cannabisnews.com: Q & A: Cannabis Reclassification





Q & A: Cannabis Reclassification
Posted by FoM on October 23, 2001 at 13:51:52 PT
Breaking News
Source: BBC News 
As Home Secretary David Blunkett announces he is to ease the law on cannabis, BBC News Online political correspondent Nyta Mann answers questions on just what the change means in practice.  Q: Is the home secretary effectively legalising cannabis?  A: Not at all. Possession of cannabis will remain a criminal offence, with a maximum sentence of two years. 
And supply of - dealing - cannabis still carries a maximum penalty of five years. But in reclassifying it from being a Class B drug to Class C, putting it on the same level as steroids and anti-depressants, cannabis possession becomes a non-arrestable offence. If the police catch a person with it, that individual could be given a warning, a caution or sent a court summons later. But they will not be hauled off to the police station.  Q: Are we going to see cannabis cafes, as in some other countries?  A: No. Selling cannabis will remain a criminal offence and there will not be any "licensed" sellers. Campaigners for the decriminalisation of cannabis protest that what ministers should be doing is removing cannabis, a "soft" drug, from the criminal environment in which the much more damaging hard drugs (like heroin and cocaine) are available.  Q: Is David Blunkett going out on a limb by doing this?  A: Far from it. Liberalisation of drug laws is one of those issues on which politicians lag some way behind the public - as well as behind much expert, academic and police opinion. In reclassifying cannabis as a Class C drug, Mr Blunkett is only agreeing with a recent recommendation from the thoroughly respected Police Foundation report which proposed the measure. In recent years though the number of politicians calling for a relaxation of the drugs laws has grown. Meanwhile, the ranks have swelled of those MPs and even ministers who admit that they themselves have dabbled with cannabis. They invariably accompany their confessions with an insistence that it was all a very long time ago and they never enjoyed it anyway.  Q: When does the relaxation take effect?  A: Not for a few months yet. Mr Blunkett makes the formal recommendation to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). The change is then made by way of a procedure called an "order in council". It does not require legislation, though MPs will debate and vote on the measure. The timetable means the reclassification will actually probably take effect next spring.  Q: Isn't this an odd way to announce a move like this, during evidence to a select committee?  A: Absolutely. No one can remember when this method was last chosen to release significant news of this order. It is certainly the kind of thing you would more likely expect to hear in the form of a Commons written answer, or announcement in the chamber. When asked just why Mr Blunkett chose to share his news in this unusual manner, a Home Office official said: "Because we value the work of the select committee and wanted to do it here rather than just at a press conference." Few at Westminster believed that. The consensus soon hardened that Mr Blunkett's announcement neatly served to distract attention from the government's embarrassment over special adviser Jo Moore - whose notorious "Twin Towers" memo was being debated in the Commons that very afternoon. Reclassification would be quite different from decriminalisation or legalisation. Cannabis would remain a controlled drug and using it a criminal offence -- David Blunkett Drug of Choice Cannabis is the most widely-used drug in all age groups* 44% of 16-29-year-olds used it at some time on their life* 22% used it within the last year* 14% used it within the last monthSource: 2000 British Crime Survey Source: BBC News (UK Web)Published: Tuesday, October 23, 2001Copyright: 2001 BBC Website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/ Contact: http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/talking_point/Related Articles:Blunkett Seeks Cannabis Law Change http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11152.shtmlCannabis To Be Reclassified http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11151.shtmlMedicinal Cannabis Set To Be Legalisedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11150.shtmlCannabis Laws Set To Be Easedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11149.shtml 
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Comment #8 posted by john wayne on October 24, 2001 at 13:56:28 PT
guess you didn't see "Repo Man"
...sorry for the inside reference.
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Comment #7 posted by dddd on October 24, 2001 at 04:13:35 PT
dont matter what John Wayne was...
...I wouldnt have a problem if he was a transvestite,,who was "doing" J. Edgar Hoover,and Margaret Thatcher............................(His real name was Marion).....
