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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Police chief backs downgrading of cannabis law
Richard Ford and Stewart Tendler The Times
Friday 30 Jan 2004 A TOP Scotland Yard officer today fuels the row over the downgrading of cannabis by dismissing as "pointless" the way police have had to arrest people caught with the drug. Sir Ian Blair, deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said it had been "grossly inefficient" and placed too much of a burden on individual police officers on patrol. In a letter to The Times, Sir Ian discloses that the new regime for enforcing the cannabis laws is based on the Metropolitan Polices advice to Ministers and officials in the Home Office. The downgrading of cannabis from a class B to a class C drug has been attacked for causing confusion among the public and young people and may cause them to believe it is legal and safe. Sir Ian give his full backing to David Blunkett's decision to downgrading, which came into effect yesterday. But Jan Berry, chairwoman of the Police Federation, said that the concern about the priority being given to policing cannabis had already been addressed and did not require the drug to be reclassified. She said: "The concerns about the priority given to policing cannabis had been addressed already without the need for this legislative change. I would rather have seen the time and energy given to reclassify cannabis used more effectively for education and treatment programmes." Mrs Berry, head of the organisation representing rank-and-file officers, added: "I am extremely concerned that many people still believe that using or being found in possession of cannabis is no longer a crime." The federation considers cannabis to be the number one gateway drug and that a direct causal link exists between drug abuse and criminality. Mrs Berry said: "Many users who progress to hard drugs admit they started on cannabis. I am deeply worried that many people will see the reclassification of cannabis as decriminalisation and we will see a rise in the number of users finding themselves drawn into a life of drugs and crime." Figures published by the Office of National Statistics yesterday show that one third of young men claim to have used cannabis. The figures show that 33 per cent of young men age 16-24 admitted using the drug in the 12 months before they were questioned as part of the British Crime Survey in 2001-2002. The percentage of young men using the drug has risen by 3 per cent since 1996. Twenty one per cent of young women aged 16-24 said they had used cannabis in the previous year, a fall of one per cent on the figure for 1996. But the statistics show changes in the type of drugs being used by young people. The numbers taking amphetamines has dropped by more than 50 per cent. While 15 per cent of young men said they took the drug in 1996, just 7 per cent were using it four years later. For women, the figure was 3 per cent, down from 9 per cent. There was a similar drop in the number of young people taking magic mushrooms or LSD. Scotland Yard said it would continue to arrest people caught in possession of cannabis in areas of "zero tolerance" as part of a drive to curb street dealing in drugs. Sir Ian and Tim Godwin, the assistant commissioner in charge of territorial policing, told the Metropolitan Police Authority the power would be used to tackle drug use in streets and housing estates where dealers congregate. Mr Godwin said the new guidelines made clear that officers could still arrest when cannabis use risked public disorder or became a matter for concern among local communities. Landor Road in Brixton, South London, has already been targeted by police who arrested customers of the dealers after they had made their purchases. Mr Godwin said the aim was to destroy the market so that the dealers give have up operating but the police operations were only being mounted with agreement and consultation with local communities. Mr Godwin said that talks with officers on the streets has shown that their main concern is whether the public understands the current legal status of cannabis. He told the authority's monthly meeting: "The biggest concern from officers is confusion by communities, people who believe cannabis is not illegal. We are having to work quite hard to get the message out that cannabis is still illegal and in certain circumstances you are liable to arrest."
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