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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Cannabis: Challenging the Criminal Justice System
Don Barnard Press Release
Thursday 01 May 2003 Any possible idea anyone has had that reclassification was to be a step forward for the legalisation movement must surely have been dispelled by now. Blunkett has simply spun on his heels. Clause 9 of the Criminal Justice Bill amends PACE (Police and Criminal Evidence Act) to make possession of Class C drugs arrestable. In other words, reclassification will remove the arrest powers, But the Bill will reinstate them: The Criminal Justice Bill was published in November and is at the moment being debated through the committee stage in Parliament. Clause 9 is subheaded 'Power of arrest for possession of class C drugs' and states: 'In schedule 1A to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 9[c.60][specific offences which are arrestable offences] after paragraph 6, there is to be inserted: 6a An offence under section 5[2] of the Misuse of Drugs Act: [having possession of a controlled drug] in respect of a class C drug [within the meaning of that Act]. Section 5[2] of the Misuse of Drugs Act States 'Subject to section 28 of this Act it is an offence for a person to have a controlled drug in his possession' So, the end result if cannabis becomes a class C drug: Possession will be an arrestable offence as of now, but police will have discretion to warn or caution maximum sentence for possession reduced from 5 years to 2 years supply, production, cultivation will carry maximum sentence of 14 years as of now for cannabis. ************ WHY? is it all right, socially, to use a government endorsed, government taxed drug that - after the first one or two units - dulls our cerebral function, makes us boring, and will eventually make us slur, fight, throw up, pass out and in excess will kill us! Why is it, not all right, to smoke cannabis after a meal? Or anywhere, for that matter? Why in the name of common-sense are sick people suffering serious conditions that can be eased by the magic of the cannabis hemp plant, criminalised for using cannabis? Why are doctors not routinely prescribing this gentle, healing plant as a complementary medicine, instead of stuffing their patients full of harsh non-holistic chemicals? Why are millions of ordinary people who recreationally choose cannabis in preference to alcohol classified as lawbreakers? How does prohibiting cannabis make cannabis less harmful? How does locking up an adult for cannabis stop young people experimenting with cannabis. How does prohibiting cannabis make it less safer to drive. How does the implementation of law conflict with Human Rights, harm minimalisation and good policing? ********* LCA press officer Don Barnard Co-author of the Legalise Cannabis Alliance's Challenge to the Criminal Justice System said: "If society is to achieve any success in its effort to reduce personal and social damage through drugs use, we must continually re-examine our own understanding and attitudes to drug use, misuse and abuse. We need to examine the successes, failures and costs of past and present control regimes. "We need to create a just and workable legislation that reduces harm from drugs without infringing upon personal privacy and the right to choose ones own lifestyle and beliefs - our challenge is designed to do that. "All newly elected councillors should take time out to read this...Afterall, they are responsible for spending - best practice and could become accountable on the day of reckoning - ignorance will not be a defence. "CANNABIS: CHALLENGING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM" ONLINE VERSION http://www.lca-uk.org/challenge.php - HTML Format - 32 Pages - 69Kb ABRIDGED VERSION: http://www.lca-uk.org/leaflets/cannabiscjs.pdf - Adobe Acrobat Format - 8 Pages - 56Kb http://www.lca-uk.org/leaflet/cannabiscjs.doc - Microsoft Word Format - 8 Pages - 113Kb Kind regards Don Barnard Legalise Cannabis Alliance Party DonBarnard@lca-uk.org 07984 255015
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