|
Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
|
|
Health minister is first in Cabinet to admit cannabis use Sally Pook Telegraph Friday 13 Oct 2000 YVETTE COOPER, the public health minister, broke ranks with the Government yesterday by becoming the first serving minister to admit smoking cannabis since Ann Widdecombe ignited the debate over the drug. Speaking on Any Questions on BBC Radio 4, she confirmed that she had tried cannabis while at university. On the same programme, Lord Lamont, the former Chancellor, confessed to eating cannabis in a "space cake" and enjoying it. The Conservatives back-pedalled over the shadow home secretary's "zero tolerance" proposals, unveiled last week at their party conference, after some Tory frontbenchers admitted trying the drug in their youth. Surveys of Cabinet ministers brought several "no comments". Only those who had previously admitted taking cannabis confirmed that they had used it. Miss Cooper, who is married to Ed Balls, the chief economic adviser to Gordon Brown, said yesterday that there had been no "party line" not to answer questions about drug use. Asked on the radio programme if she had taken the drug, she said: "I did try cannabis while at university, like a lot of students at that time, and it is something that I have left, you know, behind and it was several years ago. I think a lot of people are in that position. It doesn't affect the decision that you take about public policy pronouncement and the judgements you take about what the right thing is to do. But I also think it doesn't affect the big debate today about how you tackle the drugs problems, which is very serious." Last night, Downing Street and the Labour Party declined to comment. Eight shadow cabinet members admitted trying cannabis after Miss Widdecombe's pledge to fine anyone found with cannabis £100, no matter how small the amount. Her proposals were criticised by police. William Hague quickly said that they needed "consultation" and MPs admitted using cannabis before entering Parliament. Lord Lamont said that some actions were unforgivable, but that "in general" people's youthful experimentation with cannabis "should not be held against them". The chief constable of Cumbria said yesterday that he would turn a blind eye if he saw someone smoking cannabis at a social event. Colin Phillips, 48, a former drugs squad officer, said: "If I as a police officer took action over every minor misdemeanour I saw I would not have many friends or family left." He said that he did not support the decriminalisation of cannabis at the moment, but believed that social trends made it inevitable.
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!