...but your most likely quite right in saying that these "easing",of the laws will be revoked at the last minute,,as if their plan was to stir up some mass hopefulness,,and then at the last minute,,,quietly veto it somehow....
...and what about this fag thing john wayne?......is this your subtle way of coming out of the closet?or what?....I'd rather have a fag in the whitehouse than the shrub,,,and I'm not that comfortable with the term "fag".......I believe that everyone is a person of great significance,no matter what their sexual preferences,or secrets may be.....My sister is a lesbian,,,I love her.I like the idea of snooping around in John Waynes closet,and finding out that,"The Duke",,got his nickname in a Sunset Blvd bath house,,,,but let's not be wrecklessly tossin' around the term "fag"...it's not a good way to refer to those who have arrived at an alternate mode of normalness...No one is "better",than anyone else....from bin Laden,to bush,,,,blood is read,,,from Mother Theresa,to Chuck Manson,to Martin Luther King,to O.J. Simpson,to Dick Cheney,still redddd ....
(but I think maybe the Cheney thing,, might be a case of the government pulling a "Weekend at Bernies" on the American public.)
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Comment #6 posted by john wayne on October 24, 2001 at 03:44:07 PT
4D: reclassification won't happen anyway
This is, what, the umpteenth time I've heard of some "commission" or other recommending relaxation of the cannabis laws in the UK.   It won't happen, always gets called off at the last minute when 10 Downing Street receives a last minute phone call from the DEA.Keep on tokin'.John (John Wayne was a fag) Wayne
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Comment #5 posted by dddd on October 24, 2001 at 00:49:42 PT
this will be the ONLY thing...
...that will happen here in the states too.  ..In the miles of Cannabis prohibition laws,,this is barely an inch!....The law that reclassifies Marijuana,,or moves it two Schedule II,or III,,will still retain all the absurd,and extreme laws for,"intents",to distribute,and such,,,,,,,so ,,even though it may perhaps be a step in the right direction,,,,it's like someone who owed you a hundred bucks for ten years,,and he comes over,and gives you five bucks,,in the hope that this will calm you down for a few more years.When/if we do start making progress in reforming Cannabis laws,,the progress will likely be made in small increments,such as reclassification.....It will make it appear that they have softened up on prohibition,but in reality,the changes will be insignificant in the big picture......I know all this sounds depressing,and pessimistic,,and it is,,,indeed,,,but,,consider the entities we are up against,and the manipulations of public focus,,and raw indoctrination of the masses via the government puppet corporate media.......It aint pretty............
dddd
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Comment #4 posted by Lehder on October 23, 2001 at 16:17:30 PT
Now let's hear from Canada, Colombia and Mexico
and Michigan and Alaska and all fifty states.
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Comment #3 posted by null on October 23, 2001 at 15:27:24 PT
pass it on
I just hope you manage to pass that to the U.S., TM! The legislation that is! ;P
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Comment #2 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on October 23, 2001 at 15:24:47 PT
Twin Towers memo
>>Few at Westminster believed that. The consensus soon hardened that Mr Blunkett's announcement neatly served to distract attention from the government's embarrassment over special adviser Jo Moore - whose notorious "Twin Towers" memo was being debated in the Commons that very afternoon.  If I recall correctly, the memo said that, given the overwhelming global news, now (meaning 9/11) would be a good time to let slip any really bad news they'd been saving, in the hopes that it would go largely unnoticed. One wonders if she considers Blunkett's rescheduling of cannabis to be such bad news... 
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Comment #1 posted by TroutMask on October 23, 2001 at 13:59:18 PT
whatever
"Reclassification would be quite different from decriminalisation or legalisation. Cannabis would remain a controlled drug and using it a criminal offence"Hmmm, reminds me of The Netherlands. And in the coming months, Jamaica and Canada. It ain't legal, but...Whatever, dude. Pass the bong ;-)-TM
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