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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Sco: How your MSP voted in the cannabis survey Allison Dunsmore and Liam McDougall The Big Issue in Scotland (UK) Thursday 28 Oct 1999 Date: 28 Oct-3 Nov, 1999. Issue 245 Source: The Big Issue in Scotland (UK) How your MSP voted in the cannabis survey After last week's MSP poll, we reveal that leading Scottish Tories favour legal reform By Allison Dunsmore and Liam McDougall Eight Scottish Conservatives - including the Scottish chairman - have broken rank with the leadership by calling for an overhaul of the cannabis laws. In our survey, leader David McLetchie, deputy leader Annabel Goldie, along with South of Scotland MSPs Phil Gallie and David Mundell, said they favoured reform for medicinal use. Mundell said he was "undecided" on the recreational question. Their views fly in the face of sentiments expressed by leader William Hague who, in a recent speech, vowed to stand firm against any moves to legalise cannabis. Last week, Gallie was vociferous in his attack of Labour MSP Kate MacLean over her admission of smoking cannabis, calling for her resignation from the Justice and Home Affairs Committee. Following a final, detailed analysis of the survey's findings, we can also report that two more senior Labour MSPs want the law to be changed to legalise cannabis for medicinal purposes. Lord Mike Watson, MSP for Glasgow Cathcart, said that sufferers of diseases like MS could benefit, but added he would like to see the results of clinical trials. But John McAllion, MSP for Dundee East, who also voiced support, said he was "undecided" on the issue of legalising cannabis for recreational use. This revelation will cause further embarrassment for First Minister Donald Dewar, who at last week's ACPOS drugs conference told Scotland's police chiefs that his party had "no intention of legalising or decriminalising" cannabis. It throws the party's hardline anti-drugs stance into chaos. The news that two veteran Labour politicians, one a former Shadow Minister, have spoke openly in favour of reform, should give comfort to the 'Labour Four' - Kate MacLean, Margaret Jamieson, Margaret Curran and Cathy Peattie - who have been accused by unnamed sources within their own party of "naivety". And at the conference, Dewar denied any pressure had been put on the four urging them to distance themselves from our survey. He issued a thinly-veiled rebuke, insisting that Labour's drugs policy remained the same. But it is understood they will face internal discipline for their "off-message" remarks. All have been banned from taking part in future surveys. Lib Dem MSP for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, John Munro, joins those in favour of cannabis reform for medicinal and recreational use. And while Scottish LibDem leader, Justice Minister Jim Wallace, reportedly said last year: "It's better we debate this subject openly and honestly, rather than have some policy being implemented by stealth by the Crown Office." He was prevented from giving his views in this survey. Seven others said they were prepared to legalise for medicinal purposes, while leader Charles Kennedy has already called for a Royal Commission on the subject. Most Nationalists who responded were in favour of legalisation for medical use. They included deputy leader John Swinney, business manager Michael Russell, Big Issue columnist Dorothy-Grace Elder and Margo MacDonald. Sidebar: Keeping their opinions to themselves.... FAILED TO REPLY Conservative Nick Johnston, Mid-Scot & Fife Jamie McGrigor, H'lands & Islands Brian Monteith, Mid-Scot & Fife Labour Malcolm Chisholm, Edin N & Leith Helen Eadie, Dunfermline Patricia Ferguson, Glasgow M'hill Karen Gillon, Clydesdale Trish Godman, West Renfrewshire Rhoda Grant, Highlands & Islands Hugh Henry, Paisley South Janis Hughes, Glasgow Rutherglen Gordon Jackson, Glasgow Govan Sylvia Jackson, Stirling Johann Lamont, Glasgow Pollok Marilyn Livingstone, Kirkcaldy Maureen MacMillan, H'lands & Is Des McNulty, C'bank & Milngavie Bristow