HALF OF POLICE HAVE TRIED CANNABIS

HALF of police officers questioned about enforcing the law on using
cannabis admitted that they had taken the drug at some time in their lives.
The research now being studied by David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, was
carried out among Metropolitan and South Yorkshire police and shows that
many support a more liberal approach.

Many clearly would support the Lambeth experiment in South London where
users are given a warning and lose their drugs. Some have already been
informally using a similar approach.

The research will bolster Mr Blunkett's plans to make cannabis use a less
serious offence by making it a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act
1971 rather than a Class B one.

In the research 150 frontline patrol officers who would carry out stop and
search operations for drugs were questioned anoymously for the Joseph
Rowntree Trust. Half admitted using the drug.

The researchers also found that 85 per cent of those who had used the drug
were prepared to be more tolerant in their treatment of users.

When the researchers asked the officers about the current legislation three
quarters complained that drug laws criminalise people who would not
otherwise have records.

Over half also believed that cannabis legislation harmed relations between
police and young people, especially black and Asian communities. Another
said that those arrested for possession were less likely to help the police
to solve more serious crimes.