POLICE CALL TO RELAX 'SOFT DRUG' PENALTIES

A Police Foundation report calling for the relaxation of penalties for
using cannabis and Ecstasy is to be presented to the Government today
after a two-year study into the working of the 1971 Misuse of Drugs
Act

A MORI poll conducted for the inquiry claimed that Middle England is
at odds with the Prime Minister's hardline stance on soft drugs, with
many people's attitudes becoming more relaxed towards the use of
cannabis. Hostility towards hard drugs remains as strong as ever.

Yesterday, however, the Government ruled out any softening of the
drugs laws. Charles Clarke, the Police Minister, said: "If you relax
legislation in this area, I am concerned that consumption will go up,
with medical implications included with that. It would be bad for
people and bad for society."

Speaking on BBC1's On the Record, Mr Clarke, who admitted during the
general election that he had taken cannabis while he was a student,
said that the Government would not consider reclassifying Ecstasy from
a Class A drug to a soft drug such as cannabis, as recommended in the
report. Between 60 and 65 people had died over the past decade from
taking Ecstasy and that was an unacceptably large figure, he said.

The inquiry, under the chairmanship of Viscountess Runciman of
Doxford, a former member of the Government's advisory council on the
misuse of drugs, was set up to examine whether the Misuse of Drugs Act
should be overhauled. The 11-strong inquiry team concluded that the
fight against heroin and cocaine was being hampered because police
were having to use resources on investigations into cannabis misuse.

It is expected to call for cannabis to be reclassified from a Class B
to a Class C drug, similar to the classification for tranquilisers.
The report is also expected to call for possession of cannabis to be
"depenalised", with police having no power to arrest for possession
for personal use. Offenders found in possession of less than two grams
would be given a fixed penalty notice, which carries no criminal
record. This would replace the practice of giving a caution or taking
someone to court.

The report by the Police Foundation, whose president is the Prince of
Wales, is expected to recommend that heroin, cocaine and LSD should
remain Class A drugs.

Sources close to the working party say its members are highly
sensitive to charges that they are too liberal and have worked to
produce a report that will be acceptable to Middle England.

Its findings are bound to provoke a strong reaction and may open
divisions within the police service over how best to tackle drugs.
Already the National Crime Squad has opposed any change, saying that
it would lead to greater cannabis use and the involvement of criminals
in the supply of the drug. The Association of Chief Police Officers is
also against change, but several former chief constables have
advocated reform and last month the Cleveland force suggested
legalisation should be considered because the war against drugs was
failing.

The highest penalties for possession of Class B drugs range from three
months' imprisonment and a UKP500 fine in a magistrates' court to five
years and an unlimited fine in Crown Court. Possession of Class C
drugs carries a maximum three-month sentence and UKP500 fine from
magistrates to two months in prison and an unlimited fine in Crown
Court. In practice, maximum penalties have fallen into disuse.
Sentences for trafficking range from under ten years for cannabis to
14 years or more for narcotics.

* Senior police and customs officers have met Downing Street officials
to demand wider powers under an update of the 1971 Act to take
intimate body samples and to target pubs and clubs where drug-taking
occurs. Officers also want greater power to tackle shops selling
equipment used for drug-taking.