taffy Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 (edited) Hi all, I sent an e-mail requesting clarification on Plaid Cymru drug policy, this is the reply I got. I thought people living in Wales may be interested. Dear Mr ******, Thank you very much for your email. Plaid Cymru supports the decriminalisation of cannabis where appropriate – for example, the decriminalisation of minor offences such as possession of cannabis for personal use. This would enable the police to concentrate more on apprehending those who trade in hard or Class A drugs. Plaid believes that drug policy should be entirely based on scientific evidence, not political advantage. We have called for more drug rehabilitation places and programmes, drug and alcohol education in every school in Wales and better amenities for young people in their communities. The Swansea Drugs Project, for example, offers support to drug users in a wide range of areas, from parenting skills, cookery and daily living skills to anger management. But this is not uniform across Wales and we need more of them. An additional £300,000 has been made available to improve counselling services in relation to substance misuse in 2009-10. From 2010 an additional £3 million has been added to the Substance Misuse Action Fund to improve treatment services for children and young people. These resources will be used to provide psychosocial and other forms of counselling services for children and young people. Plaid knows that drug abuse is more than just about injecting, inhaling or swallowing a chemical substance. It is very often a complicated result of childhood sexual, physical or mental abuse, extreme poverty, lack of skills, miscarriage, death and crime, to name a few. Many users are chaotic and therefore unable to hold down a job, and consequently in receipt of benefits, while many commit some form of crime to fund their habit. Surely this means that we should invest more in rehabilitating them so that they can once again take an active and useful part in society. Consigning them to a life in and out of prison - or worse, disease and death - helps nobody and certainly doesn’t break the cycle of drug dependence. We know drugs are a problem in many Welsh communities. We believe the solution is better education, more job and training opportunities and more support for families. We haven’t given up on our young people – they have been abandoned time and time again by the state, and we will do everything in our power to help them. A Plaid government with powers over criminal justice would ensure vigorous educational campaigning to show the dangers of use.n When you speak to those who misuse drugs and quite often their parents they will tell you that what is needed and what we’re working towards here in Wales is more drug rehabilitation places and programmes, drug and alcohol education in every school in Wales and better amenities for young people in their communities. Public spending on drug enforcement needs to be re-prioritised to concentrate on tackling the causes of substance misuse and in establishing multi-disciplinary clinics across Wales, where problems can be dealt with by a range of professionals working together. Plaid knows that the UK’s long and drawn-out war against illegal drugs is lost. Action is needed and investment in this area. Here in Wales, we have no powers over criminal justice, and consequently, no powers over drugs policy and legislation. In our manifesto we will be calling for the devolution of the entire criminal justice system, including control over drugs policy, with the aim of establishing an effective restorative justice programme. While we do not mention cannabis in our manifesto specifically, due to space limitations, our policy remains that of treating drug abuse as a health issue, and decriminalising the use of cannabis with the aim of educating more people about its effects, so that they can make an informed choice, and we are happy to make that known. Thank you once again for your email. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Best wishes, Lowri Jackson Swyddog Ymchwil a Pholisi - Research and Policy Officer Uned Datblygu Polisi Cenedlaethol - National Policy Development Unit 02920 475926 - 07929 492909 Edited March 15, 2011 by taffy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hughie Green Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 Nice one taffy, well said Lowri Jackson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SilvaRizla Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 Get in, thats what we wanna hear. An idea: Shall we each write to our local force and those that reply in such as fassion dump on Cameron & Cleggs desk? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taffy Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share Posted March 15, 2011 Get in, thats what we wanna hear. An idea: Shall we each write to our local force and those that reply in such as fassion dump on Cameron & Cleggs desk? Local force? This is a political party mate. I would respectfully suggest anyone reading this that lives in Wales should get out and vote for Plaid this year. They are anti Trident and anti nuclear for a start, as well as their forward thinking drug policy.... Peace taff 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SilvaRizla Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 Get in, thats what we wanna hear. An idea: Shall we each write to our local force and those that reply in such as fassion dump on Cameron & Cleggs desk? Local force? This is a political party mate. I would respectfully suggest anyone reading this that lives in Wales should get out and vote for Plaid this year. They are anti Trident and anti nuclear for a start, as well as their forward thinking drug policy.... Peace taff Whoops! I thought Plaid was a place and Cymru meant police Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Black Sheep Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 How do you move to wales ? Decent brews, real hills and a party worth voting for, I'm in 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plonka Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 out of interest has anyone ever gotten into contact with these political parties who make so much sense with another approche? let's say you pretend to be a concerned mother and devout prohibitionist. i'd like to see if they still are singing the same tune or are they just trying to please anyone so they get votes ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakedbean Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 Nice post taffy. So only people in Wales can vote for this party? But the Welsh can vote for English parties can't they? confused Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~nobody~ Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 They only stand in Wales so there's no way of anyone in England having that option on their ballot paper. The Tories and labour do field candidates in Wales so we get to vote for them if we want to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cpt beefheart Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 (edited) free perscriptions slap on the wrist for weed whats next for us welsh Edited March 15, 2011 by cpt beefheart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taffy Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share Posted March 15, 2011 free perscriptions slap on the wrist for weed whats next for us welsh If enough people vote for Plaid we get to make our own laws, imagine legal Cannabis in Wales, imagine the amount of people wanting to move here... Hold on, maybe this isn't such a good idea! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DANZIG Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 Hold on, maybe this isn't such a good idea! Could rebuild Offa's Dyke 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cpt beefheart Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 free perscriptions slap on the wrist for weed whats next for us welsh If enough people vote for Plaid we get to make our own laws, imagine legal Cannabis in Wales, imagine the amount of people wanting to move here... Hold on, maybe this isn't such a good idea! they got my vote dude all day about time us valley`s people had our own law bring it on i say p.s get back on to her ask her for a free oz every 2 weeks with our giro`s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arbuscule Posted March 15, 2011 Share Posted March 15, 2011 nice one Taffy, diolch man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taffy Posted March 15, 2011 Author Share Posted March 15, 2011 Hold on, maybe this isn't such a good idea! Could rebuild Offa's Dyke Could we get an EU grant for that?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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