cannabisnews.com: 'Let Beleagured Farmers Grow Cannabis' 'Let Beleagured Farmers Grow Cannabis' Posted by FoM on October 18, 2001 at 06:40:44 PT By David Barrett, Home Affairs Correspondent Source: Independent A Labour MP is launching a Private Member's Bill to legalise personal use of cannabis – arguing that beleaguered British farmers could grow it as a cash crop.Jon Owen Jones said the measure would "remove criminals from the equation" and could provide a "hardy cash crop" for British farmers, left on their knees by foot–and–mouth disease, BSE, tumbling dairy prices and concerns over GM crops. The Cardiff Central MP's Legalisation of Cannabis Bill is due to be debated in the House of Commons next week, but is highly unlikely to become law.However, it comes after a noticeable shift in public attitudes to the drug.MPs who have spoken out in favour of liberalising the drug laws include former Tory Cabinet minister Peter Lilley. And the first official pilot project where police turn a blind eye to possession of the drug began this summer in south London.The Bill would legalise the personal cultivation of cannabis and its use for therapeutic and recreational purposes. A Government licensing system would also be set up for commercial cultivation of cannabis and for international trade in the drug.Mr Jones said: "All over the world it is becoming clear that cannabis use is a fact of life and trying to deal with it through the criminal justice system is absurd."Legalisation is the most rational way forward."The Bill, drafted in conjunction with the civil rights group Liberty, is backed by MPs from all three main political parties.Mark Littlewood, director of campaigns at Liberty, said: "The public don't want our police force frittering their energies over a victimless 'crime' like cannabis use."Our drug laws are arcane and outdated. As the Home Secretary himself has hinted, they need urgent review.".Mr Jones's proposals come as a cross–party House of Commons committee is due to begin investigating the possible decriminalisation of hard and soft drugs.The Home Affairs Select Committee will question whether current drug rules are failing. It has not limited its remit to the liberalisation of cannabis and will also discuss decriminalising Class A drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine.MPs will examine the possible impact such a move would have on crime, drug–related deaths and demand.Members will also examine whether decriminalisation is desirable and, if not, discuss "practical alternatives".There have been growing backbench calls for liberalisation of cannabis laws.Mr Lilley, ex–deputy leader of the Tory party, envisaged magistrates issuing licences for outlets selling cannabis to over–18s.In July police in Lambeth, south London, became the first to turn a blind eye to possession of small amounts of cannabis, dealing with the offence by a verbal warning rather than arrest.Downing Street has firmly resisted any liberalisation of the drug laws, although Home Secretary David Blunkett has said there should be an "adult, intelligent" debate on the issue.Mr Jones said he had yet to meet anyone with a valid argument for continued prohibition of therapeutic use of the drug.His Bill proposed legalising recreational use as well because of the positive effect it would have on crime and other aspects of society."If you are going to make a drug legal you may as well make it properly legal," he said at today's launch of the Bill in Westminster."Decriminalisation does not alleviate the problem of corruption and very powerful and wealthy importers."We've had a drugs tsar for three years. He's down and he's gone already but the position is worse than when we started. "The harm caused by prohibition is far greater than the harm the drug causes."He cited an example given to him by a senior policeman, who said his force arrested 12 major suppliers - but that within a week levels of supply were back to normal.However, there was even more violence on the streets as new drug lords fought for the "vacant" territory.Mr Jones said legalisation would remove such problems, as two-thirds of Britain's drug market was cannabis and his legislation would undermine the whole drugs trade and reduce the risk of cannabis users being wooed onto harder drugs by dealers.Conservative MP David Cameron, a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee, who attended the launch, told PA News: "I welcome the debate because it is one we need to have."I'm going to be looking carefully at the arguments before I make up my mind."He asked Mr Jones to submit all his evidence to the committee, which is due to begin its own major inquiry into Britain's drugs laws later this month.Source: Independent (UK)Author: David Barrett, Home Affairs Correspondent, PA NewsPublished: October 18, 2001Copyright: 2001 Independent Newspapers (UK) Ltd.Contact: letters independent.co.ukWebsite: http://www.independent.co.uk/Related Articles: UK Drugs Laws in Need of Radical Shake-Up http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10753.shtmlMPs To Consider Relaxing The Law on Cannabis http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10411.shtml