Pubdate: Tue, 22 Jan 2002
Source: Daily Telegraph (UK)
Copyright: 2002 Telegraph Group Limited
Contact:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/114
Author: Philip Johnston, Home Affairs Editor

RELAXING CANNABIS LAWS 'ENCOURAGES ABUSE'

DAVID BLUNKETT'S plans to relax the laws on cannabis use have sent a bad 
signal to young people and led to confusion among police officers, MPs 
heard yesterday.

Fred Broughton, chairman of the Police Federation - which represents 
120,000 rank and file officers - said a scheme in south London had resulted 
in more people using cannabis and had failed to curb the growth in hard drugs.

His evidence to the home affairs select committee at Westminster was in 
contrast to the views of police chiefs, who favour a more tolerant approach.

Last October, Mr Blunkett announced that cannabis would be re-categorised 
from a Class B to a Class C drug, which meant that possession would no 
longer be an arrestable offence when the change took effect this spring.

In the London borough of Lambeth, which includes Brixton, the police 
already operate a similar regime whereby those using cannabis are given a 
caution and the drug is confiscated but they are not arrested.

As a result, more than 400 drug users have escaped prosecution and 2,000 
hours of police time have been "saved". Mr Broughton said the scheme was 
still being assessed by the Metropolitan Police but the signs were not 
encouraging.

"There is anecdotal evidence that the change in procedures is encouraging 
more people to come to that area and more people are involving themselves 
in cannabis," he said.

"There's also anecdotal evidence that more serious matters - crack abusers 
and crack dealers - are becoming more active. I don't think that what's 
currently practised in south London is reducing the number of people using 
cannabis or other drugs. In fact, the reverse seems to be true.

"There are more people openly smoking cannabis. One officer told me that 
whereas a year or so ago a member of the public would hide from you when 
smoking cannabis, now they are openly smoking it."

One problem was that the publicity from the pilot scheme and the 
reclassification proposal resulted in the police being confused over 
implementing the law and young people thinking that smoking cannabis was 
being condoned.

"The signal has been sent that cannabis is OK, and cannabis is certainly 
not OK," said Mr Broughton. "We are trying to enforce the law and if the 
law is unclear or confused then policing becomes much more difficult."

The select committee, which is conducting an inquiry into drug laws, also 
heard from other witnesses strongly opposed to a relaxation of the cannabis 
laws.

Lady Greenfield, a professor of pharmacology at Oxford University, said the 
drug caused more damage than was appreciated and any change that would 
encourage more people to take up cannabis would be harmful.

David Raynes, a spokesman for the National Drug Prevention Alliance, said 
the Government was sending out mixed messages.

He maintained that evidence to the committee suggesting that relaxing the 
laws on cannabis would uncouple the drug from harder substances such as 
cocaine and heroin was "nonsense."

Mr Raynes proposed a points system under which first-time users of cannabis 
would escape with a caution and criminal proceedings would follow only 
after a third offence.
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