UK - A Fresh Approach to Drugs policy

[Lunar Loops]

This policy briefing document comes from The Bow Group. For those of you who are not aware, the Bow Group is a centre-right think tank group in Britain. They aim to develop policy, publish research and stimulate debate within the Conservative party. Now, if that hasn't got you squirming in your seat (or foaming at the mouth as the case may be), a quick look at the document (which has been uploaded to the file archive - Law section) should.

The author of the document is a magistrate and MP. Now whilst the document does offer up some useful recommendations on dealing with addicts, the majority of the document is based upon the usual stale old misconceptions. For example:

"Cannabis is a gateway drug – something confirmed by the vast majority of the judiciary with whom I talk."

Nothing like a bit of scientific proof.

He also states in the report that :

"Before we go any further, we must understand that there are two broad categories of
users.
One consists of the group who take banned substances infrequently, or perhaps frequently, but otherwise commit no offence and live relatively normal lives.

The second category comprises what are often called 'problematic drug users'. These are Class A drug users who are most likely dependant on crack cocaine or heroin. They lead desperate and chaotic lives; they take huge risks with their health; many of them commit crime to fund their habit, and they probably come from very disturbed backgrounds. In my experience most of them have had a minimal education, coming from broken homes on poor estates, have uncertain accommodation and find it hard to hold down a job.”

Well, whilst he should be congratulated on at least recognising this fact, he makes no further mention of the first category or how they should be dealt with. After all this would spoil his rhetoric on an inevitable downward spiral starting with cannabis use (which he seems to lump in with solvent abuse for some reason).

Don't even get SWIS started on this next paragraph:

"Cannabis is a far more serious drug in the hands of vulnerable

people than has hitherto been thought. We need to understand that there different varieties of cannabis. In Holland for example, 12 year old children are being treated for an addiction to a powerful home grown variety of marijuana (skunk), which is up to twenty times stronger than the imported type. Today’s skunk is not quite the same as it was thirty years ago – it is often more harmful and addictive. It can, and regularly does, lead to much worse."

He then goes on to advocate re-classifying cannabis back to Class B and harsher sentencing for posession.

After some useful discussion on rehabilitation and more funding being required for treatment programmes (it's the format of these that would concern SWIS), he then goes on to extol the virtues of the Swedish model.....oh dear, BP rising again....

SWIS will leave it to the rest of you SWIY's to choose to look at the full document if you wish. If SWIY fancies a rant, I suggest it as essential reading. If SWIY lives in the UK and was considering voting conservative next time out, SWIS again strongly suggests you read this.