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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Strong support for new cannabis approach
Ananova
Thursday 21 Mar 2002 Up to three-quarters of the population would back the controversial "softly, softly" approach to cannabis being introduced in their area, a report said today. The study by the Police Foundation into a pilot scheme in Lambeth, south London, found strong support both locally and nationally. In Lambeth 83% of residents questioned supported the scheme in which people caught in possession of cannabis receive a warning and have the drug seized rather than being prosecuted - just 8% opposed the scheme. Nationally, one quarter approved of the scheme outright and that rose to three-quarters if the condition was applied that police were more successful in tackling serious crime as a result. However, the survey of 2,055 Lambeth residents found many had misunderstood what the scheme meant. Only 14% knew cannabis would be confiscated when they were warned and 37% thought it meant police would "let people off for possessing cannabis". Some 45% believed there would be no difference to the level of serious crime and 52% believed there would be no difference in serious drug use. A larger percentage of white residents than black or Asian supported the scheme. William Saulsbury, assistant director of the Police Federation and in charge of the survey, said: "There is strong evidence that a high proportion of Lambeth residents support the scheme as a rational approach on the part of the police. "They recognise that such a scheme does not offer a magic wand for reducing serious crime and use of hard drugs but they expect, and believe, that the time saved with the new approach will be put to those ends."
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