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UK: Marchers call for drugs rethink

The BBC

Saturday 28 Jul 2001

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An estimated 350 people have marched through Glasgow calling for the
legalisation of cannabis.
The turnout at this year's demonstration was much lower than expected.

But organisers of Saturday's event denied that it reflected a drop in
support for a change in the law, blaming the low attendance on a shortage
of publicity.

The rally was organised by the Scottish Socialist Party to call for the
legalisation of cannabis and a radical rethink on anti-drugs policy.

The event also heard claims that the government's drugs policy is failing
addicts.

Campaigners assembled at George Square before marching to a rally in
Kelvingrove Park.

They included health worker Margaret Bean, who said: "For sufferers of MS
and Parkinson's Disease it is a known fact, and a lot of doctors would
agree with it, that it (cannabis) would relieve their symptoms.

Scottish Socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan said the party believes that drug
prohibition and the criminalisation of drug users has failed to make any
serious impact upon illicit drug use.

The party's manifesto says: "The war against drugs rhetoric is
counter-productive.

"The real war that has to be waged is a war against poverty and hypocrisy."

The party believes that by licensing the sale and production of cannabis
for medical and personal use, society can break the link between soft drugs
and potentially lethal drugs such as heroin.

The majority of UK political leaders are against relaxing drugs laws.

Political opposition

At an anti-drugs rally in the city in April, Chancellor Gordon Brown said
the Westminster government would be spending £300m in tackling drugs and
in tackling the causes of drugs.

The event, attended by Scottish First Minister Henry McLeish, heard that
there were more than 30,000 drug addicts in Scotland.

That rally was supported by leaders from the other main Scottish political
parties.

Last year there were 340 drug-related deaths in Scotland.

 

 

 

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