cannabisnews.com: Sentences To Be Doubled for Dealing in Cannabis





Sentences To Be Doubled for Dealing in Cannabis
Posted by CN Staff on July 07, 2002 at 20:53:53 PT
By Benedict Brogan
Source: Daily Telegraph UK
Sentences for cannabis dealers will be doubled in a last-minute attempt to offset the effect of reclassifying the drug, according to leaked Home Office correspondence unveiled yesterday.David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, is trying to head off charges of being too soft on cannabis ahead of new figures showing that, despite five years of Labour pledges to be "tough on crime", crime rates are soaring.
Mr Blunkett is under pressure from Tony Blair to deliver results at a time when his department's budget and his requests for extra cash are being scrutinised ahead of next week's spending review.A Government order will be put before Parliament to reclassify cannabis from a Class B to a Class C drug, following a recommendation in the home affairs Select Committee's report on the drug problem.Critics say the move is tantamount to decriminalisation because it ensures that police will lose all incentives to pursue those who use the drug.Doubling sentences for dealing, on the other hand, puts the crime on a level with violent assault and gun crime.Drugs campaigners warned that the contrast between tougher sentences for dealers and reduced penalties for possession of cannabis would leave the public confused .In a letter to John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, who chairs the Cabinet's domestic affairs sub-committee, Mr Blunkett tried to reconcile both approaches."It is not intended that reclassification should distract in any way from the simple message that all controlled drugs, including cannabis, are harmful."Government takes the supply and dealing of cannabis very seriously and accordingly it intends to bring forward legislation to increase the maximum penalty for supplying and dealing Class C drugs from five to 10 years' imprisonment," he added, according to the Observer.The debate over the Home Office approach to drugs comes as it prepares to release figures expected to show that crime has risen by six per cent in a year, to 5.5 million individual cases in England and Wales.The increase will be dwarfed in October when first figures based on a new method of counting are released, showing that true crime levels in some areas are 40 per cent higher than thought.Mr Blunkett ordered all police forces to record every crime they came across from April 1.He has been horrified to find that the results have produced far higher figures than expected.This week the final details of the Government's three-year spending plans are being worked out in meetings between the Treasury and Cabinet ministers from the major departments.Mr Blunkett is expected to use the crime figures to show that he will need a significant increase in resources to deal with the worsening situation.But the Treasury will demand evidence that any extra cash will not be absorbed by police pay without significant reforms to working practices.Customs officers arrested two women at Manchester Airport yesterday after seizing cocaine worth £150,000 pounds from their luggage from Jamaica. They will appear in court today. Source: Daily Telegraph (UK)Author: Benedict BroganPublished: July 7, 2002Copyright: 2002 Telegraph Group LimitedContact: dtletters telegraph.co.ukWebsite: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/Related Articles & Web Site:Drugs Uncovered: Observer Special http://freedomtoexhale.com/dc.htm Mixed Message on Cannabis Reform http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13322.shtmlDrugs Leak Sows Policy Confusion http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13319.shtmlPolice Chief Scorns Cannabis Pilot Critics http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13281.shtml
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Comment #7 posted by freedom fighter on July 08, 2002 at 17:39:44 PT
Just a note, Lehder
Some Americans are allow to brew their own personal beer. It might suprise you that in Alaska they do not allow people to brew beer..Zombie, I don't know what the price should be. As you know, last legal price for a bag of cannabis was ONE dollar back in 1900's. I suppose 100USD$ sounds reasonable. 75% of tax to keep the governments happy. What do you think??Meanwhile, England continues to get steady supply of Soapbox hash.. Crappy stuff..ff
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Comment #6 posted by Lehder on July 08, 2002 at 13:49:53 PT
cultivation
Relaxing the law on consumers while increasing penalties for dealers makes social sense only if the laws on cultifvation are relaxed for individuals; otherwise, the contradiction inherent in the policy can only bring more acrimony, discord and violence - and the antis will blame the problems on "drugs." Are they too stupid to see this? People MUST be permitted to grow for themselves and their family, just as Americans are allowed to brew personal supplies of beer or ferment the family wine.
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on July 08, 2002 at 12:48:17 PT
Questions 
How much will be considered possession if cannabis is downgraded? How much will be considered dealing as they put it?Will people be able to pool money and go to Amsterdam like John Wayne said and bring it back to those who gave money to a person or persons to go get for them? Will giving some to a friend be considered dealing?If a couple has children will they be bothered because of this sentence below?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. 
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Comment #4 posted by xxdr_zombiexx on July 08, 2002 at 12:31:37 PT
Why Decrim is a Scam
Freedom Fighter nails it on the head: this will increase the cost to the street level purchaser because the risk in trafficking goes higher. enforcment determines risk.The policy of softly softly probably resulted in somewhat lower pricing, though I have no report of that. It just makes sense. Somewhere along the line Prohibition exists because of the artificial value it places on the weed.Should POT be valued more per ounce than gold?Should the value of Gold be artificially hiked for the benefit of a few ? would that not be price-fixing, or some sort of illegal white-collar thing?Decrim is a scam because it wants to maintian all the profits of the Black Market. It will still mete out "justice" to the poor over the better-heeled.I cant wait to see what effect the $7.50 pack of cigarettes in NYC will have, but given that 2 dudes were just tried and found guilty of running cigettes for Hezbollah, it will enflame the black market in "untaxed" cigarettes. Just another case of the purveyors cost being passed on to the little people.Technically this aids and abetts terorism, given the zeitgiest that any money made off of "drugs" goes directly into bin Ladens cayman bank account.Or some lame crap such as that.Question: Any guesses as to how much an oz of fine herb, now going for $400/oz would possibly be in a free market setting? .....
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Comment #3 posted by john wayne on July 08, 2002 at 12:30:48 PT
brits ship money to Amsterdam
Let's see: possession to be ok, but dealing to be punished. So I am british and wanting smoke: no need to pay high british prices, I'll just team up with friends and we'll take turns riding the 3-hour hydrofoil across the channel and buying mucho herb and hash, then everybody happy especially the Dutch.
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on July 07, 2002 at 22:50:46 PT
freedom fighter
This is full blown political mumbo jumbo. How will anyone get cannabis? They should have a clause that people can grow a few plants added to this all and it would make a little sense. 
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Comment #1 posted by freedom fighter on July 07, 2002 at 22:25:58 PT
Me so Confused!!!
Increase JAIL TIME for dealing...No arrest for cannabis consumers... Just fine!Equals Higher cost of the value of the product...Baddie guys, real criminals, you know what I mean, one that support the terrorists, increase the price of doing business.. Just a tad bit... Do'nt want to scare the consumers....Am I wrong??Dang, mates, I'm so CONFUSED!ff
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