CannabisNews Articles - UKhttp://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=UK Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #9 posted by freedom fighter on October 19, 2001 at 00:00:30 PT Go kick the America's arse! Hey, mates, what would be the best way to slap America's face? LEGALISE the Cannabis! Not a bullet fired! And a good hefty kick in America's ARSE! Show the poor amerikans what DEMOCRACY is all about!Good Day to you mates!ff [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by FoM on October 18, 2001 at 14:51:02 PT Related Article from The Independent UK MP Says Cannabis Could Be a Lifeline for Farmers Source: Independent (UK) Author: Nigel Morris Political Correspondent Published: October 19, 2001 Copyright: 2001 Independent Newspapers (UK) Ltd. Contact: letters independent.co.uk Website: http://www.independent.co.uk/ Struggling farmers should be allowed to grow cannabis as a cash crop, an MP said yesterday when he launched a Bill to legalise the drug.Jon Owen Jones, Labour MP for Cardiff Central, said it would provide a lifeline to farmers reeling from the impact of foot-and-mouth disease.His Bill seeks to "legalise and regulate the sale, supply and use of cannabis for recreational and therapeutic purposes". Under his plan, a licensing system, regulated by the Home Secretary, would be set up to regulate the cultivation and sale of the drug. Users would be allowed to smoke soft drugs in "cannabis cafés".Mr Jones said the illegal cannabis trade in Britain was estimated to be worth £1.5bn a year – "a very significant amount of money, which farmers would welcome".The Bill, due to be debated next week in the Commons, is being sponsored by nine Labour and two Liberal Democrat MPs, including Jenny Tonge, the party's international development spokeswoman.Mr Jones has admitted smoking cannabis in his youth and enjoying it. "All over the world it is becoming clear cannabis use is a fact of life and trying to deal with it through the criminal justice system is absurd," he said. "Legalisation is the most rational way forward."Although his Bill has no chance of becoming law without government support, it comes at a time when Britain's drug laws are under fresh scrutiny.The Home Affairs Select Committee is to look at legislation on all categories of illegal drugs and will consider what effect relaxing controls on cannabis use would have on crime, drug-related deaths and demand. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by FoM on October 18, 2001 at 11:29:37 PT Good Luck To You! I'll do my famous cartwheel across the page for all you lucky Brits! ( Saying Brits isn't offensive is it? ) Heck I don't know so I thought I'd ask. Did I do my cartwheel well? Now I'll just sit over in the corner and wait until our country grows up! [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by E_Johnson on October 18, 2001 at 11:26:01 PT Is it because they have better science education? I'm starting to really think that the main reason why reefer madness is losing it's grip on Europe and the UK is because these countries have better educated citizens and more science literate journalists on the average, than we have in America. So it's harder to convince people in Europe and the UK that THC has the kind of evil supernatural powers that Americans have been led to believe it has by the DEA.And I have a feeling that Asa Hutchinson's 11% might be met with some derision outside of America.Maybe there's more than historical coincidence between Americans getting less science and math in school than Euros get, and Americans buying into reefer madness far more than Euros buy into it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by goneposthole on October 18, 2001 at 11:23:46 PT lux et lex Now, let's hope they let the law. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by null on October 18, 2001 at 11:13:22 PT: WTO It would be hilarious if Britain began growing cannabis and then lodged a complaint with the WTO that other nations were refusing to import it.Eventually nations excepting the U.S. will see the light. And then very grudgingly, we (the politicians) will relent and legalize it. I suspect Canada is not far away based on much that is happening there. Alaska is trying to decriminalize personal possesion at the state level. Maybe the states could pull the rug out from under the Feds.I have a dream, null [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by puff_tuff on October 18, 2001 at 09:25:45 PT Legalisation of Cannabis Bill This is the text of the Legalisation of Cannabis Bill, as presented to the House of Commons on 18th October 2001 Legalisation of Cannabis Bill [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by greenfox on October 18, 2001 at 08:24:43 PT goneposthole: I think they HAVE seen the light. And, in any event, it shines ever so bright. The US will be the last to change the bulb, this much is sure.-gf [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by goneposthole on October 18, 2001 at 07:52:21 PT lux et let I think they are beginning to see the light. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment