News (Media Awareness Project) - New Zealand: Wire: Britain Relaxes Cannabis Law But Doctors |
| Title: | New Zealand: Wire: Britain Relaxes Cannabis Law But Doctors |
| Published On: | 2004-01-29 |
| Source: | New Zealand Press Association (New Zealand Wire) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-01-18 22:40:30 |
BRITAIN RELAXES CANNABIS LAW BUT DOCTORS WORRY
LONDON: Britain relaxed its laws against cannabis today, but warned the
country's estimated 3.5 million users the drug remained illegal and
possession of even a small amount could still lead to arrest.
The downgrade, criticised by the British Medical Association (BMA) but
backed by DrugScope, the country's main independent drugs body, puts
cannabis in the same "lower risk" C category as tranquillisers and anabolic
steroids.
In practice the new law means an adult aged over 17 caught smoking or in
possession of a small amount of cannabis - marijuana or hashish - will be
stopped and searched, but not necessarily arrested or fined.
The maximum penalty for possession was lowered to two years from five.
Users under age 17 will be arrested and penalties for growing and dealing
in the drug have both been toughened to a maximum 14 years in prison.
Home Secretary David Blunkett has defended the controversial
reclassification, originally proposed in 2002, saying it would give police
more time to tackle dealers and prosecute for the most serious Class A
drugs, such as cocaine, ecstasy and heroin.
"I don't want to actively end up chasing (cannabis smokers) rather than
chasing the dealers and chasing the people who kill young people with crack
and heroin," he told BBC radio last week.
A recent study found that officers took an average 3 1/2 hours to deal with
a cannabis offence from the time of arrest until they returned to the beat.
Britons are among the biggest marijuana users in Europe with an estimated
20-25 per cent of the adult population having used the drug.
While most polls show a majority in favour of relaxing the cannabis laws,
the British Medical Association has attacked the downgrade, saying that
regular use of the pungent drug can kill.
"People are making the conclusion that it is safe where in fact it is
actually more dangerous than tobacco," said Dr Peter Maguire, deputy
chairman of the BMA's board of science.
The government's own warning campaign includes radio spots and large
advertisements in national newspapers that shout "Cannabis is still illegal."
LONDON: Britain relaxed its laws against cannabis today, but warned the
country's estimated 3.5 million users the drug remained illegal and
possession of even a small amount could still lead to arrest.
The downgrade, criticised by the British Medical Association (BMA) but
backed by DrugScope, the country's main independent drugs body, puts
cannabis in the same "lower risk" C category as tranquillisers and anabolic
steroids.
In practice the new law means an adult aged over 17 caught smoking or in
possession of a small amount of cannabis - marijuana or hashish - will be
stopped and searched, but not necessarily arrested or fined.
The maximum penalty for possession was lowered to two years from five.
Users under age 17 will be arrested and penalties for growing and dealing
in the drug have both been toughened to a maximum 14 years in prison.
Home Secretary David Blunkett has defended the controversial
reclassification, originally proposed in 2002, saying it would give police
more time to tackle dealers and prosecute for the most serious Class A
drugs, such as cocaine, ecstasy and heroin.
"I don't want to actively end up chasing (cannabis smokers) rather than
chasing the dealers and chasing the people who kill young people with crack
and heroin," he told BBC radio last week.
A recent study found that officers took an average 3 1/2 hours to deal with
a cannabis offence from the time of arrest until they returned to the beat.
Britons are among the biggest marijuana users in Europe with an estimated
20-25 per cent of the adult population having used the drug.
While most polls show a majority in favour of relaxing the cannabis laws,
the British Medical Association has attacked the downgrade, saying that
regular use of the pungent drug can kill.
"People are making the conclusion that it is safe where in fact it is
actually more dangerous than tobacco," said Dr Peter Maguire, deputy
chairman of the BMA's board of science.
The government's own warning campaign includes radio spots and large
advertisements in national newspapers that shout "Cannabis is still illegal."
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