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UK: Cannabis Downgrade 'Will Not Effect Police Crackdown'

Russell Fallis, Political Reporter

Scottish Press Association

Thursday 29 Jan 2004

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First Minister Jack McConnell insisted in Parliament that today's
downgrading of cannabis would have little effect on how police deal with
users and sellers of the drug.

The Scottish Socialists have called on officers to turn a blind eye to use
of the drug, and today at Holyrood Labour and Lib Dem backbenchers raised
concerns over the possible effect of different policing approaches north
and south of the border.

In England and Wales police were expected to make relatively few arrests
for possession of small amounts of cannabis, following its reclassification
from a Class B to a Class C drug.

But at First Minister's Questions, Mr McConnell insisted that Scottish
police would continue to report cases involving cannabis to procurators
fiscals, who would then consider the circumstances before deciding what
action to take.

Mr McConnell also clashed with the Socialists, attacking their 'shameful'
drugs policy and condemning 'those who intend to interpret the law for
their own ends - just as a 'cannabis cafe' was preparing to open in Edinburgh.

He told MSPs: 'I want to make clear today that reclassification is not the
same as decriminalisation. The use and sale of cannabis both remain illegal
in Scotland.

'I do not anticipate that cannabis reclassification will have any
significant implications for policing in Scotland.

This was, he added 'partly because police time and resources in Scotland
are already concentrating on those most serious drugs'.

The last 12 months had seen a 22% increase in arrests for drug trafficking
and other serious and organised crime, a 366% rise in the weight of Class A
drug seizures and a 106% increase for Class B drugs in Scotland, he added.

 

 

 

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