cannabisnews.com: Lib Dems Call for Ecstasy Laws Shake-Up 





Lib Dems Call for Ecstasy Laws Shake-Up 
Posted by FoM on March 05, 2002 at 12:02:41 PT
Staff and Agencies
Source: Guardian Unlimited
Prison sentences for possessing ecstasy would be ended under drug reforms proposed by the Liberal Democrats today. The drug should be downgraded from class A to B, according to the party's policy proposals to be voted upon at this weekend's spring party conference.Those caught in possession should only be jailed if the drug had driven them to other forms of crime. Cannabis would also be effectively decriminalised by the plans published today. 
Users would not be prosecuted for growing the drug or selling small amounts of it on to friends. And it would not be illegal to let people use it on your property - although allowing dealing would still be a criminal offence. The proposals will become official policy if approved by the party's spring conference in Manchester this weekend. Baroness Barker, conference committee chairwoman, said it would "irresponsible" not to address the controversial issue. "There has been a trend over the last few years of politicians being scared away from controversial subjects," she said. However, the challenge was not one the party would "run away from", she said, at the launch of policy reports being put before the gathering. The drugs paper says Dame Runciman was right to call for an end to jail sentences for possessing class B and C drugs for personal use in her report to the Police Foundation. However, it would be retained for those who "cause harm to others by property crime or violence" and dealing. It also says: "There is a logical argument for legalisation of the supply chain for cannabis. "But current international legal obligations make this impossible." Criminal penalties should remain but government guidance should state that prosecutions for use, cultivation of a small number of plants for personal use or "social" supply of the drug "is not in the public interest". The paper also calls for the legalisation of cannabis for medical use.Source: Guardian Unlimited, The (UK)Published: Tuesday March 5, 2002 Copyright: 2001 Guardian Newspapers LimitedContact: letters guardian.co.ukWebsite: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Related Articles:U.N. Rebuts Arguments for Legalizing Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12110.shtmlUN Challenges Blunkett Cannabis Plan http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12105.shtml
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Comment #1 posted by idbsne1 on March 05, 2002 at 14:52:16 PT
God... I LOVE the UK.....
Hmmmm....if it weren't for the fact that I LIKE a fight....I would be thinking about leaving.....idbsne1
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