cannabisnews.com: Met To End Lambeth Cannabis Scheme 





Met To End Lambeth Cannabis Scheme 
Posted by CN Staff on July 25, 2002 at 11:14:38 PT
By Sarah Left
Source: Guardian Unlimited
Anyone hoping to spend their summer relaxing in Lambeth, south London, by smoking cannabis in a public park is advised to act quickly: from next week cannabis users will once again face arrest for smoking the drug in the open.The Metropolitan police launched a public information campaign today in Lambeth to warn that a pilot scheme on cannabis will come to an end next Thursday, as police are once again given the power to arrest anyone caught smoking the drug. 
Cannabis smokers in the borough will lose the year-long assurance that they faced nothing worse than confiscation of their stash and a verbal warning for public consumption. The drug never ceased to be illegal during a pilot scheme begun last July, however police officers did not have the power to arrest those with a small amount of cannabis, even if they blew smoke into a police officer's face. From August 1 arrest will be at the police officers' discretion if aggravating factors are present or if the someone under the age of 17 is caught in possession of the drug. "The pilot scheme on the whole was successful, but we need to change a few things," a spokeswoman for the Met explained. "We will on the whole seize and warn as before, but if there are aggravating factors we'll nick you."The acting borough commander, Brian Moore, said: "The aim of this campaign is to clearly explain to everyone in Lambeth that cannabis is illegal and will remain illegal."The Met listed aggravating factors as public disorder in association with cannabis smoking, and openly smoking cannabis in a public place. The latter includes consuming cannabis while driving, blowing smoke in a police officer's face, or openly displaying cannabis in a public place.The pilot scheme was launched last July by Lambeth commander Brian Paddick. It allowed overworked officers to caution those is possession of small amounts of cannabis and concentrate on tackling those possessing harder drugs such as crack and heroin.The status of the drug has caused some confusion lately, particularly after the home secretary, David Blunkett, announced earlier this month that he intends to reclassify cannabis as a class C drug, putting it on a par with steroids and anti-depressants. However those changes are unlikely to take effect before next year. Special Report: Drugs in Britain: http://www.guardian.co.uk/drugs/0,2759,178206,00.htmlSource: Guardian Unlimited, The (UK)Author: Sarah LeftPublished: Thursday, July 25, 2002 Copyright: 2002 Guardian Newspapers LimitedContact: letters guardian.co.ukWebsite: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Related Articles:Cannabis Trial Stubbed Outhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13539.shtmlPot Users Relax with New Lawhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13410.shtmlBritain To Let Pot Smokers Off Lightlyhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13384.shtml
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Comment #10 posted by p4me on July 26, 2002 at 08:02:37 PT
pot-tv
The Friday 7/26 edition of pot-tv read this article and at the bottom it cited cannabisnews as the link on the download webpage. They have a way of commenting on pot-tv but they do not match the commentary here. The link to the article of the DEA calling on all Nevada police forces to fight back the forces of sanity was also linked from pot-tv to here. Maybe we should give the link to Friday's show where you can find the list of subjects and the two Cnews links: http://www.pot-tv.net/archive/shows/pottvshowse-1441.html1,2
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Comment #9 posted by The GCW on July 25, 2002 at 19:02:04 PT
openly displaying cannabis in a public place.
Can You imagine a plant actually showing itself in public on its own? Exposing plants in public should be treated worse than exposing genitles in public...Tulips = 2 years; roses=life; exposing cannabis gets the death sentence.freedom fighter, These polls mean nothing, yet they have been consistant in Our favor lately...
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Comment #8 posted by freedom fighter on July 25, 2002 at 18:02:57 PT
Another update!
Another update 58.3%  YES!
41.7%  no....Total votes: 871Of course, polls means NUTHING!:)ff
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on July 25, 2002 at 16:43:12 PT
mayan
You're welcome! 
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Comment #6 posted by mayan on July 25, 2002 at 16:22:50 PT
Another Poll Update...
As it stands now -
    
Yes - 57.6% 
 
 No - 42.4% Total Votes: 817Thanks FoM!!!
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Comment #5 posted by John Tyler on July 25, 2002 at 13:48:32 PT
Poll update
7/25/2002 4:47 PMShould possession of small amounts of marijuana be legalized nationwide? YES 53.8% NO 46.2% Total Votes: 684 
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on July 25, 2002 at 12:58:45 PT
POLL: Should Marijuana Be Legalized
Should possession of small amounts of marijuana be legalized nationwide? The White House's drug czar has urged Nevada residents to reject a state ballot initiative legalizing possession of up to 3 ounces of marijuana, saying the measure would lead to more drug use. Should possession of small amounts of marijuana be legalized nationwide? Current Result: 51.9% -- Yes 48.1% -- No Total Votes: 626 http://www.clarionledger.com/news/miss/ 
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Comment #3 posted by VitaminT on July 25, 2002 at 11:51:41 PT
Hey folks!
Here's another source for at least the audio from yesterdays Wolf Blitzer and Cross Fire in case you missed it.
Audio of Stroup and Zeese
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Comment #2 posted by ekim on July 25, 2002 at 11:39:54 PT
ABC News: IS THE "WAR ON DRUGS
 
