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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Cannabis Rules Are Potty Mike Sullivan, Crime Editor The Sun
Saturday 13 Sep 2003 COPS blasted new cannabis guidelines unveiled by David Blunkett as completely unworkable. The Home Secretary plans to downgrade cannabis from a Class B drug to Class C next January. But the change leaves police with a bewildering set of options about whether to arrest pot users or let them off. Guidelines issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers mean most adults caught smoking cannabis will escape with a warning. But officers will be able to confiscate the drug and issue warnings to people using it in public, near schools or kids or caught with it repeatedly. Anyone using cannabis under the age of 17 still faces being reprimanded or charged. And selling the drug remains illegal. But cops have not been told how much people must have to be accused of supplying in a bid to trap dealers. Glen Smyth, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, insisted the new rules will spark confusion for cops. He said: It is going to create a lot of problems and officers will come to the conclusion that the guidelines are completely impractical and in turn it make it impossible to police. Officers are not going to waste their time arresting people for cannabis because it simply will not be worth the trouble. These rules are also being brought in at a time when there is still no test widely available for seeing whether anyone is driving under the influence of cannabis. The health of the nation will go to pot and we won't be able to do anything. Shadow Home Secretary Oliver Letwin called the rules the worst of both worlds. He said: There is a case for legalisation, and a case for people getting off drugs. What there is not a case for is making them semi-legal. These new guidelines are not clear, and will only cause further confusion for the police and for the public. Mr Blunkett said the rules recognised widespread police practice and would free cops to tackle dangerous harder drugs like cocaine and heroin.
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