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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Drugs leak sows policy confusion
Kamal Ahmed, political editor The Observer
Monday 01 Jul 2002 Blunkett wants to 'get tough' with cannabis dealers The Government's drugs policy was mired in confusion last night after a leaked letter revealed that David Blunkett is seeking to 'get tough' with dealers in cannabis by doubling jail sentences. The letter, dated 2 July and obtained by The Observer, reveals deep fears at the heart of government that moves to effectively decriminalise cannabis show that Labour has gone 'soft' on drugs. The Prime Minister is known to be particularly concerned that Middle England parents will punish the Government at the polls because of the change in cannabis policy. 'We have to handle this very, very carefully,' said one Whitehall official. 'We do not want to give the public the wrong impression about our attitude to drugs.' An announcement will be made this week that the Government is to lay an order before the House of Commons moving cannabis from a Class B to a Class C drug. It will come as part of the official response to the ground-breaking Home Affairs Select Committee report on drugs earlier this year, which called for the decriminalisation of cannabis. But the letter shows that the Home Secretary will also legislate to double the maximum length of sentence dealers will serve from five to 10 years, putting dealing in cannabis on a par with serious gun crime and violent assault. Drugs campaigners immediately condemned the move, saying that it gave a 'completely confused message' to the public about the use of cannabis. Blunkett will also allow police to retain arrest powers for people using cannabis, although the sentence for possession will be reduced from five to two years. Police will be able to arrest and charge cannabis-users if there are 'aggravating factors', the letter says. Whitehall sources said that examples would be smoking cannabis in front of children or outside schools or when at work and operating machinery. Drugs campaigners said the new power would defeat the object of reclassifying cannabis, because the police would still be wasting resources picking up users. 'It is not intended that re-classification should detract in any way from the simple message that all controlled drugs including cannabis are harmful in keeping with their classification and no one should take them,' the letter says. 'The change will make clearer the distinction between cannabis and Class A drugs like heroin and cocaine. It is important to leave no one in any doubt that the supply and possession of cannabis will not have been legalised by reclassification. 'Government takes the supply and dealing of cannabis very seriously and accordingly it intends to bring forward legislation to increase the maximum penalty for supplying and dealing in Class C drugs from 5 to 10 years' imprisonment.' Blunkett wrote the letter last week to John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, in his capacity as chairman of the Domestic Affairs Committee, which governs domestic policy. It was copied to the Prime Minister, Sir Richard Wilson, head of the civil service, Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Estelle Morris, the Education Secretary. Blunkett is also about to announce a campaign aimed at young people, warning about the dangers of drugs - particularly cannabis. Drugs campaigners said that the public would be left with contradictory messages. Steve Rolles of Transform, the drugs charity, said: 'It sows total confusion in people's minds.'
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