Pubdate: Wed, 11 Oct 2000
Source: Evening News (UK)
Copyright: Eastern Counties Newspapers Group Ltd,2000
Contact:  http://www.norfolk-now.co.uk/

GIBSON ADMITS TAKING CANNABIS WHILE AT UEA

NORWICH North MP Ian Gibson is one of the latest politicians to admit
having experimented with cannabis in the past.

In addition to eight members of the Tory Shadow cabinet, who have
owned up to dabbling in the drug, Dr Gibson was among a further 17 MPs
to come clean.

Today he said Shadow Home Secretary Ann Widdicombe's call for UKP100
fines for possessing even the smallest quantity of cannabis had
backfired.  "I am ecstatic the Tories have shown themselves in total
disarray," Dr Gibson said.

"Anyone who came through the 60s and said they didn't smoke cannabis
is not telling the truth."

He added: "Politicians should be honest.  I am not going to deny it.
Almost every young person has a try: it is like having your first drink."

Dr Gibson said he supported the decriminalisation of the drug,
particularly for medical purposes.

He said he had tried cannabis when he was in his late 202 and was at
the University of East Anglia.

"It was the Age of Aquarius, for goodness sake," he
added.

Norwich South MP, Charles Clarke, a Home Office Minister with special
responsibility for the police has also admitted smoking the drug "two
or three times" in his teens, but said he regretted taking the drug.

Miss Widdicombe's proposals for a zero tolerance policy have been
criticised by drugs tsar Keith Hellawell and senior members of her own
party.

A national newspaper contacted 617 MPs, or their staff, out of the 659
and just over a quarter were prepared to discuss the issue.

The survey found that 108 MPs said they had never tried the drug, 42
favoured decriminalisation, 55 were against and 36 were undecided.
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