CANNABIS SMOKERS WILL NOT BE ARRESTED

CANNABIS will be reclassified so that possession of the drug is no longer
an arrestable offence, David Blunkett announced yesterday, in the first
relaxation of British drug laws in 30 years.

In the surprise announcement the Home Secretary said that drug laws had to
be credible, particularly to young people. He said that cannabis would be
moved from a Class B drug to a Class C drug, putting it in the same
category as anti-depressants and steroids.

Mr Blunkett denied that the move, which in practice will mean that cannabis
smokers are unlikely to be prosecuted if caught with small amounts of the
drug, was decriminalisation by another name.The maximum sentence for
possession will, however, be cut from five to two years and the term for
dealing in cannabis from 14 to five.

Police will no longer have the power to arrest a person found in possession
of the drug. They will, however, still be able to carry out stop and
searches for it.

Mr Blunkett also indicated that he expected to approve the medicinal use of
cannabis and wanted more doctors to prescribe heroin as a way of bringing
addicts into the healthcare system.

The reclassification decision is in line with the recommendation of an
inquiry last year that was headed by Viscountess Runciman of Doxford. She
said last night: It is a very sensible and welcome move by the Home
Secretary. It will make the law much more credible.

Mr Blunkett's decision is intended to free police time to allow them to
concentrate on hard drugs such as heroin and cocaine, which are at heart of
the Government's anti-drugs strategy. He insisted: "I am not either
legalising or decriminalising cannabis."

He told the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee: "Re-classification would
be quite different from decriminalisation or legalisation. Cannabis would
remain a controlled drug and using it a criminal offence."

Mr Blunkett conceded that the operation of the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act
lagged far behind the public's attitudes towards cannabis and that keeping
it just one class below heroin and cocaine was not sustainable.

He will put his proposal to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs,
which is expected to back the reclassification by next spring. In the 1980s
the council voted by a majority in favour of reclassification but no action
was taken.

Mr Blunkett's move was welcomed by Labour MPs, the head of the Metropolitan
Police and drugcharities. Sir John Stevens, Metropolitan Police
Commissioner said: While cannabis would remain an illegal drug the measures
announced by the Home Secretary reflect the growing reality that law
enforcers must target the scourge of hard drugs.

Chief constables are concerned at the prospect of losing the power to
arrest some one for possession. The Home Office is to hold discussions with
the Association of Chief Police Officers on the issue.

Paul Flynn, a Labour MP who has campaigned for drugs reform, said: 'This is
a wonderful, sensible first step. We congratulate the Government for having
the courage to do this. Very few people will now be prosecuted for cannabis
possession as a result of this. It's the equivalent of giving the police
and the courts millions of pounds in extra resources."

Roger Howard, of the charity DrugScope, said: "It is very encouraging to
have someone in office who is willing to engage in open debate on this
issue and then to act."

Oliver Letwin, Shadow Home Secretary, said that his party would consider
the issue in an ongoing policy review.