TORIES CONSIDER INSTANT FINE FOR CANNABIS USERS

ANN WIDDECOMBE, the shadow home secretary, stepped into the drug debate
yesterday by disclosing that the Tories were considering on-the-spot fines
for possession of cannabis.

Many police officers are against instant fines without arrest or
prosecution, but Miss Widdecombe stressed that she did not favour anything
that might be interpreted as decriminalisation. Miss Widdecombe said she
would investigate the potential effect of new penalties for those caught
with the drug, suggesting that the Conservatives plan to tackle the drugs
issue in their next manifesto. Her comments came after Charles Kennedy, the
new Liberal Democrat leader, called for a Royal Commission to investigate
legalisation of the Class B drug. In an interview which could open a
political minefield for his party, he accused mainstream politicians of
being out of step with public opinion and called for a drastic rethink on
drugs policy.

Mr Kennedy urged the Government to set up a commission which would review
the position on all drugs and consider legalising cannabis. There was
"hardly a family in the land" that was not worried about drugs, he said.

A spokesman for the party said Mr Kennedy was not personally for or against
legalisation but felt that there should be a debate. Mr Kennedy's comments
were welcomed by Mike Goodman, of the drugs charity Release, which is in
favour of legalising cannabis.

Mr Goodman said: "For a leader of one of the three main political parties
to be making this statement now represents the drug debate coming of age.
Now is the time to talk and consider not only the case to reform the drug
laws, but how a reform system could be put in practice."

Roger Howard, chief executive of the Standing Conference on Drug Abuse,
said: "Some might interpret fines as decriminalisation, others might see it
as a more sensible arrangement which would still be punitive."

But Ian Westwood, vice-chairman of the Police Federation, said fines would
not have the same deterrent effect as arrest and caution or prosecution and
it would be too easy for offenders to default on payments. It could also
deprive the police of valuable intelligence about drug suppliers, he said.