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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: No Leniency For Cannabis Users In Scotland
Steve Bargeton, political editor The Courier and Advertiser, Dundee
Friday 19 Sep 2003 SCOTLAND WILL not follow Engand by adopting a more lenient approach to people possessing cannabis for personal use. New guidelines issued by police chiefs south of the border mean that most cannabis users caught by police will escape with a warning and confiscation of drug. The move follows Home Secretary David Blunkett's decision to downgrade cannabis from Class B to Class C in January. But in Parliament yesterday First Minister Jack McConnell made it clear that there are no plans to relax the enforcement of the law in Scotland. At question time Scottish Tory jusice spokesman Annabel Goldie reminded Mr McConnell of the tough line he had taken on other criminal justice issues earlier this week. "The First Minister did not hesitate to ripple his political pectorals to elements of the criminal justice system on Tuesday evening," she said, to laughter from the chamber. "I find it as unprepossessing as most other people. Is he prepared to be similarly muscular with reference to the prosecution of persons in possession of cannabis and does he not consider that existing prosecution guidelines in this respect are patently inadequate?" Grinning at the manner in which the question was framed, Mr McConnell replied, "No, I don't believe current prosecution guidelines are inadequate. I think that in Scotland we have the balance right for the moment. "There are no plans to issue new guidance to Scottish police forces, although we will continue to keep this under review with the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland." Scottish Socialist MSP Colin Fox, whose party advocate legalising cannabis, pointed out that almost 78% drugs possession arrests in Scotland are for cannabis. "Scotland's police and court time is being taken up with the prosecution of cannbis users, something that is going to end in England, Wales and Northern Ireland," he said. Andrew Brown, chief constable of Grampian Police and chairman of the ACPOS crime committee, has said that Scottish police officers already have discretion when dealing with those carrying cannabis. "In all aspects of policing, there is an in-built facility of discretion which allows the officer on the street to make an assessment and decide on a course of action based on the specific circumstances of any given incident; the relationships between Scottish police forces and communities are richer because of this," he said. "Having said that, ACPOS quite clearly has no policy not to arrest those found in possession of controlled drugs, and therefore those found in possession of cannabis will continue to be dealt with in the same manner as previously. "The Scottish police have no facility of formal cautioning or reprimanding as south of the border, therefore this alternative to arrest and prosecution is not available." - See Comment on Page 12. --=======32BA7B0F=======--
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