EX-TSAR QUITS OVER MOVE ON CANNABIS

THE Government's former drugs tsar today quit as an advisor to the Home
Secretary in protest over the reclassification of cannabis.

Keith Hellawell, who last October was moved to a part-time post advising on
international aspects of drug policy, said David Blunkett's move was wrong .

And he launched a strong personal attack on the Home Secretary whom he
accused of "repackaging and respinning" initiatives, rather than doing
anything about drug problems.

However, a government spokesman said Mr Hellawell had changed his views,
claiming he had earlier supported reclassificaiton of the drug.

Mr Blunkett today responded to a report by the House of Commons Home
Affairs committee by agreeing to downgrade cannabis from a class B drug to
class C.

This means it is no longer an arrestable offence to possess the drug and
those caught will face only cautions or fines.

However, Mr Blunkett decided to increase the penalties for dealing in class
C drugs and refused to downgrade Ecstasy from class A - where it is ranked
with hard drugs such as heroin and cocaine - to class B.

Mr Blunkett ran into immediate and fierce criticism from the Tories and the
surprise attack from Mr Hellawell.

Mr Hellawell, the former Chief Constable of Yorkshire who was moved to his
current post in October last year having been made drugs tsar by Mr
Blunkett 's predecessor Jack Straw, said of the downgrading of cannabis:
"I'm against it because it sends out the wrong messages.

"It's been bandied about as a softening of the law. It's a personal
initiative of David Blunkett's and I don't know where he got his advice from.

"He certainly didn't get it from me."

He said the evidence of Mr Blunkett's own advisory committee was that
cannabis was a dangerous substance, it was being more widely used by young
people and more people were being treated for its ill effects.

Mr Hellawell said: "Why on earth, where there are these problems, are we
changing our message and giving a softer message? I don't know.

"It's moving closer to decriminalisation. It's moving further towards
decriminalisation than any country in the world."

After making the comments live on radio, he was asked how he could continue
advising the Government on drugs if he held such views.

He replied: "I've resigned on this issue and the issue of spin."

A spokesman for the Home Secretary hit back at Mr Hellawell's criticism,
claiming his stance on cannabis appeared to have changed since a meeting
last year.

"Keith Hellawell said to the Home Secretary in a meeting last autumn that
he was fully supportive of the Home Secretary's proposal to reclassify
cannabis," said the spokesman.

"This was a meeting before the Home Secretary made his announcement to the
Home Affairs Select Committee [revealing he planned to reclassify the drug].

"He tendered his resignation last month to take effect in August but the
Home Office kept this private at his request."

Shadow Home Secretary Oliver Letwin said that Mr Blunkett's policy of
calling cannabis use criminal, prosecuting dealers but turning a blind eye
to its use was "the worst of all worlds".

He said it would lead to young people being drawn up from cannabis to hard
drugs by the dealers who supplied both, adding: "That's going to create a
social disaster in the parts of Britain where you can least afford it."

Police today spoke to GMTV television presenter John Stapleton after a
viewer complained about him showing a quantity of cannabis resin live on air.

Mr Stapleton, 56, said GMTV was not condoning or promoting the use of
cannabis but showing how easily available it is on Britain's streets.