BRITAIN SEEKS TO LOWER MARIJUANA-USE PENALTIES

Proposal Would Let Police Confiscate Drug And Issue A Warning; Opponents
Blast Idea.

LONDON -- Prime Minister Tony Blair's government moved Wednesday to relax
its laws on marijuana, stopping short of legalization but guaranteeing most
users would get off with just a warning while police focus their
enforcement efforts on harder drugs.

Under the proposal, marijuana would be downgraded from a Class B to a Class
C drug, making its use and possession less serious crimes, Home Secretary
David Blunkett said in outlining the plan to the House of Commons. Police
would retain the authority to arrest those caught with marijuana, but in
most cases would simply confiscate the drug and issue a warning.

"The message to young people and families must be open, honest and
believable," Blunkett said. "Cannabis is a potentially harmful drug and
should remain illegal. However, it is not comparable with crack, heroin and
Ecstasy."

The proposed downgrade would put marijuana on par with anabolic steroids
instead of amphetamines and barbiturates, the drugs it is grouped with now.
Blair's Labor Party has a large majority in Parliament and the proposal is
virtually certain to pass.

Blair said the proposal did not amount to decriminalization and had wide
support among the police because it would allow them to spend more time
fighting more serious drugs.

"The power to arrest remains, but what reclassification does is allow the
police, where they think it right, to focus on hard drug dealing and drug
dealing of any description, including cannabis, and that is why the
proposals are supported by the chief police officers and the Metropolitan
Police," he told the House of Commons.

The opposition Conservative Party criticized the proposal.

Oliver Letwin, the Conservative Party spokesman on law and order issues,
called the proposal "muddled and dangerous," saying Blunkett had failed to
choose between legalizing marijuana and getting serious about arresting
those who use it.

Possession of a Class B drug currently carries a maximum penalty of five
years in jail.

Possession of a Class C drug carries a maximum sentence of two years, but
the Home Office said that penalty is rarely invoked for first-time
offenders, who normally receive only a ticket.

Blunkett said he hoped to have the reclassification in place by July 2003.

In the United States, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana
Laws praised the British policy shift, saying it would be similar to
changes made in 12 U.S. states.

"Great Britain's reclassification of cannabis is an honest and common sense
approach to refocus drug policy on those substances that cause the most
harm," said the group's leader, Keith Stroup.