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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Cannabis laws set to be eased
The BBC
Monday 22 Oct 2001 Home Secretary David Blunkett has announced he wants the UK's laws covering cannabis to be eased. The drug would remain illegal under Mr Blunkett's proposals but be re-classified from a class 'B' to a class 'C' drug. The aim is to free police to concentrate on harder drugs and improve current legislation so it will "make more sense" to people on the street, he said. In a parallel move, licensing of cannabis derivatives for medical use will be given government backing if current trials proved successful. Cannabis possession and supply would remain a criminal offence and, it is understood, still attract maximum sentences of five years for supply and two years for possession. But when caught with cannabis by police, people could receive a warning, a caution or a summons to court. Police resources Mr Blunkett told the House of Commons select committee on home affairs the shift would make "more credible" efforts to improve policing consistency and drug mis-use education, treatment and harm minimisation. "We believe it is right to look at the re-categorisation of cannabis," the home secretary told MPs. "I shall therefore be putting to the advisory council on drug mis-use a proposal that we should re-categorise cannabis to 'C' rather than 'B', thereby allowing police to concentrate their resources on class 'A' drugs - crack-cocaine and heroin in particular - and to ensure that whilst they are able to deal with those pushing and dealing in drugs in exactly the same way as they can at the moment, it will both lighten their load and make more sense on the streets than it does at the moment." Mr Blunkett said the re-categorisation was supported by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens and "many of those engaged in law enforcement across the country". At the same time, the home secretary added, if the current evaluation programme for the medical use of cannabis proves successful - which he believed it would - he would be recommending medicinal licensing of cannabis derivatives goes ahead. Re-categorisation of cannabis would not mean it has been either de-criminalised or legalised, as many campaigners have wanted. Cannabis experiment It reflects an experiment - expected to last six months - in Lambeth, south London, where police are not arresting anyone found in possession of small amounts of cannabis. Former Conservative deputy leader Peter Lilley, who earlier this year called for cannabis to be legalised, said he personally welcomed the move. "The problem is still that the only means of obtaining cannabis is from criminal sources but this is a good step in the right direction," he added. He indicated he believed that there would be further steps towards decriminalisation, adding that this was "not a stable resting place for drugs policy". Report rejected Until now the government has maintained a firm line opposed to any shift in the laws on cannabis, firmly rejecting a report last year by the Police Foundation calling for the downward re-classification of cannabis. The cannabis debate returned to the spotlight this year when a string of senior Conservatives then in the shadow cabinet admitted they had used the drug. When former Mr Lilley issued his legalisation call, Downing Street insisted government policy would remain unchanged because cannabis was "dangerous" and caused "medical problems, cancer, hallucinations". Shortly afterwards Mr Blunkett called for an "adult debate" on the issue, which some observers took to be a hint that a possible rethink was on the way. But he also said there would not be rapid decisions on the legalisation or decriminalisation of the drug.
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