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UK: Remove cannabis from the war on drugs Canna Zine Canna Zine Sunday 17 Aug 2008 But the reality is often very different, with drug-dealing large-scale cannabis growers receiving on average only 18 month sentences and if there is a good defense lawyer in place a prison term can be avoided altogether, and all too easily. Even without a jail term to show for the conviction its still a costly exercise convicting cannabis dealers. Court cases can often be long, drawn out affairs costing hundreds of thousands of pounds in the name of justice. But does justice come at too high a price in this instance? With outcomes such as a £100 fine or a community service order the nett result, isn't it about time someone addressed this gross misappropriation of public funds? The new rules are leaning more toward "community service orders". The deployment of convicted criminals from all walks of life, in our schools, our colleges and around the vulnerable groups in society such as the elderly, and when you put it like that it doesn't seem like the best idea in the world when you get to down to the "Class A" drugs section of the document. In it, the document recommends people who are caught with large quantities of Class A drugs such as heroin, or cocaine, should not be imprisoned if the drugs are found to be for personal consumption? But surely this leaves a massive "grey area" which the government is failing to address? Which will no doubt be illustrated in future, with lorry drivers bringing a ton of cocaine through the channel tunnel and claiming its for personal use. A far easier solution would be to look to our close neighbours across the North Sea in Holland, who have decriminalized a small amount of cannabis for personal consumption. Not only that but they took the cannabis dealers out of the equation by making cannabis available in licensed premises such as the coffee-shops Amsterdam is famous for. Meaning convictions for dealing cannabis are some of the lowest in the world, and consumers pay tax on the cannabis they consume, which helps pay for health care! Holland have also made medical marijuana available via government run dispensaries and Netherlands public health minister Ab Klink has recently asked for a five year extension for the scheme, so it clearly works. Jailing small time, housing estate cannabis dealers doesn't make a blind bit of difference to the big picture. They all have friends and associates who are party to the same "customer lists" as well as the same suppliers on the next level of the supply chain. And who are all too ready to step in to the breach. Our council estates are absolutely swimming with cannabis, with cocaine and with heroin. As well as the small time "dealers" who distribute it and I really don't think either the police, or the politicians have any idea of the scale of this issue. Not really! But by taking cannabis users out of the illicit drug circle, this free's up the police to better enforce the (some would say unworkable) national drugs policy. And on the back of that I'll make a bold statement. This time next year, and no matter how many millions of tax-payers pounds are thrown at the drug issue, cannabis will still rank as "head & shoulders" the highest of abused substances in the world. It has for the last 30 years, and it will for next 30. But not in Holland. http://pr.cannazine.co.uk/content/view/526/27/
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