The Government's decision to downgrade cannabis has met with a mixed response. IAN LLOYD and SOPHIE KUMMER look at what effect it will have in Barnet

"Holistically speaking, cannabis users tend to have stable lifestyles, have jobs and plans for the future. They don't tend to be chaotic drug users but use it recreationally."

Anna Parker supports Home Secretary David Blunkett's move to reclassify cannabis from a class B to a class C drug.

As the project manager of The Crossing, a community drug and alcohol service based in High Road, East Finchley, she deals with people with drug addictions every day. Out of 351 referrals who voluntarily went to the drop-in centre last year, only 24 wanted to discuss a cannabis-related concern.

"Most people who use the drug aren't criminals in any other sense and if you have a record it makes it much harder to get a job, even if in all other cases you are law-abiding," explained Ms Parker.

"We believe criminal proceedings should not be brought against people carrying small amounts of any drug for personal use and instead the Government should look towards using civil penalties and treatment interventions in such cases.

"Crime is not something we have observed where cannabis users are concerned in the way it certainly is related to other drugs."

Her views are becoming more and more widespread and are gradually seeping their way into the Government's policy on cannabis.

While ruling out legalisation, making the announcement on Wednesday last week Mr Blunkett said: "Cannabis is a potentially harmful drug and should remain illegal. However it is not comparable with crack, heroin or ecstasy."

Under the Government's overhaul of drug laws, possession of cannabis will be treated on a "seize and warn" basis by police in London from the autumn and from July next year in the rest of the country.

Officers will be given a reserve power of arrest if the offence involves children, public disorder or a "flagrant disregard for the law". The maximum penalty for possession will go down from five years to two years but the maximum penalty for supplying and trafficking will be increased from five years to 14 years.

The move follows an experiment in Lambeth, where police have been cautioning instead of arresting users.

Barnet Police commander, Chief Superintendent Sue Akers said the Metropolitan Police was backing the new approach.

"The difference between what happens now and what is proposed is that we wouldn't have the power of arrest," she said. "Any caution would be issued on the street without having to go through all the bureaucracy and paperwork that accompanies any arrest.

"I cannot imagine the Met would have supported it unless they really thought it was going to make a big difference in freeing up police officers' time and enabling them to concentrate on tackling hard drugs and other priority crimes like street robbery and burglary."

But she pointed out that the new line on drugs was far from watertight. "The penalty for drug dealing is going to increase so the Government clearly wants to stamp out the dealers. You might think that might be rather difficult because they might be in demand even more."

On the issue of legalising cannabis, Chief Supt Akers had sympathies with both sides of the argument. "If you were from the camp that felt it was a gateway for other drugs then you are making it easier for people to start on the slippery slope.

"Conversely if it was legalised you might then say it will be controlled and sold primarily by people who hold licences. Therefore the average good kid that wanted to try cannabis would not then have to enter the murky world of drug dealers in order to take what is now considered as a class C and not a hard drug."

Court appearances in Barnet reflect Chief Supt Akers' belief that dealing with cannabis users does not take up a great deal' of police time.

John Clark, chief clerk of Barnet Magistrates Court, said: "There are not many prosecutions for simple possession of cannabis. People commit other offences and when they are searched, they might have cannabis on them.

"But the police should still be able to come to court to apply for a warrant to arrest anyone smoking cannabis who flouts their authority."

Much of the criticism of the new policy has come from the mixed messages it sends, particularly to schoolchildren. So far this academic year, three pupils from local education authority (LEA) schools in Barnet have been arrested for dealing drugs.

A spokesman for Barnet Council said the LEA would still be sending out the message that 'drug taking or supplying cannot and will not be tolerated'.

Key facts:

- Around 2.5million people smoke cannabis nationally every year

- Ninety per cent of all drug offences are for possession and just ten per cent for dealing

- Seventy-five per cent of these are for cannabis offences a total of 90,000 each year and each arrest takes up about five hours of police time to administer

July 17, 2002 12:30