cannabisnews.com: Mixed Message on Cannabis Reform





Mixed Message on Cannabis Reform
Posted by CN Staff on July 07, 2002 at 19:45:28 PT
By Patrick Wintour, Chief Political Correspondent
Source: Guardian Unlimited UK
The home secretary, David Blunkett, will this week battle to retain the support of middle England when he announces he will couple the reclassification of cannabis possession with tough new laws for cannabis dealing. He will double the sentence for dealing from five to 10 years, laying himself open to sending mixed messages. Mr Blunkett will make his announcement on Wednesday, 48 hours before he publishes much trailed figures showing a sharp rise in recorded crime. The home secretary is also battling to win police and opposition support for his demand that he be given the powers to intervene against failing police forces. 
Mr Blunkett is seeking to negotiate a compromise with the shadow home secretary, Oliver Letwin, before the measure is debated tomorrow in the Commons. The plan was thrown out by peers three months ago, amid allegations that Mr Blunkett was trying to create a police force led from Whitehall. The proposal to declassify drugs possession was criticised yesterday by Kate Hoey, the Labour MP for Vauxhall where the Metropolitan police has been running a controversial experiment refocusing police resources on hard drugs Ms Hoey said last night: "I am not sure what the home secretary is trying to achieve. He is not going to get rid of drug dealers. This experiment has just turned too many of our estates into no go areas where the police have no influence. "Declassification will be one more hassle the police do not need and have huge repercussions for young people." Ms Hoey, who is due to take a delegation of her local community leaders to the Home Office tomorrow, also urged the government to publish a proper evaluation of the Metropolitan police experiment before going ahead with changes to the law. Mr Blunkett will also make it clear that he will allow the police to retain arrest powers for people using cannabis, although the maximum sentence for possession will be reduced from five to two years. Police will also be entitled to arrest for cannabis use, if there are aggravating factors such as smoking cannabis in front of minors or outside schools, or when at work. A letter, reported by the Observer yesterday, sent by Mr Blunkett to the deputy prime minister, John Prescott, said: "The change in classification will make clearer the distinction between cannabis and class A drugs. It is important to leave no one in any doubt that the supply and possession of cannabis will have not been legalised by reclassification." Special Report: Drugs in Britain: http://www.guardian.co.uk/drugs/0,2759,178206,00.htmlSource: Guardian Unlimited, The (UK)Author: Patrick Wintour, Chief Political CorrespondentPublished: Monday, July 8, 2002Copyright: 2002 Guardian Newspapers LimitedContact: comment guardian.co.uk Website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Related Articles & Web Site:Drugs Uncovered: Observer Special http://freedomtoexhale.com/dc.htmDrugs Leak Sows Policy Confusion http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13319.shtmlPolice Chief Scorns Cannabis Pilot Critics http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13281.shtmlMy Drugs Policy is Working http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13280.shtmlLambeth Cannabis Pilot: The Facts http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13279.shtml 
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