Subj: UK: Hellawell: Relax cannabis policing



Source: BBC Online



Date: 6 February, 2000





Hellawell: Relax cannabis policing



Keith Hellawell: Focus on hard drugs



Drugs czar Keith Hellawell has called for police to stop pursuing

cannabis users so rigorously in an attempt to focus on the drugs

which cause "the major harm".



Mr Hellawell, the UK's anti-drugs co-ordinator, told The Observer

newspaper that police should focus on heroin and cocaine dealers

and not be distracted by soft narcotics users.



We should focus our attention on drugs which cause the major

harm, which are heroin and cocaine



He said too many people were being convicted for the possession

of small amounts of cannabis at the expense of efforts to catch

Class A drug dealers.