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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Met Ends Lambeth Cannabis Scheme
Jason Bennetto, Crime Correspondent The Independent
Friday 26 Jul 2002 A scheme in which people caught in possession of small amounts of cannabis are let off with a warning ends next week, when police will start arresting users of the drug again. The tougher approach follows criticism that the year-long pilot project in Lambeth, south London, was attracting drug-dealers to the area and giving a "mixed message" to youngsters, many of whom assumed cannabis had been legalised. Under the new rules, officers will be instructed to make arrests for possession if they fear public disorder, if the drug is smoked openly, or if it is found on anyone under 17. Other people caught with small quantities will still be given a warning and the drug will be confiscated. The changes will bring Lambeth into line with a new national approach, following the decision by David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, to downgrade cannabis from Class B to Class C, making possession a less serious offence. Once the changes become law, police plan to adopt a tiered approach, in which most people caught with small quantities will not be prosecuted. The more liberal approach, pioneered by Commander Brian Paddick, was aimed at freeing up police to tackle crack and heroin abuse. Brian Moore, Acting Borough Commander for Lambeth, said: "From 1 August, cannabis will still be seized and formal warnings issued. However, where aggravating circumstances apply, officers will be able to exercise discretion over whether to arrest." -- Drug use is soaring among children, according to figures published yesterday. Government statistics for 2001 show that 6 per cent of 11-year-olds and 39 per cent of 15-year-olds in England had used drugs during the previous year. Cannabis was the most frequently reported, with 13 per cent of 11- to 15-year-olds having taken it.
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