 From: NATLNORML a...
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 15:52:28 EDT
Subject: ABC News: IS THE "WAR ON DRUGS" WORSE THAN THE DRUGS?
To: "DRCTalk Reformers' Forum" ABC NEWS
July 23, 2002IS THE "WAR ON DRUGS" WORSE THAN THE DRUGS?"WAR ON DRUGS, A WAR ON OURSELVES WITH JOHN STOSSEL" ASKS THAT QUESTION
AND LOOKS AT ALTERNATIVESAIRING TUESDAY, JULY 30, 10 PMHow many wars can America fight? Now that we're at war against terrorism,
can we afford to also fight a drug wars in Afghanistan, Colombia, and
against millions of our own people? Is it wise to fight on two fronts?
Should drugs be legalized? John Stossel asks whether some of the world's
biggest problems stem not from the drugs themselves, but from the
prohibition of drugs, in an ABC News special, "War on Drugs, A War On
Ourselves With John Stossel." Stossel interviews drug sellers and users,
farmers in Colombia, and government officials, in the new special, which
airs on TUESDAY, JULY 30 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television
Network.We know the awful things drug abuse does. We've seen the despair, the
sunken face of the junkie, and the women who prostitute themselves for
one
more fix. But do we know the terrible things drug prohibition does? - the
teens tempted into the underworld by flashy drug dealers, the cops
corrupted by drug money, and the crime caused when commerce is driven
into
a black market, so buyers and sellers dealers fight over drugs that are
literally worth their weight in gold? These are the unintended
consequences of drug prohibition. Stossel visits the South Bronx, where
residents live with these "unintended consequences."More people in America are calling for radical solutions. Stossel talks
to
a Bronx priest who argues that life would be better if drugs were legal,
"Legal means control," says Father Joseph Kane. "Illegal means the bad
guys have control." California Judge James Gray agrees, "hold people
accountable for what they do, not for what they put into their bodies,"
he
says. The head of the DEA, Asa Hutchinson, disagrees, calling these
arguments "giving in."Stossel also reports from Colombia, South America, the country that
produces most of America's cocaine and heroin, and talks with those who
farm coca plants, and whose farms have been dive-bombed by planes
spraying
American herbicides. So far the spraying has not been effective. The
CIA
says Colombian coca production is up 25%. In addition, the vast profits
created by drug prohibition are tearing Colombia apart. Today, murder is
common, and Colombia is the country where people are most likely to be
kidnapped. There have already been 15 attempts on the life of Colombia's
next president; he's decided to stay in Europe until his inauguration
next
month.No government in the world has found a way to eliminate the drug problem;
but some countries claim to have found success on some levels. Stossel
takes a first-hand look at alternatives from across the globe - including
the "Dutch experiment" which separated "hard" and "soft" drugs 25 years
ago, by legalizing the sale of marijuana in licensed "coffee shops". Teen
marijuana use did rise after smoking was legalized, but a few years later
it dropped, and today fewer Dutch teens use marijuana than American
teens.Holland's liberalization is not the exception anymore. Today police in
most of Europe ignore marijuana use. In Spain, Italy and Luxembourg,
they've decriminalized most drug use, and in Portugal recently, all drug
use. Switzerland and a few other countries in Europe are now prescribing
heroin to some addicts, and many countries in Europe don't treat use of
hard drugs as a crime. Stossel visits a Rotterdam priest who allows
addicts not only to smoke and inject heroin in "user rooms" in the church
basement, but to buy and sell drugs there. Rotterdam's local police
superintendent says the problem is "bigger" when the police interfere."War on Drugs, A War on Ourselves With John Stossel" is senior
executive produced by Victor Neufeld. Martin Phillips is the executive
producer; Brian Ellis, Mark Golden and Audrey Baker are producers.ABC News Media Relations:
Alyssa Ziegler Apple (212) 456-1624, alyssa.z.apple a...
Adam Pockriss (212) 456-7243, adam.pockriss a...
 
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Comment #1 posted by Windminstrel on July 25, 2002 at 11:17:16 PT
not a big deal, really
What's the problem here? No public smoking? In most places in the US it's not legal to drink in public either. Not a serious setback for legalization imnho
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