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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: City MPs Divided On Drug Law Reforms
ccguide Monday 27 Mar 2000 Pubdate: Mon, 27 Mar 2000 Source: Evening News (UK) Copyright: Eastern Counties Newspapers Group Ltd,2000 Contact: Website: http://www.norfolk-now.co.uk/ Author: Caroline Jenkinson, Contact: Comment: Provide telephone number CITY MPS DIVIDED ON DRUG LAW REFORMS Norwich North MP Dr Ian Gibson has called on the Government to look again at the issue of drugs, as a police think-tank was set to recommend a liberalisation of drug laws. But Charles Clarke, MP for Norwich South and Home Office minister, said there would be no relaxation of the current legislation. Dr Gibson wants to see an independent Royal Commission set up to debate the situation, with input from parents and youngsters - not just experts. And at the same time, the Police Foundation is this week expected to call for lower penalties on soft drugs and for Ecstasy to be downgraded so it is treated in the same way as cannabis. But it also believes harsher penalties should be introduced against dealers to tackle the use of drugs by younger people. As details of the report emerged, Dr Gibson said: "I think there ought to be a Royal commission and I think it should happen as soon as possible. "You'd have to have young people on it, you'd have to have parents, you'd have to have all aspects of society feeding into it. "It may take along time to come through but it would be worth it in the end and I would think that cannabis would be seen as not being the major problem that we think of it now." But Charles Clarke said there were no plans to downgrade Ecstasy or lower penalties for possession of cannabis, for which 100,000 people were arrested in 1998. "I believe the most likely impact of a relaxation in the law in any of these areas would be to increase consumption of those drugs. "I think that would be bad for the people concerned and bad for society." Mr Clarke, who has admitted smoking marijuana as a student, said the drugs debate could be improved by "politicians telling the truth about their own experience and giving their own views frankly, and that's certainly what I've tried to do." - --- MAP posted-by: Derek Rea
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