http://uk.news.yahoo.com/010615/80/bvasf.html

Friday June 15, 03:37 AM

London police relax attitude to cannabis

By Michael Holden

LONDON (Reuters) - London's police force, the country's biggest, has said it is going ahead with a pilot scheme which will tell police officers to take a more relaxed attitude towards cannabis possession.

Under the scheme to be operated in the south London area of Lambeth, offenders caught with cannabis will be given a verbal warning rather than face an official caution or arrest.

"We can confirm that a pilot scheme will be launched in Lambeth. It will be then be evaluated to see if it is worthwhile for it to go force-wide," a Scotland Yard spokeswoman told Reuters.

"The officer will seize the cannabis, and it will be signed for by the suspect. It will be sealed and disposed of," Commander Brian Paddick, who came up with the scheme, said in a statement.

"The person in possession has to accept the warning otherwise they will be arrested."

A verbal warning is a less serious penalty than a formal caution. Currently courts can still jail offenders for cannabis possession.

Paddick said the initiative would free police officers to focus on more serious drug-related crimes.

"I've never met anyone who had to commit crime to fund a cannabis habit, but crack cocaine users commit robbery, burglary and car crime," Paddick was quoted as saying in the Guardian.

Scotland Yard say gun murders in London, many of which have been linked to gang rivalry for control of the lucrative cocaine trade, tripled in April and May this year compared with the same period in 2000.

But Scotland Yard's decision is likely to meet with disapproval from politicians. All the main political parties are determined not to be seen as "soft on drugs" and are adamant that cannabis should not be decriminalised.

Last year, Shadow home secretary Ann Widdecombe, a possible candidate for the leadership of the main opposition Conservative Party, even called for a "zero policy" policy on cannabis with fines for anyone caught with the drug.

But the Tories were forced to backtrack on the idea after seven leading members of the party admitted to having smoked cannabis.

However an ICM poll commissioned by the Guardian newspaper last year suggested politicians were out of step with public opinion as 80 percent of Britons thought cannabis should be decriminalised. Two-thirds of 18-34 year-olds considered smoking a joint to be no worse than smoking a cigarette or drinking alcohol.

-- Up in a (puff@of.smoke), June 15, 2001

Answers

This seems to be much like the attitude taken in Amsterdam. Contrary to popular belief, Cannabis is still illegal in Amsterdam, but the police have turned their eyes to concentrate on drugs that provide more societal damage.

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), June 15, 2001.

Anita

I believe that it is legal in the 'brown bars'. I hope to find out first hand before the year is out.

Deano

-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), June 15, 2001.

Deano: I still don't think it's legal, but nobody will bother you. Had I the name of the bar, I would provide it, but I don't. There's one bar in particular that was across the street from where we stayed in Amsterdam on one visit. The bartender was a burly American who had a mother who had married several CIA agents. He could spin tales on the CIA and what they'd done, and you'd recognize the events mentioned as some accident you'd seen in the news. He'll also offer you something free if he knows you'll be leaving Amsterdam soon.

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), June 15, 2001.

Interesting Anita

My wife was over in the UK on business recently for a few weeks and took a long weekend to Rotterdam. She brought back a menu from one of the brown bars and they were definitely serving hash and hooch on it. The menu did mention that it ALL must be consumed within their walls though.

Looks like she may be going back in the Sept/Oct timeframe (hopefully during the Ryder Cup, which I hope to attend). I'll believe it when I'm actually walking thru customs in another country!!

Yeah, I bet the CIA has a few good stories in their closet.......

Deano

-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), June 15, 2001.