Pubdate: Sun, 30 Apr 2006
Source: Scotland On Sunday (UK)
Copyright: 2006 The Scotsman Publications Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.scotlandonsunday.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/405
Authors: Richard Gray, Murdo MacLeod
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

CANNABIS FIND AT JOHN REID'S HOME

JOHN Reid became the fourth cabinet minister in a week to face  
embarrassment yesterday after a piece of cannabis resin was found  
inside his Scottish constituency home.

Police discovered the Class C drug in a guest room of the Defence  
Secretary's detached bungalow in Lanarkshire during a routine  
security sweep of the property by Special Branch officers from  
Strathclyde Police.

It is believed sniffer dogs used to check the building ahead of  
visits by the MP for Airdrie and Shotts detected a "minuscule" amount  
of the drug weighing less than a gram and with a street value of 85  
pence.

Yesterday Reid said he had no idea where the drug had come from and  
Strathclyde Police confirmed they would not be bringing any criminal  
charges in relation to the discovery. They also insisted they had not  
given the Cabinet minister any special treatment.

The revelation follows the difficulties faced last week by three of  
Reid's Cabinet colleagues, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, Home  
Secretary Charles Clarke and Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt.

Sources close to Reid yesterday said the Defence Secretary was not in  
the house when the cannabis, which is believed to be up to 20 years  
old, was found.

Initially it was thought that the cannabis may have been left by a  
previous owner, but it later emerged that Reid and his family moved  
into the bungalow just after it was built.

In a statement, Reid said: "I can confirm that a minuscule amount of  
cannabis resin was found in the guest room of my home in Scotland  
last week by police carrying out a security check. I am told that it  
weighed a fraction of a gram, was worth around 85 pence and could be  
years old.

"I have no idea where it came from, or when. There is absolutely no  
suggestion that this in any way involves me or members of my family  
and both I and the Strathclyde Police regard the matter as closed."
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