cannabisnews.com: Cannabis Amnesty Abused, MPs Told 





Cannabis Amnesty Abused, MPs Told 
Posted by FoM on January 22, 2002 at 19:53:10 PT
By Nick Hopkins, Crime Correspondent
Source: Guardian Unlimited
Drug users have taken advantage of a pilot scheme in London which relaxes official attitudes towards cannabis by flooding into the area and openly smoking in front of officers, a police leader claimed yesterday. The initiative in Lambeth has also confused children and encouraged crack cocaine dealers to become more active, said Fred Broughton, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents 126,000 rank and file staff. 
His remarks to MPs drew a cool response from the Metropolitan police, which believes the scheme has been a success. Danny Kushlick, director of the drugs campaign Transform, said Mr Broughton was a "dinosaur" who was talking nonsense. In evidence to the Commons home affairs committee, which is reviewing drug laws, Mr Broughton told MPs that he opposed plans by the home secretary, David Blunkett, to downgrade cannabis from a class B to a class C drug because it sent a message that smoking marijuana was acceptable. "Cannabis is certainly not OK. The evidence is pretty conclusive that it is a major problem," Mr Broughton said. He referred to the experiment in Lambeth, south London, where officers have been told to caution rather than arrest anyone caught with small amounts of cannabis. "There's anecdotal evidence in south London 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 visible and more active. I don't think what's currently practised in south London is reducing the number of people who are using cannabis or using other drugs. In fact, the reverse seems to be true." Officers who did liaison work in local schools reported confusion among pupils and teachers, who thought cannabis had been decriminalised by the scheme, he added. The Met introduced the initiative in Lambeth to reduce the amount of time officers spent on minor cannabis offences, so they could focus on tackling class A drug users and dealers. It is estimated that the scheme saved 2,000 hours between July and December last year, although the force will wait for an independent report on the project, due in March, before deciding whether to introduce the policy across London. "There is a problem with crack cocaine in Lambeth, specifically Brixton, but this has been the case for some time," said a Met spokesman. "There's nothing to suggest there's been an increase or decrease. We are unable to gauge that. We believe there has been a positive effect on the borough and there's a feeling that it has been a success. But we're unable to comment further until the evidence has been gathered." Mr Kushlick said Mr Broughton's anecdotal evidence was contradicted by the analysis of well-informed professionals. "These statements of reaction are an expression of the death throes of prohibition and do not stand up to critical analysis. They will make fine epitaphs for a policy that is amongst the most counter-productive in contemporary history. Legalisation will prevail within 20 years and the individuals opposing change are looking more Canute-like with each passing year." Special Report: Drugs In Britain -- http://www.guardian.co.uk/drugs/0,2759,178206,00.htmlSource: Guardian Unlimited, The (UK) Author: Nick Hopkins, Crime CorrespondentPublished: Wednesday, January 23, 2002Copyright: 2002 Guardian Newspapers LimitedContact: letters guardian.co.ukWebsite: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Related Articles: 'Cannabis Leniency is Attracting Hard Drugs' http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11819.shtmlBritish Cops Issue Marijuana Reporthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11818.shtmlPolice Extend Pilot Scheme on Cannabis http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11649.shtml
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Comment #7 posted by maleksalem on January 24, 2002 at 09:35:23 PT:
Suprise, Suprise
‘There's anecdotal evidence in south London that the change in procedures is encouraging more people to come to that area and more people are involving themselves in cannabis," he said ‘Gee, people looking for a place to be free of oppression. Who’d a thought it?'"There's also anecdotal evidence that more serious matters, crack abusers and crack dealers, are becoming more visible and more active. I don't think what's currently practiced in south London is reducing the number of people who are using cannabis or using other drugs. In fact, the reverse seems to be true." 'Let’s see now, police stop oppressing cannabis users in order to concentrate on hard drugs, then as arrests for hard drugs increase they act surprised and somehow cannabis is to blame. Duh!Apparently the only universal requirement to be a part of the drug police is to be a total dimwit.
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Comment #6 posted by QcStrt on January 23, 2002 at 11:42:07 PT
               Communist Stiles
 If I remember right it was Reagon that introduce the people to the New World Order
and started to shoving the Communist Stiles down our throat and some people have 
eaten it up like the donkey that are, and the prohibitionists are keeping it alive with the help 
of the bible thumpers, and the know agents and non know agents, of our govt. with this thing 
of DRUGS, it keeps reinforcing the Regime of dictatorship and in SMALL mines, the 
World. Presendet: Srub.
 by taking our RIGHTS away, from the people. This man and court should be
impeached on the spot. From what I have read of the world News. 
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Comment #5 posted by E_Johnson on January 23, 2002 at 09:45:52 PT
It's just like the Soviet Union
They really didn't realize that people would use Glasnost when they got it.Those poor confused Communist dolts...
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Comment #4 posted by QcStrt on January 23, 2002 at 09:34:31 PT
        CRYBABY 
 Mr. Broughton's anecdotal evidence was contradicted by the analysis of well-informed 
professionals. The CRYBABY prohibitionists are at it trying to stop the movement!
there Drug money is going away NO more new Homes, Cars , Boats, 
Summer house's in the south of France. 
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Comment #3 posted by Dan B on January 23, 2002 at 07:30:55 PT:
Anecdotal evidence
"Cannabis is certainly not OK. The evidence is pretty conclusive that it is a major problem," Mr Broughton said. He referred to the experiment in Lambeth, south London, where officers have been told to caution rather than arrest anyone caught with small amounts of cannabis. "There's anecdotal evidence in south London that the change in procedures is encouraging more people to come to that area and more people are involving themselves in cannabis," he said Not how easy it is for the prohibitionists to accept anecdotal evidence when it suits their ends.Note too that "Mr. Broughton" has yet to explain why an increase in cannabis use is a problem. I wonder what the figures have been for alcohol consumption during this "experiment"? As I've said before, this is an example of a self-fulfilling prophecy: officials demand that lowering criminal penalties tells everyone that cannabis is OK, then they rant and rage when people think cannabis is okay because they were told to think that when criminal penalties were lowered. And this business of "let's try this in one small, isolated area and see if it works (wink-wink, nudge-nudge)" has been proven time and again to be an ineffective means of gathering information about how policies would affect the larger population. This holds especially true where the black market is concerned. If the government is going to maintain a black market then loosen up on one part of the larger black market enforcement area, that part will become prime real estate for those who want to peddle their commodities through the black market. It doesn't take an economist to figure that out.Furthermore, if you weaken the restrictions on the black market without giving people a legal alternative to the black market, of course the black market will thrive. But that does not mean that weakening the black market and replacing it with a legal market will not work. The entire "experiment" was bogus from the beginning (Note to surfer people who don't already know: "bogus" is not a synonym of "awesome" or "gnarly"). I'm actually amazed that some of the police there think the experiment has improved things--and maybe it has. Think how much better it would be if people in Britain were allowed to visit their local coffee shops and purchase some fine cannabis at a decent price. How small would the black market for drugs be then?Dan B
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Comment #2 posted by E_Johnson on January 22, 2002 at 23:17:58 PT
But it proves the need for cannabis cafes
To save the officers from the second-hand smoke, if for no other reason!
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Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on January 22, 2002 at 23:15:35 PT
And people abused Glasnost to criticize the Party!
Drug users have taken advantage of a pilot scheme in London which relaxes official attitudes towards cannabis by flooding into the area and openly smoking in front of officers, a police leader claimed yesterdayIt just goes to show what happens when you give people a little freedom.They turn around and start acting like it wasn't even yours to give them in the first place. Imagine that!
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