DRUGS LEAK SOWS POLICY CONFUSION

Blunkett Wants To 'Get Tough' With Cannabis Dealers

The Government's drugs policy was mired in confusion last night after a
leaked letter revealed that David Blunkett is seeking to 'get tough' with
dealers in cannabis by doubling jail sentences.

The letter, dated 2 July and obtained by The Observer, reveals deep fears
at the heart of government that moves to effectively decriminalise cannabis
show that Labour has gone 'soft' on drugs.

The Prime Minister is known to be particularly concerned that Middle
England parents will punish the Government at the polls because of the
change in cannabis policy.

'We have to handle this very, very carefully,' said one Whitehall official.
'We do not want to give the public the wrong impression about our attitude
to drugs.'

An announcement will be made this week that the Government is to lay an
order before the House of Commons moving cannabis from a Class B to a Class
C drug. It will come as part of the official response to the
ground-breaking Home Affairs Select Committee report on drugs earlier this
year, which called for the decriminalisation of cannabis.

But the letter shows that the Home Secretary will also legislate to double
the maximum length of sentence dealers will serve from five to 10 years,
putting dealing in cannabis on a par with serious gun crime and violent
assault.

Drugs campaigners immediately condemned the move, saying that it gave a
'completely confused message' to the public about the use of cannabis.

Blunkett will also allow police to retain arrest powers for people using
cannabis, although the sentence for possession will be reduced from five to
two years.

Police will be able to arrest and charge cannabis-users if there are
'aggravating factors', the letter says. Whitehall sources said that
examples would be smoking cannabis in front of children or outside schools
or when at work and operating machinery.

Drugs campaigners said the new power would defeat the object of
reclassifying cannabis, because the police would still be wasting resources
picking up users.

'It is not intended that re-classification should detract in any way from
the simple message that all controlled drugs including cannabis are harmful
in keeping with their classification and no one should take them,' the
letter says.

'The change will make clearer the distinction between cannabis and Class A
drugs like heroin and cocaine. It is important to leave no one in any doubt
that the supply and possession of cannabis will not have been legalised by
reclassification.

'Government takes the supply and dealing of cannabis very seriously and
accordingly it intends to bring forward legislation to increase the maximum
penalty for supplying and dealing in Class C drugs from 5 to 10 years'
imprisonment.'

Blunkett wrote the letter last week to John Prescott, the Deputy Prime
Minister, in his capacity as chairman of the Domestic Affairs Committee,
which governs domestic policy.

It was copied to the Prime Minister, Sir Richard Wilson, head of the civil
service, Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Estelle Morris,
the Education Secretary.

Blunkett is also about to announce a campaign aimed at young people,
warning about the dangers of drugs - particularly cannabis.

Drugs campaigners said that the public would be left with contradictory
messages. Steve Rolles of Transform, the drugs charity, said: 'It sows
total confusion in people's minds.'