cannabisnews.com: Britain To Let Pot Smokers Off Lightly





Britain To Let Pot Smokers Off Lightly
Posted by CN Staff on July 11, 2002 at 23:10:13 PT
By Alan Freeman
Source: Globe and Mail 
British cannabis users will soon be able to puff in peace, risking nothing more than a police warning, under the most radical changes to the country's drug laws in more than 30 years. Yesterday, the government announced its intent to downgrade the classification of cannabis, stopping just short of decriminalizing possession.Under the new rules, due to take effect next July, police will no longer have the automatic power to arrest a person found with small amounts of the drug. They will simply confiscate the marijuana or hashish and issue a warning.
Home Secretary David Blunkett told the House of Commons that possession of cannabis will remain illegal and that police will be able to arrest someone using the drug where public order is threatened or where children are at risk.And he said traffickers will be liable to a maximum sentence of 14 years."Cannabis is a harmful substance that still requires strict controls to be maintained," Mr. Blunkett said.He insisted that he would not legalize the drug or tolerate the opening of Amsterdam-style cannabis cafés.But he said that the current legal treatment of cannabis is "disproportionate in relation to the harm it causes" and that the message to young people in future had to be "open, honest and believable."In practice, British police already take a relatively tolerant approach to cannabis possession.But critics including Keith Hellawell, formerly the government's top adviser on antidrug policy, attacked the new initiative, saying it will deliver a mixed message to young people and mean "open season for those peddling drugs."The Conservative opposition decried the policy as "muddled and dangerous" with "deeply confusing mixed messages."Mr. Blunkett said the softening of the law relating to cannabis is the result of a House of Commons committee's recommendations, and it has been approved by both police chiefs and a committee of medical advisers.The key part of the British change involves downgrading cannabis from a Class B to a Class C drug. Getting caught with Class B drugs, including barbiturates and amphetamines, means a maximum five-year sentence for possession and 14 years for dealing.Class C drugs, including steroids, growth hormones and antidepressants, currently attract a maximum penalty of two years for possession and five years for dealing. But arrest is not automatically required. Under the proposals, the maximum penalty for trafficking Class C drugs will be increased to 14 years once cannabis joins that category.There are no changes in the rules governing Class A drugs, including heroin, cocaine, LSD and ecstasy. Mr. Blunkett said he does not intend to follow recommendations of the Commons committee to downgrade ecstasy, saying it remains a "killer" drug.Dealers of Class A drugs are subject to a maximum life sentence while possession means a maximum seven-year sentence.Mr. Blunkett said that the intent of the changes announced yesterday is to free police to concentrate on the most serious drugs, such as heroin and cocaine.In Canada, possession remains a criminal offence but permits can be obtained for medical use, and parliamentary committees have been studying a wider liberalization.The mayor of Vancouver, which cannabis-culture magazine High Times recently crowned the best place on the planet for marijuana smokers, said Canada would be wise to follow Britain's model."I think the Canadian public would like to engage in a dialogue about marijuana, about decriminalization," Phillip Owen said in an interview yesterday.Mr. Owen, who says drug abuse and the damage it causes are primarily health matters, not criminal ones, said the amount of money poured into prosecuting marijuana-possession charges is a staggering drain on public resources.But Oliver Letwin, the British Conservative critic, said Britain's government has avoided the real choice between a tough stand against drugs and complete liberalization, which would involve legalizing cannabis and allowing it to be sold as tobacco and alcohol are sold.The Home Office said 104,000 people were brought before the British courts for drug offences in 2000. More than 70,000 were charged with cannabis offences but almost half of those received only warnings.The new policy is, in effect, an extension of an experiment conducted over the past year in the south London area that includes Brixton, where police have simply been giving out warnings to those caught carrying small amounts of cannabis. Note: With a report from Jane Armstrong in Vancouver.  Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)Author: Alan Freeman Published: Thursday, July 11, 2002 – Page A11 Copyright: 2002 The Globe and Mail CompanyContact: letters globeandmail.caWebsite: http://www.globeandmail.ca/Related Article & Web Site:High Times Magazinehttp://www.hightimes.com/Hash On The High Street http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13382.shtmlPlease Smoke Pot Before You Read This Articlehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13347.shtmlCanada: The Debate Over Decriminalization http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12697.shtmlCannabisNews Articles -- Cannabis - UKhttp://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=+cannabis+uk 
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Comment #2 posted by CorvallisEric on July 12, 2002 at 01:51:27 PT
Just noticed kuro5hin poll
Should the US change its drug policy?
o Yes, completely. Legalize everything. 51%
o No, the current policy works fine. 1%
o Only soft drugs should be legal. Hard drugs should still be illegal. 18%
o Soft drugs should be legal; hard drugs should be distributed by the government only. 22%
o Yes. ALL drugs should be illegal, including alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine. 5%
Votes: 196
Link in comment 1 - I find the coverage this time simply amazing.
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Comment #1 posted by CorvallisEric on July 12, 2002 at 01:44:31 PT
Drug policy discussion
Prompted by Blunkett's announcement, of course. Both sides. Lots of long, thoughtful arguments. You need to register to comment or rate comments. kuro5hin is a more generalized forum similar to the tech-heavy slashdot.
http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2002/7/11/14831/8815
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