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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: UN challenges Blunkett's cannabis plan
Ananova
Wednesday 27 Feb 2002 A UN report questions how successful the Government's planned relaxation of cannabis laws would be in reducing hard drug use. No western European country with a similar approach has been able to show it cut the demand for illicit drugs, the UN's International Narcotics Control Board says. It follows David Blunkett's announcement last October that possession of cannabis should be reclassified as a "Class C" drug. The Home Secretary denies the move is decriminalisation, but says it will mean drugs laws "make more sense on the street". In practice, cannabis users will be unlikely to face any consequences if they are caught with small amounts of the drug. But today's INCB report said: "Some countries in western Europe have decriminalised offences related to the possession and abuse of controlled drugs and openly tolerate the abuse of drugs, particularly cannabis and ecstasy." These governments should consider whether this is the "proper strategy" for achieving the UN General Assembly's target of significantly reducing drug abuse by the year 2008, it says. "So far, none of the Government's concerned have been able to provide to the Board information showing that the application of such measures reduces the demand for illicit drugs." But the findings were criticised by charity DrugScope, which says it ignores the reality that despite the vast majority of the world's countries adhering to drugs treaties, demand has soared in the past 30 years. "There is some evidence differentiating between cannabis and other substances actually reduces the number people going on to try the more harmful drugs," said Roger Howard, chief executive of DrugScope. "The INCB should consider adopting a more pragmatic approach."
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