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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Softly, softly cannabis laws 'do not cut demand'
The Guardian
Wednesday 27 Feb 2002 The United Nations has cast doubt on the effectiveness of the government's proposed softer stance towards cannabis possession in reducing hard drug use. There is no evidence from western European countries that have adopted a more relaxed legal stance towards cannabis that such a policy cuts the demand for illicit drugs, according to the UN's international narcotics control board (INCB). The warning follows an announcement by the home secretary, David Blunkett, last October that cannabis should be reclassified from a class B to a class C drug so that the police lose the power to arrest people for simple possession. But the INCB's report was criticised by the charity Drugscope, which said the findings ignored the fact that demand for illegal drugs had soared over the past 30 years, despite the vast majority of countries adhering to drugs treaties. Mr Blunkett denied the move amounted to decriminalisation, arguing it would mean drugs laws "make more sense on the street". In practice, cannabis users would be unlikely to face any consequences if they were caught with small amounts of the drug. The UN general assembly has set a target for all member states to significantly reduce drug abuse by the year 2008. But the INCB's annual report calls on the governments of those European countries that have decriminalised offences related to the possession and abuse of controlled drugs and "openly tolerate the abuse of drugs, particularly cannabis and ecstasy" to consider whether this is the "proper strategy" for achieving that goal. Possession of cannabis for personal consumption is not a criminal offence in Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain. In the Netherlands the prosecution of possession of cannabis for personal use has been assigned the "lowest judicial priority", while the sale of small amounts (up to 5g) of the drug is allowed in authorised coffee shops. "So far, none of the governments concerned have been able to prove to the board information showing that the application of such measures reduces the demand for illicit drugs," states the report. The board expressed hope that the UK would continue to treat the possession of cannabis as a "punishable offence". A Home Office spokeswoman said the government agreed with the INCB's view that regulating cannabis in the same way as alcohol or tobacco would be a "historical mistake". "We have no proposals to legalise or decriminalise cannabis," she said. "If cannabis is reclassified it will remain a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment." Roger Howard, chief executive of Drugscope, said there was evidence that differentiating between cannabis and other substances reduces the number of people who go on to try more harmful drugs. The INCB report also criticises the establishment of a legal heroin injecting room - dubbed a "shooting gallery" - in the red-light district of Sydney, Australia. But Mr Howard said injecting rooms could be an important way of attempting to prevent overdoses and encouraging users into treatment. "The INCB should consider adopting a more pragmatic approach," he said.
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