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UK: What police bosses say about the war on cannabis in Somerset Laura Linham Somerset Live Sunday 24 Jun 2018 According to former Tory leader William Hague, the war on cannabis has been lost. Writing in a column in the Telegraph, he demanded cannabis should be fully legalised - including for recreational use. He claimed that the war on cannabis is "comprehensively and irreversibly lost" and those who think otherwise are "deluded," before adding: "Issuing orders to the police to defeat its use is about as up to date and relevant as asking the army to recover the Empire. "This battle is effectively over." His comments came after Charlotte Caldwell had cannabis oil supplies for her 12-year-old son Billy, who has acute epilepsy, confiscated by the Home Office. What is cannabis? Cannabis is the most widely-used illegal drug in Britain, according to drugs advice service Frank. It comes from the cannabis plant and contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which affects the mind and mood. It can give users a "chilled out" feeling but it can also cause hallucinations and make people feel paranoid and panicked. t is normally smoked but can also be eaten and comes in three main forms: Hash - a lump of resin Marijuana - the dried leaves and flowering parts of the female plant Oil - a thick honey-like substance What's the law as it stands at the moment? Cannabis is a class B drug meaning it it is illegal to be found in possession of it. If you're found with the drug could be imprisoned for up to five years while supplying it can be punished with a 14-year jail sentence or an unlimited fine. Police can also issue a warning or an on-the-spot fine of £90 to someone found with cannabis or issue a cannabis warning which goes on a person's record but is not revealed by a standard criminal records check. What are the arguments FOR decriminalising or legalising cannabis? Supporters claim legalising cannabis could help the sick, raise taxes, undercut criminal gangs and keep people safe. More than 25,000 people signed a recent petition calling on the government to legalise cannabis for both recreational and medicinal uses. The petition's founders said banning the drug failed to reduce its use and it was "hypocritical" of the government to allow the sale of alcohol and tobacco but not cannabis. They claim the drug is 114 times safer than alcohol and less addictive than coffee, whilefIf we legalised cannabis, up to £900m could be raised annually in taxes, according to the Institute for Economic Research. What are the arguments AGAINST legalising cannabis? People against relaxing the laws on cannabis say the use of soft drugs, such as marijuana, leads to the use of hard drugs. Addiction experts regard weed as a gateway drug that potentially introduces users to more serious substance abuse. Research in New Zealand found regular cannabis users were 60 times more likely to try other illicit drugs than young people who had never smoked cannabis. Meanwhile, it's claimed that cannabis itself is getting stronger. These days the chemical responsible for most of marijuana’s psychological effects. Today’s THC levels can run to over 30 per cent, compared to one per cent back in the 60s. It's also claimed that pot smokers run higher risks of developing mental health problems like schizophrenia and depression. Is the war on cannabis lost in Avon and Somerset? Perhaps not all that surprisingly, figures have revealed that cannabis is Somerset's most popular illegal drug. What did the police have to say about Lord Hague's comments? A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said they would not be commenting. "It is our job to enforce the law, not to set it," a spokesman said. "It's not for us to comment on what Lord William Hague thinks." Figures released by the police show that between May 2012 and December 2016 a total of 40,593 cannabis plants were recovered by officers across 685 different locations. The biggest haul was in June 2012, when 3,711 plants were seized from 29 different locations, while at the other end of the scale, in July 2015 the police found no plants at all. The number of plants confiscated fell from 10,464 in 2012 and 14,033 in 2013 to 6,029 in 2014, 3,282 in 2015 and 6,785 in 2016. Avon and Somerset's Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens said: “I am fully aware of the ongoing national debate on the legalisation of drugs. "I have always been clear it is up to the government to change the law regarding drugs and drugs policy. "However, I do believe in giving people a second chance and am very supportive of initiatives such as the Drugs Education Programme used in Bristol. I have also met with drug charity’s Transform Drug Policy Foundation and Anyone’s Child to listen to their views on drugs policy. "Drugs have a detrimental impact not only on those who use them but also the wider community. "I know that where drugs are present, communities can be affected by drug-related crime and anti-social behaviour and that for those people it affects how they feel about their neighbourhood. "In order to protect the most vulnerable from harm and ensure our communities are safe and feel safe we must work together to tackle drugs, prevent misuse and ensure treatment is available for those who seek help." What does the Government say? A spokeswoman for the Home Office said: "There is strong scientific and medical evidence that cannabis is a harmful drug which can harm people's mental and physical health and can damage communities. The government is clear - we must prevent drug use in our communities and help those dependent on drugs to recover, while ensuring our drugs laws are enforced. "The government has no intention of reviewing the classification of cannabis and it will remain a class B drug. Classification is completely separate to scheduling regulations. "Any debate within government about the efficacy and therapeutic use of cannabis-based medicines emphatically does not extend to any review regarding the classification of cannabis and the penalties for the illicit possession, cultivation and trafficking of cannabis will remain the same." https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/what-police-bosses-say-war-1692539
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