Leading drugs charity, DrugScope, today warmly welcomed the announcement by Home Secretary, David Blunkett, that he was considering changing the law on cannabis.

DrugScope Chief Executive, Roger Howard, said:

“The Misuse of Drugs Act has been in place for thirty years and David Blunkett is the first Home Secretary in all that time to seriously consider rolling back part of that legislation. It is very encouraging to have someone in office who is willing to engage in open debate on this issue and then to act.”

DrugScope has over 900 member bodies – people working with drug use on the ground including in drug treatment and education/prevention agencies, criminal justice services and Drug Action Teams. A recent survey of those members found 89% of those who responded believed cannabis should move from class B to class C. Less than half (45%) supported the full legalisation of the supply, cultivation and possession of the drug.

Roger Howard continued:

“We at DrugScope believe that cannabis should be a class C drug and that people should not face criminal procedures of any sort for possessing or cultivating small amounts. We look to the Home Secretary to end the wide variation in policing practices on cannabis which currently occur.”

DrugScope today also strongly supported plans to expand harm minimisation and public awareness initiatives around the most harmful drug use. The charity is calling for a thorough reassessment of the relative risks of all illegal drugs with a view to re-scheduling some in other classes. Young people in particular need to be able to assess potential harms as accurately as possible.

ENDS

Notes for editors

· DrugScope is the UK’s leading centre of expertise on drugs. Our aim is to inform policy and reduce drug-related risk. We provide quality information, promote effective responses to drug taking, undertake research at local, national and international level, advise on policy-making, encourage informed debate and speak for our member bodies working on the ground.

· A full copy of the DrugScope members survey on current UK drugs policy is available from DrugScope press office.

· As-yet unpublished DrugScope research explores the theory of cannabis as a Gateway drug. It finds that the vast majority of cannabis users never progress to more harmful drugs; those that do, do so partly because the present legal framework brings users into contact with people selling more harmful drugs. Full copies of “Cannabis and the Gateway Hypothesis” available from DrugScope press office.

STATISTICS

· Results from Drug Misuse Declared in 2000: results from the British Crime Survey showed: 27% of respondents have tried cannabis within their lifetime, 9% having used it over the last year and 6% in the last month. 44% of 16-29 year olds have ever used cannabis, 22% in the last year and 14% in the last month. 37% of 16-19 year olds have ever used cannabis, 25% in the last year and 15% in the last month.

· Latest Home office figures show that in 1999, out of 107,465 unlawful drug possession offences 81,381 were for cannabis – that’s roughly 75%. Approximately one third of all drug offenders were dealt with by cautioning.

PENALTIES UNDER Misuse of Drugs Act 1971

· Possession of Class B drug (amphetamines, barbiturates, cannabis(herbal), cannabis (resin), codeine, dihydrocodeine and methylamphetamine):

Summary – maximum three months imprisonment or a fine of ?2,500 or both. Indictment – maximum 5 years imprisonment or an unlimited fine or both.

Section 24 of PACE (Police and Criminal Evidence Act) lays down that any offence for which there is a max sentence of 5 years or more is arrestable as are certain listed offences under section 24 (2) that have a shorter max sentence. All these arrestable offences make it possible for police to search premises without a warrant.

· Possession of Class C drug (currently anabolic steroids, benzodiazepines, buprenorphine, diethylpropin, mazindol, pemoline and phentermine):

Summary – maximum three months imprisonment or a fine of $1,000 or both. Indictment – maximum 2 years or an unlimited fine or both. Is not arrestable as the max penalty is only two years in prison. Could arrest if: 1) it is impractical to serve a summons on them 2) their addresses are unknown or uncertain 3) their arrest is necessary to prevent them from injuring themselves or others, causing damage or obstructing the highway. Supply of a class C drug can lead to arrest and five year maximum prison sentence.