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UK: Cannabis confusion

Jo Rhodes

Essex Enquirer

Thursday 18 Sep 2003

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NEW POLICE guidelines on how to deal with cannabis users have been branded
confusing by an Essex campaigner.

The Association of Chief Police Officers issued the new rules before the
drug is lowered from Class B to Class C early next year

But senior officers did not set a maximum weight at which smokers can claim
their supply is for personal use only. Possession of cannabis is not
ordinarily an arrestable offence, unless users are repeatedly found with the
drug or smoke it near children. And the decision to downgrade cannabis will
free police to target Class A drugs stich as heroin.

But Don Barnard, Chelmsford spokesperson for the Legalise Cannabis
Alliance, said it was "no change"

He told The Enquirer:"Nobody's got the foggiest idea what it all means. As
far as I'm concerned it doesn't go far enough.

"It will help save money for police but it will do nothing for the poor
cannabis user; who can still be arrested and face up to two years in prison.

"We shouldn't be arresting these people or putting them through the criminal
,iustice system at all,"

Mr Barnard claimed the government had accepted that cannabis was
"relatively harmless" and did not incite criminality.

"But," he said, "until they're prepared to have an open debate we'll get
nowhere."

The government is also spending £447m on tackling drug-related crime in 30
of the worst affected areas, including Newham, Hackney and Waltham Forest.

The Criminal Justice Interventions Programme aims to get drug-using
offenders into treatment, off drugs and away from a life of crime.

Julius Nkafu, cabinet member for community safety at Hackney Council, said
local police were working to make a"real impact"on all substance misuse
within the borough.

He told The Enquirer: "The aim is to find the right balance between
maintaining public confidence in the enforcement of the drugs laws and
showing a clear distinction between the approach to cannabis and the Class A
drugs that do most harm and are the cause of so much crime in our
communities"

 

 

 

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