BRITAIN PROPOSES MORE LAID-BACK MARIJUANA LAWS

LONDON - Prime Minister Tony Blair's government moved Wednesday to relax
its marijuana laws, guaranteeing that most users will get off with a
warning while police focus enforcement efforts on harder drugs.

Under the proposal, marijuana would be downgraded from a Class B to a Class
C drug, making its use and possession less serious crimes, Home Secretary
David Blunkett told the House of Commons. Police could still arrest those
caught with marijuana, who could receive up to two years in prison. But in
most cases, police would confiscate the drug and issue a warning.

"The message to young people and families must be open, honest and
believable," Blunkett said. "Cannabis is a potentially harmful drug and
should remain illegal. However, it is not comparable with crack, heroin and
Ecstasy."

The proposed downgrade would put marijuana on a legal par with anabolic
steroids instead of amphetamines and barbiturates. Blair's Labor Party has
a large majority in Parliament, and the proposal is virtually certain to pass.

Blunkett said he hopes to have the reclassification in place by July 2003.

Blair said the proposal does not amount to decriminalization and has wide
support among police, who want more time to fight more serious drugs.

The opposition Conservative Party criticized the proposal as potentially
dangerous, and government adviser Keith Hellawell announced his resignation.

Hellawell's motive for resigning was unclear. The Home Office said that he
submitted his resignation last month, effective in August, and that he had
expressed support for the reclassification of marijuana.

In the United States, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana
Laws praised the British policy shift, saying it will be similar to changes
made in 12 states.

"Great Britain's reclassification of cannabis is an honest and common sense
approach to refocus drug policy on those substances that cause the most
harm," said the group's founder and executive director, Keith Stroup.

ONLINE: National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, www.norml.org