Pubdate: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 Source: Wichita Eagle (KS) Copyright: 2002 The Wichita Eagle Contact: http://www.wichitaeagle.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/680 Author: Gregory Katz, Dallas Morning News BRITAIN TO RELAX LAWS REGARDING USE OF MARIJUANA Instead Of Being Arrested And Facing Prison Time, Pot Smokers Will Be Subject To Modest Fines LONDON - In a major relaxation of drug laws, Prime Minister Tony Blair's government announced Wednesday that marijuana laws would be eased so that people who use small quantities of the drug will not face arrest. The controversial reclassification of marijuana from a Class B to a Class C drug will take effect next July, British Home Secretary David Blunkett said. Blunkett said the new law stopped short of decriminalization of marijuana but would allow police to focus on hard drug users and dealers. "The message to young people and families must be open, honest and believable," he told Parliament. "Cannabis is a potentially harmful drug and should remain illegal. However, it is not comparable with crack, heroin and ecstasy." Blunkett, who announced last year that he intended to make this change, said marijuana should not be classified in the same way as drugs that kill. In Britain, possession of a Class B drug carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail. Possession of a Class C drug carries a maximum sentence of two years, but the Home Office said that penalty was rarely invoked for first-time offenders, who normally receive only a ticket. Instead of being arrested and possibly put in prison, marijuana users would face modest fines or other penalties, officials said. The change in emphasis puts Britain in the forefront of a European movement toward easing penalties for marijuana use. The British proposal to reduce penalties for marijuana has received strong support from police chiefs and police associations. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth