PEERS SUPPORT THE REFORM OF CANNABIS LAW

TWO former home secretaries said yesterday that possession of cannabis
should be decriminalised amid signs from the Home Office that change may be
contemplated during the course of this parliament.

Lord Jenkins and Lord Baker each supported a change in the law under which
possession of cannabis for personal use would no longer be an arrestable
offence. A third former home secretary, Lord Waddington, said he would
regard decriminalisation as a "minor step".

At present cannabis is a category B drug, as defined by the 1971 Misuse of
Drugs Act. Those caught in possession can be arrested and face a prison
sentence of up to five years.

Last year an independent commission into the drugs laws chaired by Lady
Runciman proposed reclassifying cannabis as a category C drug, thereby
making possession for personal use no longer an offence carrying a criminal
record.

Jenkins, regarded as an important mentor to Tony Blair on key Labour
reforms, said yesterday that he supported the Runciman proposal. "It is
quite firmly my view that the time for a change in the law has come," said
Jenkins, who served as Labour's home secretary from 1965 until 1967. This
was the year when controversy about the ban on cannabis first broke because
of the conviction on drug charges of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the
Rolling Stones.

Asked what change in the law he favoured, Jenkins said: "To decriminalise,
certainly."

Baker, who served as Tory home secretary from 1990-92, remained firmly
opposed to the legalisation of cannabis. However, asked whether he would
support decriminalisation, he replied: "I think that's quite a good
position. To fill our prisons with people who are cannabis users is a bum
use of the prisons."

Waddington, who was viewed as a hardliner when he was Tory home secretary
from 1989-90, remained staunchly opposed to legalisation of cannabis but
was also sympathetic to decriminalisation.

"Cannabis has an unfortunate effect on the personality," he said. "I saw it
in Bermuda [where he served as governor] where there are many habitual
users. It destroys motivation. It can precipitate schizophrenia and do
lasting brain damage."

Asked whether he might support decriminalisation, he replied: "There may be
a case for that."

People caught possessing a class C drug, such as tranquillisers, generally
receive a caution, although a maximum two-year sentence remains on the
statute book.

Downing Street gave a dusty response on Friday to questions about changes
in the law on cannabis, which were prompted by a Social Market Foundation
pamphlet written by Peter Lilley. The former cabinet minister advocated
legalisation of cannabis and suggested it should be sold from licensed
outlets for use at home.

Although Home Office ministers have refused to comment on Lilley's idea,
senior sources at the department signalled yesterday that changes were not
ruled out.

They said David Blunkett, the home secretary, would wait to see the outcome
of a trial in Brixton, south London, where police have said they will issue
warnings for cannabis possession but will make no arrests.

Although Blunkett has ruled out setting up a royal commission on drug
misuse, he promised "sensible answers that respond to the public need". He
also said he was awaiting the results of a government study before deciding
whether to legalise cannabis for medical purposes.

The renewed debate about soft drugs coincides with the publication of a
book which reveals that police officers are routinely taking drugs ranging
from cannabis to ecstasy.

Written by David Wilson, the former head of officer training for the prison
service, the book details the experiences of officers who smoked cannabis
in Amsterdam, took ecstasy at raves and spoke of a "secret society" of drug
takers within the force.

Wilson, now professor of criminal justice at the University of Central
England, interviewed 20 officers who confessed to drug taking. In one case
an officer revealed that he gave his drug dealer "mini-seminars" on how to
avoid arrest. It argues that the police are fighting a losing battle
against the tough crime reduction targets they have set themselves.