cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Policy Splits British Conservatives





Marijuana Policy Splits British Conservatives
Posted by FoM on October 09, 2000 at 09:30:02 PT
By The Associated Press
Source: Dallas Morning News 
Britain's opposition Conservative Party has suddenly split between advocates of a tough new policy against marijuana and senior party figures who admit they smoked it in their youth.The issue flared up at the party's annual conference, where criminal justice spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe announced a policy of mandatory fines for the first offense of possessing any amount of marijuana.
"It means zero tolerance of possession. No more getting away with just a caution, no more hoping that a blind eye will be turned," said Ms. Widdecombe, who cited New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's anti-crime policies as her inspiration. The policy called for an automatic $145 fine on first offense.Ms. Widdecombe's announcement was calculated to be popular with members of the traditional law-and-order party and attractive to swing voters.However, the Police Superintendents Association called the policy unenforceable. The Daily Telegraph, usually a cheerleader for the Conservatives, said in an editorial that Ms. Widdecombe "displayed almost zero common sense." An editorial in The Times said her policy would "criminalize thousands of otherwise law-abiding individuals."Then seven senior Tories told the Mail on Sunday newspaper that they had used marijuana."It was quite hard to go through Cambridge University in the '70s without doing it a few times," said Francis Maude, the party's spokesman on foreign affairs.Environment spokesman Archie Norman said he tried marijuana and had no regrets. "It didn't do much for me. I turned to drink instead," Mr. Norman said."I think you expect human beings to explore and experiment. If you don't, you haven't been young," Mr. Norman said.Culture spokesman Peter Ainsworth said he tried marijuana, but "it made me feel slightly sick." Welfare spokesman David Willetts admitted trying two puffs but not liking it.The issue illustrated a split within the party between Ms. Widdecombe's hard line and Treasury spokesman Michael Portillo's appeal for a more inclusive and caring party.Mr. Portillo, who has admitted to a past gay relationship, declined to talk about marijuana. "I think I've given enough information about my younger days, don't you?" he said.The split poses a dilemma for William Hague, the party leader who boasted recently of downing 14 pints of beer a day as a teenager.Cannabis accounted for 77 percent of the drug possession cases in 1998, the Home Office reported. In half of the total cases, the defendant was simply cautioned, and about one in four was fined. Senior police officials have said that enforcing the law against marijuana is not high among their priorities.The governing Labor Party has avoided a debate on marijuana.The Liberal Democrats, the third largest party in Parliament, want to create a Royal Commission to examine the issue and recommend possible changes in the law. The party's leader, Charles Kennedy, said Sunday he personally favored an end to criminal penalties.Note: Former users among party leaders question proposal to implement mandatory penalties.Source: Dallas Morning News (TX) Published: October 9, 2000Copyright: 2000 The Dallas Morning News Contact: letterstoeditor dallasnews.com Address: P.O. Box 655237, Dallas, Texas 75265 Fax: (972) 263-0456 Website: http://www.dallasnews.com/ Feedback: http://dmnweb.dallasnews.com/letters/ Related Articles:Top British Tories Admit Soft Drug Use http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread7290.shtmlNo Clash Over Cannabis - Governmenthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread4443.shtmlHague's Wacky Curb on Cannabishttp://cannabisnews.com/news/4/thread4640.shtml
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Comment #3 posted by Ethan Russo, MD on October 10, 2000 at 05:41:25 PT:
Giuliani, Role Model
Anyone who looks to Rudy as a role model for drug policy needs their head examined. I seem to remember a few cases of innocent people gunned down on the street for the sake of the War on Drugs. I suspect that the Brits are more civilized and rational than that. Hopefully, wisdom will prevail in the end.
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Comment #2 posted by kaptinemo on October 09, 2000 at 13:29:32 PT:
Run away! Run away! Run away!
The Tories are beginning to look a lot like the inept Knights in Monty Python's Holy Grail, even to their means of retreating from a bad policy decision.Ah, to be in England, now that drug policy rationality is arising here.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on October 09, 2000 at 10:53:20 PT:
Related Article
Conservatives Retreat on `Zero Tolerance' Marijuana Policy Monday, October 9, 2000 ©2000 Associated Press Source: S.F. Gatehttp://www.sfgate.com/The head of Britain's opposition Conservative Party, William Hague, said Monday the party will rethink its new ``zero tolerance'' policy on marijuana use after police criticism and admissions by some party leaders that they had once smoked the drug. The Conservatives' justice spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe announced the new policy at the party's annual conference last week, backing a mandatory $145 fine for a first offense of possessing marijuana. But after the outcry over the announcement -- which aimed to underline the party's law-and-order stance -- Hague signaled the policy would be reconsidered. ``The proposals we have made are on the table but they need further consultation, discussion and debate,'' he said. A top police organization, the Police Superintendents Association, immediately called the policy unenforceable, and several senior party members questioned the idea, admitting they had smoked marijuana in the past. ``It was quite hard to go through Cambridge University in the '70s without doing it a few times,'' Francis Maude, the party's spokesman on foreign affairs, said in an interview with the Mail on Sunday newspaper. Keith Hellawell, who directs the Labor government's anti-drug efforts, said the Conservative policy ``just would not work.'' Marijuana accounted for 77 percent of the drug possession cases in 1998, the Home Office reported. In half of the total cases, the defendant was simply cautioned, and about one in four was fined. (10-09) 10:10 PDT LONDON (AP) ©2000 Associated Press  
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