UK MPs look up and shout 'decriminalise drugs!' - Cameron whispers 'no'
52 replies, posted
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20667139[/url]
[quote=BBC News][B]The idea of a royal commission to consider decriminalising illegal drugs - as suggested by a group of MPs - has been ruled out by the prime minister.[/B]
In response to the report by the home affairs select committee, David Cameron said the current policy was working in Britain.
The committee highlighted Portugal's approach, where people found with drugs are not always prosecuted.
It also asked ministers to monitor cannabis legalisation elsewhere.
"Drugs use is coming down, the emphasis on treatment is absolutely right, and we need to continue with that to make sure we can really make a difference, " Mr Cameron said.
"Also, we need to do more to keep drugs out of our prisons.
"These are the government's priorities and I think we should continue with that rather than have some very, very long-term royal commission."
A royal commission is a public inquiry created by the head of state into a defined subject and overseen by a commissioner who has quasi-judicial powers.
[B]Legal highs[/B]
Official figures show that drug use in England and Wales is at its lowest rate under current measurements since 1996.
However, there is concern over the growth and prevalence of "legal highs", some of which are banned, amid a recorded rise in deaths linked to their use.
The committee stops short of supporting a relaxation of legal sanctions for drug use, as suggested by experts at the UK Drug Policy Commission in October, but it does call on ministers to look in detail at the idea.
In [url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmhaff/184/18402.htm]its wide-ranging report,[/url] the cross-party home affairs committee said MPs had visited Portugal as part of attempts to understand different systems of decriminalisation which were being used around the world to manage the harm of drugs, rather than just hand out penalties for their use.
Portugal has not legalised drugs but it has a system of not imposing criminal penalties on drug users who enter into special programmes designed to end their habits.
"We were impressed by what we saw of the Portuguese depenalised system," said the MPs. "It had clearly reduced public concern about drug use in that country and was supported by all political parties and the police.
"The current political debate in Portugal is about how treatment is funded... not about depenalisation itself.
"Although it is not certain that the Portuguese experience could be replicated in the UK, given societal differences, we believe this is a model that merits significantly closer consideration."
The committee urged ministers to monitor the effect of plans for cannabis legalisation in the US states of Colorado and Washington and in Uruguay,
The MPs said that, although drug use was falling, the impact of their use still cost billions and there were questions over whether the international strategy was working.
They said the time was right for a "fundamental review of all UK drugs policy in the international context" and recommended a royal commission be set up with an end-date of 2015.
The Home Office disagreed that a Royal Commission was the correct course of action, saying: "Our current laws draw on the best available evidence and as such we have no intention of downgrading or declassifying cannabis."
However, the Home Office minister Jeremy Browne, a Liberal Democrat, said the government was "open to new ways of thinking".
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We are open-minded, we think it's a decent, thoughtful, balanced report. We will consider it carefully."[/quote]
cunt
[editline]no[/editline]
i should probably explain why i believe him to be a cunt but im sure this forum needs no explanation
Smurfy you are one funny fucker
even "the sun" poll on the subject has 85% yes 15% no out of 20k votes.
Welcome to democracy...
Autocracy!
Fucking Cameron, there is so much money wasted on having the police force crack down on Cannabis dealers and users, they would save so much money and even make money if there was a tax placed on Marijuana. Fuck.
I don't think we will see decriminalization/legalisation until we get a primeminister from this generation/future generations.
Reason being they refuse to stop believing in what they have been told and what they have believed in for the past 40 years. Im not sure, maybe they think it makes them look weak?
Of course he doesn't want to offend the tory moralist family values save the children broken britain voters and MPs
[QUOTE=My_Ass_Is_Grass;38777752]I don't think we will see decriminalization/legalisation until we get a primeminister from this generation/future generations.
Reason being they refuse to stop believing in what they have been told and what they have believed in for the past 40 years. Im not sure, maybe they think it makes them look weak?[/QUOTE]
When the other states in America start following the rest of the states in their legislation etc of marijuana then we may see some possible moves towards decriminalization or legislation over here. Doubt it though.
