cannabisnews.com: Blunkett Seeks Cannabis Law Change





Blunkett Seeks Cannabis Law Change
Posted by FoM on October 23, 2001 at 11:32:02 PT
Breaking News
Source: Independent
Home Secretary David Blunkett today said possession of cannabis should no longer be an arrestable offence, heralding a massive shake-up of drugs policy. He proposed reclassifying the drug as "Class C", putting it in the same category as anti-depressants and steroids. Mr Blunkett denied the move was decriminalisation by another name and stressed the drug will remain illegal. But in practice, cannabis smokers will be unlikely to face any consequences if they are caught with small amounts of the drug. 
If cannabis is re-graded as Class C, the maximum sentence for possession would be two years in Crown Courts or three months in magistrates courts. Only offences punishable with at least five years imprisonment are arrestable. Possession with intent to supply or supplying Class C drugs carry a five year maximum. Today's move is designed to free police time to concentrate on hard drugs like heroin and cocaine, removing the "policing anomaly" which means nearly seven out of 10 drug arrests are for a relatively harmless drug. "Re-classification would be quite different from decriminalisation or legalisation," said Mr Blunkett. "Cannabis would remain a controlled drug and using it a criminal offence. "It would not detract from the simple message that all drugs are harmful and that no-one should take drugs. "But it would make clearer the distinction between cannabis and Class A drugs like heroin and cocaine. "Above all it would make sense to both those policing the system and those providing education and advice to prevent young people falling into addiction." Conceding that the law is lagging far behind public attitudes to cannabis, he added: "In spite of our focus on hard drugs, the majority of police time is currently spent on handling cannabis offences. "It is time for an honest and common sense approach focusing effectively on drugs that cause most harm. "Given this background, and the very clear difference between cannabis and Class A drugs, I want to consult the medical and scientific professionals on re-classifying cannabis from Class B to Class C." The police are believed to be concerned at the prospect of losing the power to arrest someone for possession but ministers are not proposing to take options which are open to them to retain it as an arrestable offence under its new Class C status. "They will still have plenty of powers to stop people but possession of cannabis won't be one of them," said a Home Office spokesman. There will be discussions with senior police officers while the change is being considered by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. Mr Blunkett said he wants the ACMD to report back within three months and make a final decision on the proposals next spring. Mr Blunkett said the number of 16 to 19-year-olds using drugs in the last year fell but added: "We must all be concerned at the increasing numbers of young people using cocaine and the corrosive effects of cocaine and heroin on our communities. "We need to warn young people that all drugs are dangerous, but Class A drugs such as heroin and cocaine are the most harmful. "We will only be successful at delivering this message if our policy as a whole is balanced and credible." The Home Secretary said a campaign would be launched in December to spell out the dangers of drug taking and there would be an extra £1 million to fund a pilot project tackling regional drug traffickers. Mr Blunkett also said that if current clinical trials are successful he will change the law to allow the use of cannabis-based prescription drugs to combat conditions such as multiple sclerosis and arthritis. A group of key experts has been set up to develop an action plan to tackle the treatment of crack and cocaine, and with the Department of Health would be producing new guidance for heroin prescribing. "This will work towards providing a bridge between those who are obtaining heroin illegally, often through criminal activity, and the methadone treatment prescribing. "It would be under highly secure and strict procedures and would allow the transfer into treatment without the current risks that exist to heroin users," he said. In 1999, some 68% of the 120,000 drugs offences had been cannabis-related with each one taking officers two to three hours to process. Today's proposals would help "marry up reality with the law as it stands" but were not a move towards reclassification of harder drugs, said a Home Office official. "The central issue is that heroin and cocaine are still the most damaging, and Class A drugs in general. At the moment that is somewhat blurred - it's about striking a balance," he said. "The bottom line is all drugs are harmful. This is not a stepping stone nor a move towards the Dutch-style model or decriminalisation by another name. "Two years in the slammer is still there as the ultimate sanction." A Labour backbencher, Jon Owen Jones, whose bill to legalise cannabis comes before the House of Commons on Friday, welcomed the Home Secretary's announcement but said it did not go far enough. The MP for Cardiff Central said: "The Home Secretary is to be commended. He was clearly serious when he asked for an adult and intelligent debate on drug policies. "This is the first step towards a sensible drug policy as well as an acknowledgement that the present policies are not working. Harsh criminal penalties are not the way to deal with cannabis use. "However, this move alone does not go far enough. Cannabis use is clearly very prevalent in this country and does no noticeable harm. "Although this essentially decriminalises cannabis use and possession itleaves cannabis supply in the hands of criminal gangs. "We should legalise it to prevent gangsters from making huge profits and prevent them from coming into contact with young people, 45% of whom have tried cannabis." Newshawk: puff_tuff Source: Independent (UK)Published: October 23, 2001Copyright: 2001 Independent Newspapers (UK) Ltd.Contact: letters independent.co.ukWebsite: http://www.independent.co.uk/Related Articles:Cannabis To Be Reclassified http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11151.shtmlMedicinal Cannabis Set To Be Legalisedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11150.shtmlCannabis Laws Set To Be Easedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11149.shtml
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Comment #7 posted by New Mexican on October 23, 2001 at 23:40:25 PT
The coin flips again!!
Shockingly amazing and back to where we seem to have been headed before 911, if everyone remembers the Johnson dabate with Hutchinson and the Rainbow Farm Outrage. Things were haywire then and have only gotten 100 times more so. But common sense will prevail in economic hard times. Let's hope for Canada to run with the ball, it sure seems like they will and then what? More pressure on our behalf and one day, when others are distracted, it happens....25 states have medical marijuana laws and the scales tip...America becomes the Hemp/Cannabis exporter of the world and famous for 'high' quality products again!
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Comment #6 posted by puff_tuff on October 23, 2001 at 13:56:38 PT
More UK Links
BBC
Q & A: Cannabis reclassification
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk_politics/newsid_1616000/1616100.stmCannabis campaigners call for more reform
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk_politics/newsid_1616000/1616040.stmThe Independent 
Argument
A common-sense move to relax the cannabis rules
http://argument.independent.co.uk/leading_articles/story.jsp?story=101110
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Comment #5 posted by null on October 23, 2001 at 13:52:45 PT
new breed of propaganda
PuffTuff makes an interesting point in #4. Good quote.Perhaps we need a new breed of propaganda. One for our cause. Perhaps we should start telling people that a national referendum is coming - that the U.S. has been looking at what is happening in the Netherlands, Britain and Canada. If the sheeple believe that the leaders are talking about it, then they will talk about it. If the leaders believe the sheeple are talking about it en masse then they will talk about it.There must be a flood of commercials w/ FACTS via television, radio and print at some point. That will take dollars. NORML should be the money pooling point for the media campaign. We need to buy commercials in time slots like Friends, CNN primetime, College football, WWF... big number audience shows. MTV and VH1 all day long!! If everyone just skimmed a bit of their monthly bud fund and sent it in then who knows.... Finally, a referendum must actually come. The ACLU should draft this national referendum as a constitutional ammendment. They should follow the steps of the VCL which drafted the repeal of the 18th Ammendment (Prohibition). To read a great summary of how that was accomplished visit the link below:
How Alchohol Prohibition was Ended
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Comment #4 posted by puff_tuff on October 23, 2001 at 12:57:24 PT
Tear down the walls?
"Most people prefer to believe their leaders are just and fair even in the face of evidence to the contrary, because once a citizen aknowledges that the government under which they live is lying and corrupt, the citizen has to choose what he or she will do about it. To take action in the face of a corrupt government entails risks of harm to life and loved ones. To choose to do nothing is to surrender one's self-image of standing for principles. Most people do not have the courage to face that choice. Hence, most propaganda is not designed to fool the critical thinker but only to give moral cowards an excuse not to think at all." 
-- Michael Rivero 
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Comment #3 posted by bruce42 on October 23, 2001 at 12:30:42 PT
lol
It's kind of funny. The cold war really took its toll on this country didn't it? we used to be the breadbasket of the world- our agricultural and industrial might couldn't be touched. Now we are falling far behind, left with a country nearly stripped of resources. Its time to restore our lands. We need hemp. Badly. Cotton and grain crops are destroying our watersheds and our topsoil. We need to stop trying to feed the world and focus on fixing our agricultural infrastructure for a while. I know its nice to be able to feed most of the world's population, but dammit, at what cost?China, Canada, Mexico, India... we're starting to look bad on the world scene. Change is on the winds. 
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Comment #2 posted by MikeEEEEE on October 23, 2001 at 12:15:53 PT
GREAT NEWS!!!
Won't be long now my friends, attitudes are really changing.The walls are truely coming down.
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Comment #1 posted by ekim on October 23, 2001 at 12:13:05 PT:
why are we stopping USA farmers while China grows
Friday, October 12, 2001Hemp Product Under AttentionAsiaport Daily NewsCHINA — Xia Jingyuan, the director of agriculture department tech-promote service center, pointed out Chinese hemp product market is huge, develop potential is also huge.Hemp, a main economic crop of our country, the grow area per year are 200 thousand KQ, the production value is 10 billion yuan. The hemp product will be a important product and under great attention of the inner-trade men after China's entry into the WTO.Xia point out Chinese agriculture is changing to the modern agriculture from the traditional agriculture, and the task of the new stage is adjust the structure, raise the interests, increase farmer's income and protect the environment. The hemp product is external, add-value is high, and the product is precious. For example, Zhu hemp can offer the south China grass new plant egg white, so to promote the south stock raising. The red hemp can make paper, which can avoid destroy trees. Luobu hemp can make sand and medicine, the big hemp can make clothes. So the hemp product will be the main export product after China's entry into the WTO.Back to the national market, the hemp products also has huge potential, the national consumer have not yet found the advantages of the hemp products, it needs the national enterprises promote it publicize and develop the market.The hemp industry is a longline industry, every new tech will improve the product and industry. By now, our breed selection, growth tech, biology process, mechanize production and harvest of the hemp industry have yet behind other industries. we need to enhance researsh and international intercourse to establish a hemp production and process system of nationalism.Copyright © 2001, Asiaport Daily News. All rights reserved.
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