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UK: Portillo in fresh row over 'legalise cannabis' hint

Ananova

Tuesday 10 Jul 2001

---
Michael Portillo is embroiled in fresh controversy after suggesting cannabis
should be legalised.

The shadow chancellor, front-runner in the race to succeed William Hague, is
already on the defensive over his failure to declare speech fees which went
to fund his constituency party.

Aides quickly insisted he had meant there was a strong case for debate,
rather than legalisation.

But he faces fresh questions over his judgment after saying on the eve of
the first leadership poll that marijuana could be compared to alcohol and
tobacco.

He told Conservatives in Baroness Thatcher's former constituency of Finchley
that they had to be "open to new thinking" and more in favour of "personal
freedom" than Labour.

He told the Evening Standard: "People are clearly debating this question
about whether marijuana should be legalised.

"I think a strong enough case has been made for legalisation on the basis
that marijuana is a drug that can be compared with alcohol and tobacco - and
on the basis that kids are buying these things, and buying them from people
who are involved in a very dangerous drugs trade, simultaneously.

"We have to look at this and I would propose that the party sit down, take
evidence and reach a conclusion. I hope that we will be seen, in doing that,
as being a party that is open to new thinking."

Last week, when he appeared on the BBC1 Question Time programme, Mr Portillo
repeatedly refused to say whether he believed in legalisation, saying only
that the issue was "finely balanced".

A spokesman for the shadow chancellor insisted he had now called for a
debate rather than legalisation. "They have got the wrong end of the stick,"
he said. "Michael's position is that there is a case for a debate and
therefore what he said is consistent with that."

 

 

 

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