Muldoon, Livingston Ian Welsh, Ayr Liberal Democrats Margaret Smith, Edinburgh West Jamie Stone, Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross Scottish National Party Brian Adam, North East Scotland Colin Campbell, West of Scotland Roseanna Cunningham, Perth Fergus Ewing, Inverness East Winnie Ewing, Highlands & Islands Duncan Hamilton, H'Iands & Islands Richard Lochhead, NE Scotland Kenny MacAskill, Lothians Tricia Marwick, Mid-Scot & Fife Michael Matheson, C Scotland Alex Salmond, Banff & Buchan Kay Ullrich, West of Scotland Andrew Wilson, Central Scotland ABSTENTIONS Labour Andy Kerr, East Kilbride Lewis Macdonald, A'deen Central Pauline McNeill, Glasgow Kelvin Paul Martin, Glasgow Springburn Elaine Murray, Dumfries Elaine Smith, C'bridge & Chryston Elaine Thomson, Aberdeen North Karen Whitefield, Airdrie & Shotts Liberal Democrats Mike Rumbles, W Ab'shire Scottish National Party Fiona Hyslop, Lothians Duncan McNeil, G'nock & I'clyde Andrew Welsh, Angus Sidebar 2: MSPs cannabis questionnaire Do you favour reform of the Have you ever medicinal recreational used purposes? purposes? cannabis? Conservative Bill Aitken, Glasgow No No No David Davidson, NE Scotland Yes No No James Douglas-Hamilton, Lothians Undecided No No Alex Fergusson, South of Scotland Undecided No No Phil Gallie, South of Scotland Yes No No Annabel Goldle, West of Scotland Yes No No Keith Harding, Mid-Scot & Fife No No No Alex Johnstone, NE Scotland No No No Lyndsay McIntosh, C'trl Scotland Yes No No David McLetchie, Lothians Yes No No Brian Monteith, Mid-Scot & Fife Yes No No David Mundell, South of Scotland Yes Undecided No Mary Scanlon, Highlands & Islands Undecided No No Murray Tosh, South of Scotland Yes No No Ben Wallace, North East Scotland Undecided No No comment John Young, West of Scotland Undecided Undecided No Green Robin Harper, Lothians Yes Yes No comment Independent Dennis Canavan, Falkirk West Yes Undecided No Labour Cathie Craigie. C'nanld & Kilsyth Undecided No No Margaret Curran, Glasgow B'ston Yes No No Cathy Jamieson, C, C & D Valley Undecided Undecided No comment Margaret Jamieson, K'nock & L'doun Yes No No Kenneth MacIntosh, Eastwood No No No Kate MacLean, Dundee West Yes Yes Yes John McAllion, Dundee East Yes Undecided No Michael McMahon, H'ton N & B'hill No No No Mary Mulligan, Linlithgow Undecided Undecided No comment Irene Oldfather, Cunninghame S Undecided Undecided No Cathy Peattie, Falkirk East Yes Yes No Richard Simpson, Ochil Undecided Undecided No Mike Watson, Glasgow Cathcart Yes No No Allan Wilson, Cuninghame North Undecided Undecided No comment Liberal Democrats Robert Brown, Glasgow Yes Undecided No Donald Gorrie, Central Scotland Yes Undecided No Ian Jenkins, T'dale, Ettrick & L'dale Undecided Undecided No George Lyon, Argyll & Bute Yes No No John Munro, Ross, Skye & I'ness W Yes Yes No Nora Radcliffe, Gordon Undecided Undecided No Keith Raffan, Mid-Scot & Fife Yes No No comment Euan Robson, Roxburgh & B'shire Yes No No Tavish Scott, Shetland Yes Undecided No Scottish Socialist Party Tommy Sheridan, Glasgow Yes Yes Yes Scottish National Party Bruce Crawford, Mid-Scot & Fife Yes Undecided No Dorothy-Grace Elder, Glasgow Yes No No Margaret Ewing, Moray Yes Undecided No Linda Fabiani, Central Scotland Yes Undecided No comment Kenneth Gibson, Glasgow Undecided No No Christine Grahame, S of Scotland Yes Undecided No Adam Ingram, South of Scotland Yes No No Margo MacDonald, Lothians Yes Undecided No Irene McGugan, NE Scotland Yes No No Fiona McLeod, West of Scotland Yes No No comment Alasdair Morgan, G'way & U N'dale Undecided Undecided No Alex Neil, Central Scotland Yes Undecided No Gil Paterson, Central Scotland Yes No No Lloyd Quinan, West of Scotland Yes Undecided No comment George Reid, Mid-Scot & Fife Undecided No No comment Shona Robison, North East Scotland Undecided Undecided No Michael Russell, South of Scotland Yes Undecided No comment Nicola Sturgeon, Glasgow Yes Undecided No comment John Swinney, North Tayside Yes No No Sandra White, Glasgow Undecided Undecided No
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