Editorial: CLEARLY THE LAW HAS GONE TO POT OVER CANNABIS USE

Lady Runciman's Police Foundation report into the legalisation of soft
drugs has finally prised open the lid on a debate that was hitherto
firmly shut. Good. For too long, this vital issue has been treated by
politicians afraid of upsetting "Middle England" as the ultimate
taboo. Misinformation and unsubstantiated assertion have replaced
sensible, rational thought and analysis .

At the very least we need a thorough Royal Commission to look into the
subject in a cool, dispassionate way. The status quo is clearly
unsustainable. Last year, Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy became the
first party leader to back such an idea. He deserves credit for
braving the controversy.

What is the merit of a law that criminalises hundreds of thousands of
people for no beneficial purpose? Cannabis is less harmful than
alcohol and can have substantial medical benefits. Even police feel
that chasing cannabis smokers is a waste of precious police time.

Those who defend the status quo should start by asking why otherwise
upstanding, model citizens should break this one law so regularly? The
law on this issue is an ass. It is not they who are at fault but the
law.