Pubdate: Tue, 03 Jul 2001 Source: Orange County Register (CA) Copyright: 2001 The Orange County Register Contact: http://www.ocregister.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/321 Author: Liz Sly, Chicago Tribune Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) POT ARRESTS HALTED IN LONDON SUBURB Officials In Brixton Say Crack Cocaine And Heroin Are Bigger Problems. LONDON There was no mistaking the aroma wafting over the market stalls Monday in the south London community of Brixton. It was the odor of marijuana, accompanied by the heady whiff of freedom. This teeming, underprivileged corner of London, already notorious as a haven for drugs and crime, has been chosen to pilot a small but significant experiment that could open the door to the decriminalization of marijuana in Britain. Starting Monday, and for the next six months, no one in the Brixton area caught in possession of the drug will be prosecuted, local police have announced. Those found in possession of small amounts will have their drugs confiscated and be issued a warning. But there will be no criminal record, and police no longer will stop and search suspects, effectively making Brixton the first place in Britain where people can use marijuana without fear of being caught. The government insists there are no plans to decriminalize marijuana. The Brixton experiment has been dismissed simply as a local initiative in an area battling to contain a far bigger problem with crack cocaine and heroin. Critics have accused the government of seeking to legalize marijuana by stealth. Supporters have hailed it as a pragmatic step that will aid race relations, save public money and free up police resources. But all agree on the significance of the move. "It's amazing. I was absolutely stunned when I heard the news. It came almost out of the blue," said Paula Woodward of Drugscope, an independent research agency. "People are going to be watching Brixton pretty closely to see what happens in the next six months. If it works, it could happen all over the country fairly soon." - --- MAP posted-by: Josh Sutcliffe