|
Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
|
|
Government May Back Medicinal Cannabis Next Year
Guardian, The
Tuesday 07 Nov 2000 Website: http://www.newsunlimited.co.uk/guardian/ Government May Back Medicinal Cannabis Next Year Moves to legalise cannabis for medicinal use could begin as early as next year. Cabinet Minister Mo Mowlam says some scientific trials on the drug are coming to an end and action could follow soon. Her comments come as the Government's drugs tsar Keith Hellawell publishes his annual report. "I hope that by the end of next year those scientific results will be out and then we can make a clear evaluation in relation to medicinal use," she said. Asked if that meant that by the end of next year the Government could back the legalisation of the medicinal use of cannabis, Ms Mowlam said: "Yes but legalise it in the form of cannaboids which is a kind of derivative so people don't have to smoke it." Ms Mowlam, the minister in charge of drugs policy, acknowledges the Cabinet is discussing a change in the attitude to drugsas part of a wider public debate. "What is going on is not just a Cabinet discussion, what is going on is what we want to see - which is a more open discussion on the impact of cannnabis. We have no trouble with that but our position on cannabis has not changed." She also says there are "positive, encouraging signs" that the Government's 10-year drugs strategy is working. This includes halving the availability of Class A drugs on the streets, halving the number of young people using heroin and cocaine and doubling the number of drug misusers in treatment by 2008. Ms Mowlam adds the "mega good news" is that pilots of new drug-treatment programmes are showing success rates of 96% and these will now be rolled out across the country.
After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back.
|
This page was created by the Cannabis Campaigners' Guide.
Feel free to link to this page!