LABOUR CONFUSION ON DRUGS

On the day the government's anti-drugs "czar" published his annual report,
apparent mixed messages emerged from the cabinet as to Labour's line on the
issue.

First, Cabinet Office Minister Mo Mowlam signalled a softening of
the government's hardline approach to the legalisation of cannabis and said
ministers wished to see "more open discussion on the impact of cannnabis".

Speaking just hours before the government's anti-drugs co-ordinator Keith
Hellawell published his annual report, she also forecast that moves towards
allowing the drug to be used for medicinal purposes could begin "by the end
of next year".

But within another few hours of Ms Mowlam's comments, Education Secretary
David Blunkett insisted that the message on drugs remained "just say No".

Mr Blunkett, who was on a tour of a west London school with Ms Mowlam and
Mr Hellawell to launch the annual report, said juvenile drug abuse was
usually connected to other problems such as crime and truancy.

Mr Blunkett said: "We want all children and young people to learn about the
dangers which drug misuse brings - everyday ones like alcohol and tobacco
as well as illegal drugs - and the harm drugs can cause to people's lives."

Children should be equipped with information the subject so they can
"assess risks and make informed decisions", he said.

'OPEN DISCUSSION'

Speaking earlier, Ms Mowlam said a number of scientific trials on cannabis
were drawing to a close and action could follow soon.

"I hope that by the end of next year those scientific results will be out
and then we can make a clear evaluation in relation to medicinal use," she
said.

Asked if this meant there was a prospect by the end of next year of
government backing for the legalisation of cannabis for medical use, Ms
Mowlam said: "Yes but legalise it in the form of cannaboids which is a kind
of derivative so people don't have to smoke it."

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Ms Mowlam revealed that the
cabinet was considering a change in the attitude to drugs as part of a
wider public debate.

Until recently Prime Minister Tony Blair and Home Secretary Jack Straw have
adopted a consistently tough line whenever the question of liberalising
drugs laws has been raised.

Ms Mowlam, who is in charge of drugs policy, said: "What is going on is not
just a cabinet discussion, what is going on is what we want to see - which
is a more open discussion on the impact of cannnabis.

"We have no trouble with that but our position on cannabis has not
changed."

She also insisted there were "positive, encouraging signs" that the
government's 10-year drugs strategy was working.

This included halving the availability of Class A drugs on the streets,
halving the number of young people using heroin and cocaine and doubling
the number of drug misusers in treatment by 2008.

'MEGA GOOD NEWS'

Ms Mowlam described as "mega good news" results showing that pilots of new
drug-treatment programmes produced success rates of 96% and these would now
be rolled out across the country.

At the weekend the minister said that scientific evidence was not yet
available to suggest that smoking cannabis leads to taking heroin.

The Redcar MP, who is leaving the Commons at the next election, was an
early member of what has become a growing band of politicians to admit
having smoked cannabis for recreational purposes in the past.

Last month eight members of the Conservative shadow cabinet joined in
confessing their past use of the drug. Hard on their heels, Public Health
Minister Yvette Cooper admitted to having done so.