The fact that decriminalization could be explained on a powerpoint is worrying, that is even a medium they might understand
[QUOTE]David Cameron said the current policy was working in Britain[/QUOTE]
lol what an ignorant cunt.
The probable reason drug use figures are down is because less people are getting caught.
Legal highs are fucking horrible, gave me migraines last time I had them.
Being involved with this sort of enforcement, I can honestly say it isn't working. (Look at Season 3 of The Wire, but tone it down a bit).
Any policy to replace it would be complicated though. I'd imagine the time police take seizing and so forth would only be replaced by others chasing revenue and tax, depending on the new system.
Custody would be a hell of a lot quieter though.
I'm trying to find what Labour's current policy is, because they [I]did[/I] decriminalise cannabis for a few years, before Gordon Brown moved it back to Class B
It wasn't exactly decriminalised, it was just moved from Class B to Class C, then back to Class B again.
I thought Class C was pretty much decriminalised for possession?
Edit: Nah probably not or something I dunno
[QUOTE=smurfy;38777945]I thought Class C was pretty much decriminalised for possession?[/QUOTE]
Yeah, doesn't the current Labour Home secretary want to look at decriminalisation?
[QUOTE=Jimbojib;38778136]Yeah, doesn't the current Labour Home secretary want to look at decriminalisation?[/QUOTE]
All I can find is that [url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/971632.stm]she used to 420 blaze it[/url], also that article implies that class C =/= decriminalisation so that's that
Just remembered the Conservative 2010 campaign slogan was Vote for Change having a massive contradiction didn't put any one off from voting them What a fucked up politics we live in
Exactly, fuck the political process in this country
[QUOTE=sphinxa279;38777686]Fucking Cameron, there is so much money wasted on having the police force crack down on Cannabis dealers and users, they would save so much money and even make money if there was a tax placed on Marijuana. Fuck.[/QUOTE]
Have you ever seen those shows where like they follow the police as they like break into houses and shit for drug busts, and all they find is like 40 quids worth of weed and a few eccies? It's fucking funny as shit.
Seriously, like a team of 12 cops, full body armor, battering ram and all that jazz blasting down some poor cunts door cause someone said they were smoking a joint and all you can do while watching it is shout "they're pissing away my tax money!"
haha they sometimes wear gas masks too
[QUOTE=JustExtreme;38779165]haha they sometimes wear gas masks too[/QUOTE]
It's even better when you see them walk out with the drugs, and it's one guy with a tiny zip lock bag of weed, walking past the head honcho giving an interview all like "YEAH IT'S BEEN A GOOD DAY, WE FOUND SOME SUSPICIOUS MATERIALS THAT WE BELIEVE MAY BE ECSTASY AND POSSIBLY SOME CANNABIS, WE'VE KEPT THE STREETS CLEAN FOR THE KIDS TODAY GOOD JOB GUYS!"
When oh when will this façade end?
Cameron whispers 'no', UK MP's look back down at their feet.
[QUOTE=Pierrewithahat;38779441]It's even better when you see them walk out with the drugs, and it's one guy with a tiny zip lock bag of weed, walking past the head honcho giving an interview all like "YEAH IT'S BEEN A GOOD DAY, WE FOUND SOME SUSPICIOUS MATERIALS THAT WE BELIEVE MAY BE ECSTASY AND POSSIBLY SOME CANNABIS, WE'VE KEPT THE STREETS CLEAN FOR THE KIDS TODAY GOOD JOB GUYS!"[/QUOTE]
Traffic Cops is a funny show, seen some feller get busted for an oz or something and 2 plod are searching his car, he just finds a joint and he's like "look at the size of this joint!"
I wonder what some of our police force do in their days...
[QUOTE=joe588;38777321]even "the sun" poll on the subject has 85% yes 15% no out of 20k votes.[/QUOTE]
Now let's guess how many of those 85% are from the North. :v:
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.
