IGNORANCE NO DEFENCE AS DRUGS RULES CHANGE

For parents gathered at a Forest school's drugs information evening, a
drug worker's opinion that the reclassification of cannabis is leading
many youngsters to believe the substance is now legal will have been
worrying.

Today, cannabis is reclassified as a Grade C drug - the same
classification that unauthorised prescription drugs have. Earlier this
month, The Forester reported on a case at Coleford Magistrates in
which a 55-year-old man told magistrates he thought cannabis was now
legal - he was given a conditional discharge and the still illegal
drug was confiscated.

"A phrase with stable doors and bolting horses comes to mind," was how
drug consultant Alan France described the Government's #1million
advertising campaign on the new regulations to parents at Newent school.

He told the meeting that 12 students recently caught smoking cannabis
at a Gloucestershire school had claimed they thought the drug was now
legal.

"Some of them seem to think we will have Dutch-style cannabis cafes in
Chipping Camden," he added.

Forest MP Diana Organ took up the issue in Parliament last week,
saying the Government's downgrading of cannabis to a class C drug ran
the risk of undermining zero tolerance policies in Forest schools.

"One [police] officer expressed his concerns about the message that
the declassification or reclassification of cannabis sends young
people, and said that it would prove problematic to the non-tolerance
policy that is excellently used in Forest of Dean schools," she told
Tony Blair.

"Police officers asked me what message we were sending with
reclassification," Mrs Organ explained to The Forester.

"I wanted to get on the record that cannabis is still illegal and
young people should know that.

"The police have limited resources and have to target the most serious
problems, which we know are associated with the really heavy drugs,
like crack cocaine and heroin. It's a matter of priorities, people
aren't very often arrested for trespassing or littering but they are
for breaking and entering."

The confusion surrounding the move was illustrated by Alan
France.

"I don't know who told young people the police were going soft on
drugs," he told Newent parents, comparing the 14-year maximum sentence
for dealing cannabis, with seven and 10-year limits for possessing the
terrorist's favourite explosive Semtex or making and distributing
child pornography respectively.

He warned parents that the change in policing would only apply to
over-18s, and anyone under that age caught with the drug would in fact
face tougher sanctions under the new regime.

Gloucestershire Constabulary have released this statement on their new
policy:

"The Constabulary's policy on cannabis will change from January 29 in
line with National Enforcement guidance circulated by the Association
of Chief Police Officers. This will include the provision of formal
warnings in certain instances for simple possession offences by adults.

But arrests will always be made when: caught smoking cannabis in
public view; in repeated offences; when there is a local policing
problem linked to cannabis use; possession of cannabis either on or
near youth premises and schools; when users are vulnerable people;
anyone aged 17 or under using or possessing cannabis will be arrested;
all dealing offences will continue to result in arrest."

Superintendent Nigel Avron said: "It is still an offence to possess,
smoke or deal in the drug."

Di Harill said Forest pupils should have no excuses for claiming
ignorance.

"It was something we started looking at as soon as we heard the change
was coming in," she said. "And everyone here has been told at least
two or three times that cannabis is still illegal.

"Our policy is very open - we don't allow it - and we're honest with
the parents, if there's an incident they are told. "