CAMPAIGN TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA USE IN BRITAIN PICKS UP STEAM

LONDON - The campaign to legalize marijuana in Britain gained a burst of
new momentum this weekend as politicians, pundits and even some police
officers called for repeal of the prohibition on use of the drug. And it
all came about as a backlash against a tough new proposal calling for "zero
tolerance" of marijuana.

The idea of legalizing marijuana for general use has been a non-starter in
the United States for years, but in most of Western Europe it is
increasingly popular.

Even before the latest surge of interest in Britain, decriminalization had
been supported here by several members of Parliament and major news
organizations. A report by the Police Foundation, a law enforcement
charity, said the prohibition of marijuana "produces more harm than it
prevents."

Then along came Ann Widdecombe, a tough law-and-order advocate who is the
spokeswoman on crime issues for the Conservative Party. At the party's
national convention last week, Widdecombe gave a fiery anti-marijuana
speech, calling for the immediate arrest and prosecution of anyone
suspected of having used the drug. She said police on the beat should
perform on-the-spot blood tests to identify pot users.

Of the scores of policy proposals floated at that convention, Widdecombe's
war on the drug known here as cannabis was the one that caught the
imagination of the press and the people. The result, hardly the one she
intended, has been to give a big push to the decriminalization side.

First, police leaders said marijuana use is so widespread in Britain that
thousands of new officers would be needed just to arrest people spotted
with a spliff, slang for a marijuana cigarette. Then the feisty London
papers turned up at least seven top officials in Widdecombe's own party who
admitted to smoking the drug in the past; all would have criminal records
under the Widdecombe plan.

Even more striking, leading newspapers and several prominent politicians
argued that the better approach to cannabis would be legalization. Among
those now backing decriminalization is Charles Kennedy, leader of Britain's
third-largest party, the Liberal Democrats.

The reaction here reflects the growing divide between the United States and
most European countries on "soft drugs."

As the United States has been tightening drug laws, Europe has been
loosening them. The Netherlands has effectively legalized possession of
small amounts of marijuana; France and Germany have stopped enforcing their
laws. Britain still fines a few hundred cannabis users each year, but
thousands more are let off with a warning. It would be difficult for
Britain's government to step up enforcement, because the teenage son of the
cabinet's chief law enforcement official received nothing more than a
warning when he was caught dealing the drug three years ago.

Ann Widdecombe's call for a crackdown has been a political embarrassment
for the Conservatives, just as they were starting to make progress in the
polls. Conservative leader William Hague--who toasted Widdecombe with
champagne after her convention speech--said today he now believes her idea
needs "some reconsideration." Hague said he is "150 percent confident" in
his law enforcement spokeswoman.