CANNABIS RECLASSIFICATION IS LEGAL MADNESS - ÖPIK (Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats)

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Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats <montlibdems@gmail.com>

CANNABIS RECLASSIFICATION IS LEGAL MADNESS - ÖPIK

November 12, 2008 4:11 PM

Amidst news that the Government is attempting to reclassify cannabis from a Class C to a Class B drug, Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire Lembit Öpik has spoken out condemning the decision.

The Statutory Instrument that would have reclassified cannabis was debated last week and opposed by the Liberal Democrats. This piece of legislation is due to be voted on today in the Commons and Lembit will oppose the legislation.

Commenting, Lembit said:

"The reclassification of cannabis is legal madness. It's ludicrous, unworkable and counter-productive. It's set to put back the case for a serious British drugs policy by years. And who's going to stop using it just because of some change in classification which many people don't even understand in the first place. The change even ignores the guidance of the Government's own drugs policy advisers.

"I believe it's time for us to grow up and have a serious, adult conversation about how to handle drugs issues in this country. That means understanding the core motivations behind addiction, and treating addicts as patients, not criminals. None of this is achieved by "toughening up" the laws on dope. Even if it does cause mental health problems, the better route is to deal with the underlying causes of heavy cannabis usage. After all, that's exactly the right approach when it comes to alcoholism. Why should it be any different for cannabis?

"More generally, it's about time we investigated the case for providing hard drugs users with the drug on prescription. At a stroke this would take those users out of the criminal cycle which is responsible for over half of all crime in the UK. Until we begin to face creative solutions like this, I doubt there's any real chance at all that we'll overcome the huge illegal drugs industry and the damage it does to our society."

Ends/diwedd

Notes to the editor:

Lembit will be opposing the motion - that that the draft Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2008, which was laid before this House on 13th October, be approved.