Pubdate: Tue, 07 Nov 2000 Source: Evening News (UK) Copyright: Eastern Counties Newspapers Group Ltd,2000 Contact: http://www.norfolk-now.co.uk/ Address: Manchester Evening News, 164 Deansgate, Manchester, M60 2RD, UK Fax: 0161 839 0968 Author: Ian Craig WE MAY BACK MEDICINAL CANNABIS, SAYS MOWLAM Moves to legalise cannabis for medicinal use could begin next year, Cabinet Minister Mo Mowlam said today. Speaking on the day the government's drugs tsar Keith Hellawell published his annual report, Ms Mowlam said some scientific trials on the drug were coming to an end and action could follow soon. "I hope that by the end of next year those scientific results will be out and then we can make a clear evaluation in relation to medicinal use," she said. Asked if that meant that by the end of next year the government could back the legalisation of the medicinal use of cannabis, she said: "Yes, but legalise it in the form of cannaboids, which is a kind of derivative, so people don't have to smoke it". Ms Mowlam, the minister in charge of drugs policy, acknowledged the Cabinet was discussing a change in the attitude to drugs as part of a wider public debate. "What is going on is not just a Cabinet discussion, what is going on is what we want to see - which is a more open discussion on the impact of cannabis", she said. "We have no trouble with that but our position on cannabis has not changed", she said. She also said there were "positive, encouraging signs" that the governments 10-year drugs strategy was working. This includes halving the availability of Class A drugs on the streets, halving the number of you people using heroin and cocaine and doubling the number of drug misusers in treatment by 2008. Ms Mowlam siad the "mega good news" was that pilots of new drug treatment programmes were showing success rates of 96 per cent and these would now be rolled out across the country. The Prime Minister today praised the anti-drugs battle in Greater Manchester - as the government declared war on cowboy owners. According to Keith Hellawell's annual report, the area leads the country, particularly in tackling abuse among ethnic groups and in referring people arrested by police to drug treatment. Mr Blair said: "There's tremendous work being done out there by teachers, law enforcement agencies and others working together on treatement and rehabililitation and I'd like to thank all those working on the front line". Drugs Minister Ian McCartney, MP for Makerfield, said Greater Manchester, with its network of drug action teams, was at the vanguard of change and introducing news schemes. Mr McCartney, whose son died of a drugs overdose, hit out at club owners who "turned a blind eye" to drugs on their premises, or encouraged it. "A lot of young people are taking drugs in clubs and this is a challenge to the owners, to DJ's and performers to help stamp it out," he said. "If club owners refuse to co-operate, the magistrates should withdraw their licences". - --- MAP posted-by: Josh Sutcliffe