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UK: It's time to legalise cannabis, says man hoping to take charge of Durham Police

Sophie Doughty

Chronicle Live

Tuesday 15 Mar 2016

Craig Martin, the Liberal Democrat candidate for the role of Durham Police and Crime Commissioner , believes a regulated cannabis market would improve health and reduce crime across the area.

He also says the current ‘war on drugs’ isn’t working and police officers should be using their time and resources elsewhere.

Mr Martin said, “This policy will raise £1 billion in tax. That’s £1 billion taken out of organised crime, making County Durham and Darlington safer. This money can then be invested in our stretched NHS and mental health services to provide the support users aren’t getting, but need.

“The officers I’ve spoken to are frustrated by wasting their time and resources processing cannabis users as criminals. These people shouldn’t be considered as criminals when they’re taking a drug that is arguably less harmful than alcohol and less likely to provoke fights on Friday and Saturday nights.

“Recent Home Office figures suggest that there are 40,000 people who’ve used cannabis in County Durham and Darlington over the course of the last year. Requiring the police to pursue cannabis users is as absurd as suggesting that the 1,100 officers of Durham would be able to arrest everyone that attends a Sunderland Premier League game. These numbers are unmanageable for a force that has had one of the largest reductions of police numbers in the country.

“The Home Office continues to support a zero tolerance approach. But over the last 15 years next to no progress has been made on reducing drug use. It’s time to focus on the real drugs issues whilst allowing the state to control cannabis and improve the health and safety of those that use it.”

Durham Constabulary’s Chief Constable Mick Barton has also voiced his views on decriminalising drugs in the past arguing that investigating and prosecuting addicts wastes police time.

He has called for the decriminalisation of heroin and cocaine, saying that if they were supplied on the NHS, addicts would not need to commit crime to buy illegal drugs.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/its-time-legalise-cannabis-says-11040938

 

 

 

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