cannabisnews.com: Users May Still Be Arrested





Users May Still Be Arrested
Posted by CN Staff on June 29, 2002 at 20:58:20 PT
By Sophie Goodchild and Robert Mendick
Source: Independent UK
The Government is considering a U-turn on proposed reforms to Britain's drug laws that would have allowed cannabis users to smoke the drug without fear of arrest. The reforms, the first big changes to drug legislation in 30 years, may now be watered down under fierce pressure from senior police officers. David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, was expected next month to announce the reclassification of cannabis as a class C drug, putting it in the same category as prescription tranquillisers. 
The new status would have abolished police powers to arrest users caught in possession.The policy change followed a year-long "softly-softly" approach to cannabis possession pioneered by Commander Brian Paddick, in Lambeth, London. Supporters claimed this scheme saved the equivalent of two years' police time, cut street crime by 35 per cent, and waswelcomed by 80 per cent of residents.However, some in the community, backed by the Police Federation, claimed Lambeth was turning into a haven for drug suppliers and users.Mr Blunkett is now considering a revised version of the "Paddick experiment", downgrading cannabis under the law but giving officers the option to arrest users. This follows fierce lobbying by high-Metropolitan Police officers.Sir John Stevens, the Commissioner of the Met, said reports of an alleged increase in children using the drug were "incredibly worrying".But drugs charities said a last-minute change of heart would undermine the credibility of Mr Blunkett, who, saidRoger Howard, leader of DrugScope, "had long signalled his belief in an evidence-based drugs policy". Source: Independent (UK)Author: Sophie Goodchild and Robert MendickPublished: June 30, 2002Copyright: 2002 Independent Newspapers (UK) Ltd.Contact: letters independent.co.ukWebsite: http://www.independent.co.uk/Related Articles & Web Site:DrugScopehttp://www.drugscope.org.uk/Schools Questioned on Cannabis http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13226.shtmlPolice Chiefs Set To Extend Soft Line on Drugs http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13125.shtml Brixton's Gone To Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12866.shtml 
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Comment #4 posted by Windminstrel on July 01, 2002 at 07:52:39 PT
Of course the cops were lobbying
 This follows fierce lobbying by high-Metropolitan Police officers.Of course the cops were lobbying -- if they're unable to arrest peaceful pot smokers then they'll be out of jobs. The prison guard unions in the USA lobby for stronger laws as well. 
"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it." 
Upton Sinclair
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Comment #3 posted by Lehder on June 30, 2002 at 07:09:46 PT
Haven for Drug Users
However, some in the community, backed by the Police Federation, claimed Lambeth
   was turning into a haven for drug suppliers and users.Of course! How surprised should I be that if the police stop arresting people for marijuana in one district then people who want to smoke marijuana will go to that district? Does it take a sociologist to figure this out?An experiment has been made that worked like this: Let's see, if we maneuver all the marijuana smokers into Lambeth, then will anyone be smoking marijuana in Lambeth? Result: Lot's of people went to Lambeth to smoke marijuana. 80% of the residents approved.What the experiment really asked was: does anyone in England smoke marijuana? So smoking mj was decriminalized in Lambeth to see if anyone would show up. Result: Lots of people in England smoke marijuana. p4me has it right: (re)legalize. Marijuana has to be relegalized country-wide, then world-wide and then finally it can be decriminalized in small districts in the US on an experimental basis to see if any Americans smoke marijuana. I predict we'll find that many Americans smoke marijuana.
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Comment #2 posted by p4me on June 30, 2002 at 04:25:00 PT
it won't work
The only thing that is going to work in the long run is legalization. I have said it before and I would number it except I said I wouldn't do that anymore: Marijuana is the ideal recreational drug and you cannot change that. Part of why it is ideal has to do with the fact that even poor people around the world can have use of it because all you need is a seed, and some sun and water.Nothing will work but legalization and the majority of the people in the UK already see it that way. One program at pot-tv said that 97% of the UK believes that marijuana is medicine, although I have not found the source of that number.1,2
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Comment #1 posted by Craiggoth on June 30, 2002 at 02:55:32 PT
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! You SOOOOO can't do that!
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