Newshawk: Martin Cooke  Sun, 17 Jun 2001
Source: Observer, The (UK)
Copyright: 2001 The Observer
Contact:  http://www.observer.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/315
Author: "Ananova" (http://www.ananova.com/)

30,000 ATTEND CANNABIS FESTIVAL

An estimated 30,000 people have braved heavy rain to attend a festival 
celebrating cannabis.

The event started with around 10,000 anti-prohibition campaigners marching 
from Kennington, south London, to nearby Brockwell Park in Brixton where 
the Cannabis Freedom Festival was held.

Police in the area will next month give only a formal warning to people 
found with a small amount of the drug.

Organisers of the festival said there were no arrests during the day and 
that policing had been "very low-key", in keeping with the radical scheme 
due to be introduced on July 2.

A spokesman for the International Cannabis Coalition said: "Given the 
atrocious weather, we were really encouraged by the turnout. It reflects 
the wide support for ending cannabis prohibition in this country."

 From next month, police in Brixton - one of the country's foremost illegal 
drugs markets - will issue an on-the-spot warning and confiscate the drugs 
but the matter will go no further. They say it will enable them to target 
their resources on the fight against harder drugs such as crack cocaine.

If successful the scheme could be extended to the entire Metropolitan 
Police area.

Police chiefs believe the new approach could take 10 minutes of a 
constable's time instead of up to 10 hours if the person is arrested, taken 
to a police station and formally cautioned.

The country's most senior police officer, Met Commissioner Sir John 
Stevens, has backed the plan, describing it as "an innovative step." He 
said: "We are not turning a blind eye to crime but we have to prioritise."
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MAP posted-by: Beth