MOWLAM BACKS TELEGRAPH EDITORIAL

THE Minister for the Cabinet Office, Mo Mowlam, hinted yesterday that she
favours a more liberal approach than Tony Blair to soft drugs such as cannabis.

During a visit to Berlin where she discussed anti-drugs policy with Christa
Nickels, the German Parliamentary State Secretary for Health Policy, and
visited a drug rehabilitation centre, Dr Mowlam seemed to back a proposal
that cannabis be legalised for a trial period.

Referring to a leading article in The Telegraph last month, which suggested
legalising cannabis for an experimental period, she said: "It is the only
time that I have seen a Daily Telegraph editorial that I was not completely
opposed to."

The call for decriminalising cannabis has been rejected by Jack Straw, the
Home Secretary, and Mr Blair, who say a more liberal policy would mean
Britain taking over from Holland as the centre for Europe's drugs trade.

Dr Mowlam is responsible for co-ordinating Government drugs policies.