Howard attacks “absurd” drugs policy
A future Tory government under Michael Howard would reverse the downgrading of cannabis from Class B to Class C.
In an interview with The Independent, Mr Howard slammed the reclassification as “absurd.”
A week from now, cannabis will be reclassified as a Class C drug, alongside anabolic steroids and prescription antibiotics.
In effect, critics argue, the move will render arrests for possession of small amounts of the drug exceedingly unlikely.
Home Secretary David Blunkett said the decision had not been easy, saying he had agonised over it and would expect flak for the apparent soft-on-drugs message.
He told The Times: “I would not ever want to change policy because one eminent psychiatrist has seen a lot of patients who have taken cannabis and whose psychosis has been accelerated, or because the BMA has put out a press release that completely contradicted what they said two years ago.
“I have to be much more long-term and steady about this.”
Mr Howard in The Independent said the Government’s decision was “misconceived,” pledging to reverse and reclassify the drug.
He said young people would think cannabis was safe and legal, now reclassification was on the cards.
Mr Howard warned: “It seems to me that there is absolutely no case for what is a massive muddle in the middle.”
At Prime Minister Questions yesterday, Mr Blair defended the policy: “I agree that it is important that we have a very clear message that possession of cannabis remains a criminal offence and whatever the reclassification, the police still have the power of arrest in relation to it.
“What is hoped is that the police will be able to concentrate on hard drugs – that is a huge problem, the link with heroin and crack addiction and crime is well known and it’s important the police use all the efforts they can to bear down on it.
“But it does not alter the fact that possession of cannabis remains a criminal offence.”
Mike Trace, former drugs tsar, downplayed suggestions that the Government was sending out mixed messages.
‘It is a difficult message for the Government to put across.’
‘The Government does have to show that there is a proper scale of harm in these drugs, but that cannabis is not as dangerous as class A drugs like heroin and cocaine.”
Peter Stoker of the National Drug Prevention Alliance said he was ‘confident’ reclassification would increase the number of people using the substance.
In twenty years time, Mr Stoker said, the Government would realise it has made a mistake “in scientific and medical and political terms.”
The debate comes as the Home Office launches a GBP1m advertising campaign today to explain new plan. It will stress that cannabis remains illegal.
Radio adverts will be played on 48 national and regional commercial radio stations in England warning young people that possession of cannabis is a criminal offence.
Two-and-a-half million leaflets will be distributed.
