-Caveat Lector- from: http://politics.guardian.co.uk/whitehall/story/0,9061,579581,00.html Click Here: <A HREF="http://politics.guardian.co.uk/whitehall/story/0,9061,579581,00.html";> Guardian Unlimited Politics | Special Reports |�</A> ----- 5.30pm update
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cannabis to be reclassified Matthew Tempest, political correspondent Tuesday October 23, 2001 The soft drug cannabis is to be reclassifed, the home secretary, David Blunkett, announced today. Under new proposals, first recommended 18 months ago, cannabis will move from class B to class C and will no longer be an arrestable offence, heralding a massive shake-up of drugs policy. Class C puts it in the same category as anti-depressants and steroids - but LSD and ecstasy will remain class A drugs, Mr Blunkett said. Mr Blunkett, who made the announcement before MPs on the home affairs select committee, denied the move was decriminalisation by another name and stressed the drug will remain illegal. But in practice, cannabis smokers will be unlikely to face any consequences if they are caught with small amounts of the drug. If cannabis is re-graded as Class C, the maximum sentence for possession would be two years in crown courts or three months in magistrates courts. Only offences punishable with at least five years imprisonment are arrestable. Possession with intent to supply or supplying Class C drugs carry a five-year maximum. Today's move is designed to free police time to concentrate on hard drugs like heroin and cocaine, removing the "policing anomaly" which means nearly seven out of 10 drug arrests are for a relatively harmless drug. "Re-classification would be quite different from decriminalisation or legalisation," said Mr Blunkett. "Cannabis would remain a controlled drug and using it a criminal offence. "It would not detract from the simple message that all drugs are harmful and that no-one should take drugs. "But it would make clearer the distinction between cannabis and Class A drugs like heroin and cocaine. "Above all it would make sense to both those policing the system and those providing education and advice to prevent young people falling into addiction." The police are believed to be concerned at the prospect of losing the power to arrest someone for possession but ministers are not proposing to take options which are open to them to retain it as an arrestable offence under its new class C status. "They will still have plenty of powers to stop people but possession of cannabis won't be one of them," said a home office spokesman. Mr Blunkett also said that if current clinical trials are successful he will change the law to allow the use of cannabis-based prescription drugs to combat conditions such as multiple sclerosis and arthritis. A group of key experts has been set up to develop an action plan to tackle the treatment of crack and cocaine, and with the Department of Health would be producing new guidance for heroin prescribing. "This will work towards providing a bridge between those who are obtaining heroin illegally, often through criminal activity, and the methadone treatment prescribing. "It would be under highly secure and strict procedures and would allow the transfer into treatment without the current risks that exist to heroin users," he said. In 1999, some 68% of the 120,000 drugs offences had been cannabis-related with each one taking officers two to three hours to process. Today's proposals would help "marry up reality with the law as it stands" but were not a move towards reclassification of harder drugs, said a home office official. Reclassifying cannabis - or hash, as it is also known - was first recommended by a Police Foundation report last year, after more than 30 years of lobbying and protests from the general public. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Printable version | Send it to a friend | Read it later | See saved stories Guardian Unlimited � Guardian Newspapers Limited 2001 ----- Aloha, He'Ping, Om, Shalom, Salaam. Em Hotep, Peace Be, All My Relations. Omnia Bona Bonis, Adieu, Adios, Aloha. Amen. Roads End <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
