With a handful of British politicians about to make one of the most important decisions in recent British drugs law with the forthcoming reclassification of cannabis, isn't it about time we asked ourselves why politicians are being left to come to this decision in the first place?
And without any public consultation whatsoever?
There are people far better qualified to decide on such issues, lets face it.
The Judiciary For instance its been announced today that over half of the serving magistrates in the Netherlands consider cannabis should be legalised, reports Dutch weekly title "Vrij Nederland weekly", following a survey among the nations judiciary.
It was over 30 years ago that Holland decriminalised the possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use and on the back of this the Netherlands constantly reports some of the lowest hard drug user figures in the world.
Vrij Nederland Weekly interviewed 489 judges, 140 prosecutors and 22 judges in training. Over half (52 percent) were in favour of decriminalising 'soft drugs' (cannabis, hash) altogether.
Meanwhile in the United States, with its ultra strict anti-marijuana laws, currently 1-in-99 US citizens is in an American prison on a marijuana charge of one kind or another, and it looks like the United Kingdom is set to follow hot on their heels early in 2009.
Ironically, the United States is also home to a medical marijuana program which currently covers 12 US states. Under the program, sufferers of certain medical conditions are allowed to grow and consume cannabis on their doctors recommendation and its a trend which has spread to Europe recently as more and more European administrations make allowances for medical cannabis.
Medical and Psychiatric Experts In February 2008 the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs convened a public meeting in London.
Its mission? To hear evidence from members of the public, law enforcers, along with drugs charities and the legal and medical professions, with a view to advising government on whether or not cannabis should be reclassified to a class B drug.
The class it was initially moved FROM in 2004 by then Home Secretary David Blunkett.
The ACMD, which was headed up by Professor Sir Michael Rawlins, a practising Pharmacologist from Bristol University, were quite specific in their opinions, when they advised government there was no doubt cannabis may cause significant harm to individuals in society, but in their opinion cannabis was better suited to remain a class C drug as the risks involved were more in fitting with other, Class C substances such as anabolic steroids.
In a covering letter which was sent to the Home Secretary with the ACMD's official report, Professor Rawlins said, "The Council therefore advises that strategies designed to minimise its [cannabis] use and adverse effects must be predominantly public health ones. Criminal justice measures – irrespective of classification – will have only a limited effect on usage. We therefore urge you to invite the UK’s Chief Medical Officers to develop, on behalf of the government, a public health strategy that will meet our shared goals. Anythingless will prejudice the health of future generations."
Regardless of the advice given by the advisory council, in May 2008 Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced on behalf of the Labour government, that 'for the sake of a generation', she was going to reclassify cannabis back to a class B drug bringing with it higher fines and harsher prison sentences for those caught in possession of the drug.
It was the first time in the history of the ACMD, which has convened regularly since 1971, that its advice to government had been ignored!
So what gives a politician the right to make such hugely important decisions regarding public health, and in doing so going against the advice of medical and legal experts who were employed by the government to give advice on drugs?
Well, we do, when we vote for them, and while its fair to assume we're unlikely to live under a Labour government again for at least a decade, whilst they are in opposition, is the current Labour Cabinet going to take responsibility for getting a hugely important social issue like this wrong?
Because in this instance, the cannabis community will wish to know why, once cannabis conviction figures start to rise again, and we find our courts filled once again with spotty 17 year old's who are appearing for the first time on a simple possession charge, Jacqui Smith, Gordon Brown and new minister for policing Vernon Coaker, decided not to listen to experts, but decided to create a drugs policy based around appeasing the readership of the Daily Mail instead of looking out for a nations youngsters and the mistakes they will ineviteably make. Just like the ministers did themselves back when they were students.
But this time, someone (either Jacqui Smith or Vernon Coaker) will have to take responsibility for getting this so "Royally" wrong, and regardless of their current duties.
