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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Britains Biggest Drugs Reform In Decades
ccguide Thursday 11 Jul 2002 Pubdate: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 Source: Scotsman (UK) Copyright: The Scotsman Publications Ltd 2002 Contact: Website: http://www.scotsman.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/406 Author: Alison Hardie BRITAIN'S BIGGEST DRUGS REFORM IN DECADES SCOTTISH police chiefs yesterday warned cannabis users that they would continue to be prosecuted, despite the biggest shake-up in Britain's drugs laws in a generation. David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, announced in the Commons that cannabis would be reclassified from Class B to Class C to distinguish between "drugs which kill and drugs that cause harm". It will, in effect, extend across the UK the controversial "tolerance" experiment piloted in the London borough of Lambeth, where cannabis users were only cautioned and not automatically arrested by police. Mr Blunkett faced down critics in Parliament of the moves to soften the drugs laws and insisted "cannabis possession remains a criminal offence". He also said the maximum prison sentence for dealing in Class B and Class C drugs would increase from 10 to 14 years. The new policy provoked confusion, uproar and the resignation of the government's former "drugs tsar", Keith Hellawell. Sidelined last year when he was given a part-time role as an adviser on international drugs issues, he said of the new policy: "This would virtually be decriminalisation of cannabis and this is, quite frankly, giving out the wrong message. Cannabis is simply not a sensible substance to take." The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) said it was "committed to enforcement", while the Scottish Police Federation said the move would make little difference to street policing. Police officers in Scotland have no power under Scots law to warn or caution people, said Jim Orr, of ACPOS. Mr Orr, who is also director of the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency, added: "It is important that the public is aware that cannabis remains a controlled drug which can have serious health implications. The police may arrest anyone found in possession of the drug and will continue to report alleged offenders to the procurator fiscal. ACPOS remains committed to enforcement, in particular tackling the criminal networks responsible for supplying the most harmful drugs." Norrie Flowers, the chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, said: "It's not going to make an awful lot of practical difference to police officers. "In the vast majority of cases of cannabis being recovered from people possessing it for their own personal use, it is usually as a result of some other inquiry." The clear split in policy north and south of the Border was criticised by the Scottish National Party, who claimed the Executive was "at sixes and sevens". The Home Secretary told MPs that where possession of cannabis was linked to behaviour threatening public order, police would retain the power of arrest, but added: "In the majority of cases, however, officers will issue a warning and seize the drugs". He admitted that until two years' ago, he had opposed the government's drugs policy, but changed his mind about reclassifying cannabis because he was "convinced by the evidence, by the need to target hard drug users". The declassification is expected to be in place by July next year. Dr Richard Simpson, Scotland's deputy justice minister with responsibility for criminal policy in relation to drugs, highlighted the Home Office's insistence that cannabis cafes, where the drug is sold and used openly, would remain illegal . But Kevin Williamson, who hopes to establish Scotland's first cannabis cafe in Edinburgh, said: "I see this as a green light to open a coffee shop. It means overall drugs strategy is moving in the right direction ." Mr Blunkett repeatedly denied the announcement was effectively making cannabis legal. And he said tough safeguards would be put in place to continue to protect young people from drugs dealers. There would also be a "reserve power of arrest" for police officers to deal with cannabis users who are a "danger to public order" or to protect children. Dealers who prey on the young may also face a new aggravated offence. Oliver Letwin, the shadow home secretary, called on Mr Blunkett not to go ahead with the "muddled and dangerous policy". - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens
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