SENIOR POLICE OFFICER CALLS FOR RETHINK ON CANNABIS ANDY DROUGHT A

Senior police officer yesterday called for the Scottish Parliament to
re-examine society's attitudes toward cannabis.

Mr Tom Wood, deputy chief constable of Lothian and Borders Police, told a
major drugs conference in Edinburgh he hoped Scotland's future politicians
would seize the opportunity to tackle an issue which political parties had
previously dodged.

He said they had failed to show either the "stomach or the courage" to take
up the challenge.

"Individuals who have brought up the subject have been severely lambasted by
the party leader," Mr Wood claimed.

Later, he told The Herald: "As a practitioner who has been in the business
of law enforcement for 30 years, it is my personal view it is time we took a
completely new look at the whole business of drugs. Now is perhaps the
golden opportunity."

Earlier, Mr Wood had responded to a speech by Councillor Pat Chalmers,
convener of the Joint Grampian Police Board, at the conference on drugs and
crime organised by Sacro - Safeguarding Communities, Reducing Offending.

Some of those present maintained Mr Wood was supporting the legalisation of
cannabis. However, he emphasised this was not the case: "I am a police
officer, and it is my job to enforce the law. Speaking personally, I do not
and will not support the legalisation of cannabis. I merely think it is time
to take a fresh look at drugs."

Mr Wood's comments on the cannabis issue came just days after Scottish
Liberal Democrat leader Jim Wallace announced he remained "open-minded" on
the legalisation of cannabis when he outlined his party's drugs strategy.

At yesterday's conference, Mr Chalmers, who also stressed he was speaking
purely in a personal capacity, strongly attacked the "blunderbuss" nature of
the Government's anti-drugs message and said the appointment of a drugs czar
had changed nothing.

He also claimed the Government's policies had lost the confidence of the
younger generation.

Councillor Chalmers said the legalisation and taxation of cannabis, a drug
which he believed killed far fewer people than alcohol, was something that
should be examined afresh in light of the "generational tolerance" present
in society.

"We are losing this war," he said. "Despite having 3000 drug addicts in the
Grampian Police area, there is no state-funded drug detox or rehab centre."

The councillor accused the Government of "playing snakes and ladders" with
the drugs issue and added: "Its so-called policies are in reality no more
than a conjuror's trick with smoke and mirrors."

Responding to Mr Wood's fears that the Scottish Parliament would lack the
"guts" to tackle the issue, he said: "I hope we'll see a younger group of
MSPs who will take this on.

"I am sure there are people within our present Cabinet who have actually
used cannabis."

Councillor Chalmers heads the Joint Police Board of a force which at one
time was led by controversial chief constable Dr Ian Oliver.

Dr Oliver, who was later forced out of his post, had been tipped as a
possible first UK drugs czar, a position which later went to Mr Keith Halliwell.

Lothian and Borders Police last night distanced themselves from Mr Wood's
views. A spokesman said the deputy chief constable was speaking in a
personal capacity.