THE stance taken by Michael Portillo on soft drugs came under fresh scrutiny yesterday after one of his allies called for cannabis to be legalised. Peter Lilley, the former Tory Deputy Leader, said the drug should be sold with a health warning in small amounts to anyone over 18 from licensed outlets. Mr Lilley, the first senior Tory to call for a liberalisation of the drugs regime, worked closely with Mr Portillo in Government and is backing his bid for the leadership. [continues 437 words]
There has been a lot of media coverage concerning the Anoka County Sheriff's Department treatment of Sen. Rod Grams' son. I've had many run-ins with the law, and the way Grams' son was treated was not standard police procedure. If I, or even a person without prior felony convictions, were pulled over in an overdue rental car, driving without a driver's license, they would not be taken home. If police found nine bags of marijuana on the passenger, another under the seat and an open container of alcohol, both the driver and the passenger would be taken into custody. [continues 179 words]
THE Government yesterday rejected fresh demands for the immediate legalisation of cannabis for medical purposes. But ministers gave a small ray of hope to sufferers by indicating that doctors might be allowed to prescribe the drug after extensive clinical trials. George Howarth, the Home Office Minister, ruled out a call from the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee for doctors to prescribe cannabis now. The peers said thousands of people suffering muscle spasms and terminal cancer could benefit from the drug's painkilling properties. [continues 59 words]
DOCTORS should be permitted to prescribe cannabis for medical use, a House of Lords committee is to propose today. The peers will urge the Government to act swiftly to lift the ban, so that thousands of people can take the drug to alleviate pain. Although the proposals from the Lords Science and Technology Committee will undoubtedly be supported by many sufferers, they are unlikely to secure the backing of Jack Straw, the Home Secretary. The Government is acutely sensitive to the whole issue and any relaxation of the law is unlikely in the short term. [continues 331 words]
