cannabisnews.com: Cannabis: The Main Risk





Cannabis: The Main Risk
Posted by CN Staff on February 01, 2004 at 21:41:43 PT
Leader
Source: Guardian Unlimited UK
Social reformers should continue to stay cool on the inevitably negative reaction to the downgrading of cannabis just five days ago. There will be several more weeks of bad news before it settles down. Even before the start of its new classification - as a category C drug, the least dangerous category - the British Medical Association launched an 11th-hour attack on the move, expressing concern that reclassification might lead the public to believe it was safe.
This was in direct contradiction of its evidence to the independent inquiry into the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act four years ago when it declared: "The acute toxicity of cannabinoids is extremely low: they are very safe drugs and no deaths have been directly attributed to their recreational or therapeutic use." Sir Michael Rawlins, professor of pharmacology at Newcastle University and chairman of the advisory council on the misuse of drugs, was robust and blunt about this BMA about-turn, suggesting it was "rather late in the day and rather ignorant about it all, too". There have been other grumbles in the past five days. True to their tradition of running counter to the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Police Federation, which represents the ranks, suggested the energy spent reclassifying cannabis could have been better used for education and treatment programmes. To be fair to the Fed, even some police chiefs have criticised the reclassification on the grounds that confusion is created by still making it an arrestable offence, which category C drugs are normally not. Yet discretion is normally something police chiefs are only too eager to seize. It was not just Brixton, in south London, where a pilot scheme allowed the police to concentrate on hard rather than soft drugs, that followed this line. As the Norfolk chief constable noted, the reclassification in his area was "just formalising an existing informal arrangement". What people need to note is the degree to which Brixton has been made a safer place by the police concentrating on hard drugs. There has been a dramatic reduction in crack dens, cocaine and heroin addicts, and the street crime that finances these expensive habits. No one suggests cannabis is completely safe. It can be particularly harmful to a tiny minority of its 2 million plus users, who suffer from schizophrenia. But its biggest danger is its diversion of police time. Until last week it accounted for 75% of police inquiries related to drugs. A Telegraph poll showed the public recognised the low medical risks and accepted change. Indeed, over 50% wanted the government to go further and decriminalise the drug. Special Report: Drugs in Britain: http://www.guardian.co.uk/drugs/0,2759,178206,00.htmlSource: Guardian Unlimited, The (UK) Published: Monday, February 2, 2004Copyright: 2004 Guardian Newspapers LimitedContact: letters guardian.co.ukWebsite: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Related Articles & Web Site:Advisory Council On The Misuse of Drugshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/reschedule.pdf Pot Plant Plea for The Home Drug User http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18268.shtmlBiggest Shake-Up of Britains Laws in 30 Yearshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18261.shtmlVoters Want Even Softer Line on Cannabis http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18220.shtml 
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Comment #3 posted by goneposthole on February 02, 2004 at 08:20:20 PT
somebody is doing their job
"What people need to note is the degree to which Brixton has been made a safer place by the police concentrating on hard drugs. There has been a dramatic reduction in crack dens, cocaine and heroin addicts, and the street crime that finances these expensive habits."You can blame it on the weather, but the achievement belongs to level-headed, evenhanded police work that works. Lay off pot smokers and get to work.
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on February 02, 2004 at 07:55:08 PT
News Brief from The Associated Press
Gore's Son Gets Probation on Marijuana ChargeFebruary 2, 2004ROCKVILLE, MD (AP) -- The son of former Vice President Al Gore got probation on his marijuana arrest. Albert Gore III was in court Monday morning in Rockville, Maryland. He's 21. Prosecutors agreed to place the marijuana possession charge on the inactive docket if the younger Gore meets probation conditions for a year. Those include 12 weeks of urine testing, 24 hours of public service, four educational seminars and two counseling sessions. He also can't have any criminal arrests. Tipper Gore declined comment after her son's hearing, saying it was a family matter. A local police officer charged Gore and two passengers on December 19th. Police stopped Gore's car for having no lights on and found a small amount of marijuana. Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press
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Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on February 02, 2004 at 05:55:49 PT:
Sanity will 'out', given the chance
As many Dutch policemen no doubt have explained *ad nauseum* to their British peers, they have a much lighter work load and can concentrate on REAL crimes since the *de facto* if not *de jure* 'decriminalization' of cannabis in the Netherlands.Having been there many times, there's something else I'd like to say: The Dutch cops are not seen as being an invasive, antagonistic force in most Dutch neighborhoods. On the contrary, they are genuinely respected and sought out to provide advice on many matters beyond just legal or criminal ones. Advice that, more often than not, is followed. Not through threat, but through understanding.Even more interesting; most Dutch cops I saw in A-dam were operating solo. On foot. Interacting with the denizens of the neighborhood on a very sociable level.Contrast this with most American cops whose hands are never very far from their holsters, and AUTOMATICALLY approach every interaction with American citizens as an opportunity to serve themselves by busting them, rather than helping them. An attitude which is unmistakenly antagonistic. Mainly because of violence associated with the DrugWar..which they are victims of as much as any poor schmuck rotting in gaol for being caught with a few grams of something illicit.That said, which would YOU rather have over to your house for dinner?
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