Pubdate: Fri, 14 Oct 2005
Source: Daily Telegraph (UK)
Copyright: 2005 Telegraph Group Limited
Contact:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/114
Authors: Toby Helm and Brendan Carlin

CAMERON REJECTS TOUGH LINE ON CANNABIS

David Cameron, the bookies' favourite for the Tory leadership, has
backed away from the hard-line anti-drugs policy championed by the
Conservative Party at the last general election.

Aides to Mr Cameron, who has refused to disclose whether he took drugs
while at Oxford University, said yesterday that he was undecided about
whether cannabis should be upgraded from a Class C to a more dangerous
Class B drug.

Mr Cameron believes that the emphasis should be placed on educating
young people about the dangers of drugs and on rehabilitation of addicts.

Appearing on BBC's Question Time last night, Mr Cameron again refused
to be drawn on whether he took drugs, although he said politicians
should be allowed to "err and stray" before they go into public life.

"I have not answered the question about drugs because I think that is
all in the past and I don't think you have to answer it," he said.

His refusal to commit himself on the issue of reclassification of
cannabis - he wants a full debate involving academics and the medical
profession - is likely to intensify pressure on him from rival
leadership camps.

At the last election, when Mr Cameron was the Tories' policy
co-ordinator, the party manifesto said: "We will stop sending mixed
messages on drugs by reversing Labour's reclassification of cannabis
as a less serious drug, changing it from Class C back to Class B."

Mr Cameron's main rival for the leadership, David Davis, the shadow
home secretary, confirmed last night that he was strongly in favour of
reclassifying cannabis as a Class B drug.

In a further sign that Mr Cameron's detractors will seek to exploit
the issue, Liam Fox - the most Right-wing of the leadership
challengers - also made clear that he had opposed any liberalisation
of the drug laws.

Dr Fox, a former GP who worked as a hospital doctor, said: "I have
seen too many blue, lifeless, young people being brought into A & E
wards to have any kind of truck with any liberalisation of the drug
laws."

Kenneth Clarke, another contender, has said he does not believe that
reclassifying cannabis to Class B or changing the law is the answer.
Instead he has called for a co-ordinated cross-departmental approach
to tackle the drugs scourge.

Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, is awaiting a report from the
Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs before deciding whether to
reverse a decision taken by his predecessor David Blunkett to
downgrade cannabis from Class B to Class C. 
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