cannabisnews.com: Tories Condemn Brixton Cannabis Scheme 





Tories Condemn Brixton Cannabis Scheme 
Posted by CN Staff on July 09, 2002 at 07:06:05 PT
By Matthew Tempest, Political Correspondent
Source: Guardian Unlimited UK
The Conservative high command today tried to pre-empt the home secretary's reclassification of cannabis by declaring the Lambeth police pilot a "disaster". The Tory leader, Iain Duncan Smith, and his shadow home secretary, Oliver Letwin, are visiting Brixton today to highlight their opposition to the policing policy of issuing an informal caution to those found in possession of cannabis.Mr Blunkett is expected to formally announce tomorrow his decision to reclassify cannabis as a class C drug, therby making possession a non-arrestable offence. 
Although the Conservatives do not oppose the cannabis reclassification per se, they have joined forces with the Daily Mail and the London Evening Standard to criticise former Lambeth police commander Brian Paddick's scheme. The trial was launched to give police more time to combat hard drugs.Mr Letwin said today: "We are going to Brixton to highlight the disaster that the Brixton cannabis experiment has become. "Community leaders, local police officers and local residents have all rightly pointed out that this experiment has caused a significant increase in drug dealing of all kinds in Brixton. "Worse yet, it is clear that this experiment has handed over control of the estates to drug dealers and their gangs." He added: "Ultimately, this issue is about whether the forces of law and order control an area or whether it is controlled by other forces." In a bid to sugar the pill of the drug reclassification - which was recommended by both the police foundation and the home affairs select committee - Mr Blunkett is expected to announce a doubling of the maximum sentence for dealing cannabis.However, the Tories say there has been a significant overall increase in drug trafficking in Lambeth and that drug dealers are in control, not the police. Kate Hoey, one of the local Labour MPs, has also condemned the experiment, saying it has made drug trafficking socially acceptable. Last week, Mr Paddick defended the scheme, saying there was no evidence to show his relaxed approach had attracted an influx of "drugs tourists" to Brixton. Figures from Scotland Yard last month showed street crime in Lambeth had fallen dramatically. The policy of issuing police warnings might be extended to other parts of the country if - as seems likely - Mr Blunkett announces on Wednesday that the penalties for cannabis are to be downgraded. He told MPs last October there was a case for reclassification, although he declared he was not in favour of shifting ecstasy from class A to class B.Special Report: Drugs in Britain: http://www.guardian.co.uk/drugs/0,2759,178206,00.htmlSource: Guardian Unlimited, The (UK)Author: Matthew Tempest, Political CorrespondentPublished: Tuesday, July 9, 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.htmTories Dub Cannabis Pilot 'Disaster'http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13334.shtmlSentences To Be Doubled for Dealing in Cannabis http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13323.shtmlMixed Message on Cannabis Reform http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13322.shtmlPolice Chief Scorns Cannabis Pilot Critics http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13281.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by Prime on July 09, 2002 at 12:50:02 PT
The People...
"Ultimately, this issue is about whether the forces of law and order control an area or whether it is controlled by other forces." ...such as the people.
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Comment #5 posted by SpaceCat on July 09, 2002 at 11:17:12 PT
If it looks like a duck...
Acts like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably IS a duck. Unless you're a member of the tory leadership that is, in which case it appears to be Chicken Little.
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Comment #4 posted by 2002 on July 09, 2002 at 10:16:36 PT:
83% of Conservatives back cannabis
Obviously the conservative 'big cheeses' have failed to note the grass roots opinion. A whooping 83% of conservtives back medical cannabis. What is sad is the 'low mind' and poor reasoning of (professional???) policy makers. Let's examine some facts.Prohibition was repealled in the US because it had completely corrupted government. COCAINE already has completely corrupted government(re: Mena Affair,Oli North).Oli Letwin's claim 'that the Conservtives could save some where between £10-30 billion in the last general election' lost Mr.William Hague all credibility.Idiocy in the 'Body politic' is fundamental to dupe a 'disengaged' public from participating in debate.In the next few months, we will hear how ' cannabis is so successful in the National Health Service. this posses the embrassing qu8estion?So the bible, most religious text mention cannabis, durring the 1970's all US research was destroyed and any further research prohibited. How can a politican turn to the public and say I care when they have denied the puublic medicine for the terminally ill for over 30 years.Government is becoming an embrassing JOKE.It's clear that medical marijuana strikes a nerve across all parties. Think about it, would you deny a terminal patient medicine?Only NAZI's / thought police blindly follow orders do.Perhaps Mr.Letwin could examine the number of UK cannabis deaths? (hint: ZERO)
Conservatives like cannabis DATA
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Comment #3 posted by Jose Melendez on July 09, 2002 at 09:58:30 PT
Link: Britain to relax laws against marijuana use
http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news/ns/story.jsp?floc=FF-PLS-PLS&id=403832837&dt=20020709115500&w=RTR&coview=
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Comment #2 posted by Jose Melendez on July 09, 2002 at 09:54:47 PT
touchdown!
 Britain to relax laws against marijuana use LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will respond this week to a dramatic surge in cannabis use by easing laws and allowing millions of marijuana users to smoke without fear of arrest. Pressure from police, medical experts and politicians for Britain to take a less punitive approach has swayed Home Secretary David Blunkett, who is expected Wednesday to downgrade it to a low risk category C drug. The downgrade -- making cannabis a Class C rather than Class B drug -- will put the drug in the same category as anabolic steroids and growth hormones and make possessing small amounts of it or smoking it in private a non-arrestable offense.
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Comment #1 posted by Windminstrel on July 09, 2002 at 08:59:27 PT
It's obvious, isn't it?
Politicians (on all sides) are more interested in "moral" pontification than they are in decreasing crime. 
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