away from being on full capacity. This will cost a lot of money, more than the 50 million pounds saved by no longer prosecuting the personal use of cannabis. There can only be one conclusion, the upcoming change of Law will not have the intended effect, on the contrary, it benefits organised crime, and will cost the community more than ever before, it does seem to create a lot of jobs though, for prison wards. Coffeeshops, excluded in Blunkett's scheme, however, would separate the trade in cannabis from the trade in Class A and B drugs, and would offer good quality cannabis, for a fair price, in a safe environment They would also employ staff , pay businessrates, rent, and all other duties involved, which would make the money end back up in the UK society, without taking anything out of it. Instead of responding to the need of cannabisoutlets, the UK will have to start building more prisons, out of a budget that will not be able to cover it. The taxpayer looses, as usual.
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