BBC NEWS
Once a hotspot of social disorder, great inroads were made with community policing initiatives in Brixton - including liberal attitudes to cannabis possession pioneered by the now assistant police commissioner, Brian Paddick. The loosening attitude also had a great influence on the recent downgrading of the herb to a "class C" drug in legislative terms.
Despite the fact the new legislation extends far beyond the local boundaries of Brixton, this area of Lambeth has remained a popular cultural centre for both Londoners and other visitors. This focus has brought gains to the local economy but also led to claims of "drug tourism" with dealers descending en-mass and destroying the new social fabric. It is a sad trend, but hardly unexpected and far from unique - it is a symptom of the social neglect in Blair's Britain and not a problem related to cannabis itself. The distinction is however apparantly lost of those now making policy and a u-turn on tolerance is underway.
Not mentioned in the article is the fact that the Home Office (national government) are about to define the amount of cannabis that can be considered to be owned for "personal possession" and that the quantity will be less than even the most casual of herb smokers will consider reasonable. In Brixton itself, the police will start re-arresting people with any quantity whatsoever as of 12th December.
Another page at the BBC discusses whether this clampdown is the right approach. For more on this issue, check out News of The Weed here at blogspot.
Later.
No comments:
Post a Comment