Policing cannabis reclassification - easy as ABC"

[bongme]

hi

LCA Press Release

Don Barnard

Tuesday 14 May 2002

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With the Police federation Annual Conference voting against legalising Drugs

yesterday ;

The Prime Minister admitting Anti Drug Strategies were not working on

BBC 2 News last night;

The Home Affairs Select Committee on UK Drug Laws due to officially announce

it's findings falling short of decriminalisation within the next few days;

To be followed in a few weeks with the Home Secretary expected to recommend

to parliament the reducing of cannabis possession offences from a "Class B"

of schedule 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 to "Class C" of Schedule.

Clearly, There is a need to clarify and define the issues, and present the

arguments within a framework of logic that will help people to consider

whether there may - or may not - be a more satisfactory ways of dealing with

cannabis in a changing society.

Your contribution to the issues at this time would be welcome.

The Legalise Cannabis Alliance does not want to ask "should cannabis be

legalised/Decriminalised", the question is far too simplistic - Anyway these

options are not available to the UK Government without first amending

international treaties on narcotics.

WE WANT YOU TO ASK - MP's, Police Officers, Local Authorities and your

audience which alternative for regulating cannabis described in the

"Policing cannabis reclassification - easy as ABC" written by Detective

Sergeant Monaghan, would they support.

In summary:

Writing in the Jan/Feb edition of "DrugLink Magazine" [a DrugScope

publication] Detective Sergeant Monaghan says there are four option open to

the Home Secretary for the disposal of cannabis possession offences and goes

into great detail how each option will impact on police powers of arrest,

search, evidence gathering and solving other more serious crime.

He argues: If the government wants the whole UK police service to adopt a

system similar to the Lambeth model, it will need to amend not only the

Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, but also the Police and Criminal Evidence Act

(PACE) 1984 and the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. Moreover, it will need to

review the 'case disposal' system

To ensure national compliance by all police officers government would also

need to introduce legislation to exempt the possession of cannabis from the

provisions of s.25 of PACE. This would mean there would be no power of

arrest at all. Making the offence unique in English law.

says

He concludes: If politicians decide to remove arrest and search powers;

remove the police service's ability to identify , with certainly repeat

offenders; cease the prosecution of possession offences and frustrate both

their ability to clear up other crimes and intelligence gathering process -

then so be it. But at least they should stop being mealy-mouthed and admit

that this policy amounts to decriminalisation.

[Detective Sergeant Geoff Monaghan is a serving Metropolitan Police Service

officer. Until recently, he was the Staff Officer to the ACPO Drugs Sub

Committee. He is currently seconded to International family Health].

To read full article:

http://www.lca-uk.org/Don/PolicingCannabis.doc

Don Barnard Press Officer for the LCA said: "David Blunket wants landlords

to have chill out rooms and freely available water for pill users, why

shouldn't I smoke a joint in the beer garden with beer I bought or my free

water?

"None of these models go far enough, without allowing for supply it does not

make sense.

"I believe, if government were to announce that smoking in the street was

undesirable. But, allowing the consumption of cannabis at home or designate

(regulated) premises...The vast majority of the police and public would

accept it as the obvious and logical step to take....Seems silly to me to

put off the inevitable.

Kind regards

Don Barnard

Press Officer

Legalise Cannabis Alliance

PO BOX 198

Norwich

NR3 3WB

O7940 485115

donbarnard@lca-uk.org

Editors notes

1] Editor contact numbers for DrugLink:

fax: 020 7928 1771

Phone: 020 7928 1211

2] Legalise Cannabis Alliance became a UK political party in 1999.

"CANNABIS: LEGALISE AND UTILISE" ISBN 0-9535693-1-4, the party's

manifesto, can be downloaded at

http://www.webbooks.org/Synopses/lca_mani.php

3] Keep up to date with forthcoming action at

http://www.ccguide.org.uk/events.html

Posted Tuesday 14 May 2002

Bongme