Pubdate: Fri, 18 Mar 2005
Source: Belfast Telegraph (UK)
Copyright: 2005 Belfast Telegraph Newspapers Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/42
Author: Brian Hutton
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

IRELAND: 'NO RISE' IN CANNABIS USE SINCE LAW CHANGE

'No Rise' In Cannabis Use Since Law Change

Number In Court The Same As Last Year.

There is no evidence to suggest cannabis use has increased in Northern 
Ireland a year after it was reclassified, the Government has said.

And while police figures show there has been no reduction in prosecutions 
against young people for possession of the drug, there has been some 
decrease overall in Class C drug-related arrests.

The figures have been unveiled by the Secretary of State Paul Murphy just 
over a year after the Government downgraded cannabis from Class B to Class 
C, ranking it alongside bodybuilding steroids and some anti-depressants.

The reclassification sparked concerns at the time that it would encourage 
drug use.

The Government conducted a survey of statutory organisations, including the 
police, the community and voluntary sector, in April and May of last year 
to assess the impact of the law change.

According to the Secretary of State, the level of response was 
disappointing, but the general view was that reclassification had little 
impact on overall attitudes towards cannabis, both among young people and 
adults.

There was no evidence to suggest that consumption had increased or that 
people were more open about the use of cannabis.

However, there was a view that young people did not fully understand all 
the various terminology such as "reclassification", "decriminalisation" and 
"legalisation".

PSNI figures indicated that the number of prosecutions against younger 
people for possession of cannabis - both actual and pending - had not 
reduced since reclassification.

There are no separate figures kept in relation to adults, but there was a 
small reduction in the number of arrests for possession of Class C drugs, 
in the three months after reclassification when compared to the three 
months prior to the law change.

The Government is currently preparing to carry out a further survey to 
assess the impact one year on.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom