cannabisnews.com: Cannabis Smokers Will Not Be Arrested 










  Cannabis Smokers Will Not Be Arrested 

Posted by FoM on October 23, 2001 at 18:35:43 PT
By Richard Ford, Home Correspondent  
Source: Times U.K. 

Cannabis will be reclassified so that possession of the drug is no longer an arrestable offence, David Blunkett announced yesterday, in the first relaxation of British drug laws in 30 years. In the surprise announcement the Home Secretary said that drug laws had to be credible, particularly to young people. He said that cannabis would be moved from a Class B drug to a Class C drug, putting it in the same category as anti-depressants and steroids. 
Mr Blunkett denied that the move, which in practice will mean that cannabis smokers are unlikely to be prosecuted if caught with small amounts of the drug, was decriminalisation by another name.The maximum sentence for possession will, however, be cut from five to two years and the term for dealing in cannabis from 14 to five. Police will no longer have the power to arrest a person found in possession of the drug. They will, however, still be able to carry out stop and searches for it. Mr Blunkett also indicated that he expected to approve the medicinal use of cannabis and wanted more doctors to prescribe heroin as a way of bringing addicts into the healthcare system. The reclassification decision is in line with the recommendation of an inquiry last year that was headed by Viscountess Runciman of Doxford. She said last night: “It is a very sensible and welcome move by the Home Secretary. It will make the law much more credible.” Mr Blunkett’s decision is intended to free police time to allow them to concentrate on hard drugs such as heroin and cocaine, which are at heart of the Government’s anti- drugs strategy. He insisted: “I am not either legalising or decriminalising cannabis”. He told the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee: “Re-classification would be quite different from decriminalisation or legalisation. Cannabis would remain a controlled drug and using it a criminal offence”. Mr Blunkett conceded that the operation of the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act lagged far behind the public’s attitudes towards cannabis and that keeping it just one class below heroin and cocaine was not sustainable. He will put his proposal to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, which is expected to back the reclassification by next spring. In the 1980s the council voted by a majority in favour of reclassification but no action was taken. Mr Blunkett’s move was welcomed by Labour MPs, the head of the Metropolitan Police and drugcharities. Sir John Stevens, Metropolitan Police Commissioner said: “While cannabis would remain an illegal drug the measures announced by the Home Secretary reflect the growing reality that law enforcers must target the scourge of hard drugs.” Chief constables are concerned at the prospect of losing the power to arrest some one for possession. The Home Office is to hold discussions with the Association of Chief Police Officers on the issue. Paul Flynn, a Labour MP who has campaigned for drugs reform, said: “This is a wonderful, sensible first step. We congratulate the Government for having the courage to do this. Very few people will now be prosecuted for cannabis possession as a result of this. It’s the equivalent of giving the police and the courts millions of pounds in extra resources.” Roger Howard, of the charity DrugScope, said: “It is very encouraging to have someone in office who is willing to engage in open debate on this issue and then to act.” Oliver Letwin, Shadow Home Secretary, said that his party would consider the issue in an ongoing policy review. Source: Times, The (UK)Author: Richard Ford, Home Correspondent Published: Wednesday, October 24, 2001Copyright: 2001 Times Newspapers LtdContact: letters the-times.co.ukWebsite: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/Related Articles: Arrests for Cannabis Use are To End http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11157.shtmlQ & A: Cannabis Reclassificationhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11153.shtml 

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Comment #2 posted by bruce42 on October 23, 2001 at 20:46:44 PT
One
would question the validity of such a treatment procedure. Good job doc. Way to go. Maybe you're on to something. I'm personally going to wait for a real medical study, but in the meantime couldn't you find a treatment?Doesn't it piss you off that these antis that are soooo keen on finding problems are never around when it comes to solution time? Why is it always our job? I think cannabanists have a good track record of fixes- I mean it's really easy. Want a higher sex drive? Stop smoking. Want to stop being a little slow in the head? Stop smoking. Want to avoid lung cancer? Eat it. Want to avoid gaining weight? Use a vaporizer.It's not rocket science. It's weed.
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Comment #1 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on October 23, 2001 at 18:42:33 PT

Another quack from the flockin' establishment
Young cannabis users 'could be ruining their sex lives'  A medical practitioner in Glasgow says young cannabis users could be ruining their sex lives.
  John McCoid says patients as young as 17 are impotent because of heavy cannabis use.
  Mr McCoid runs men's sexual health clinics at the city's Royal Infirmary.
  Mr McCoid, who's been organising the clinics for 13 years, told the Evening Times: "Initially, cannabis acts as a stimulant but heavy use lowers the production of the male hormone testosterone and that leads to a lowering of sex drive."
  Professor Roger Pertwee, an expert on the effect of drugs on the brain, says: "It is established that cannabis acts on the pituitary gland in the brain and lowers testosterone levels, so it's entirely possible it can cause this problem."------------------------------------------  And being locked in a same-sex penal institution is the answer to sexual dysfunction?
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_428553.html
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