Sponsor Sees Bill As HIV Weapon TRENTON -- New Jersey took a step closer Monday to offering free needles to addicts as a measure to fight HIV, the latest step along a tortuous legislative path that has generated passionate arguments from supporters and detractors. The 8-4 vote in the Assembly Appropriations Committee came along party lines, with one of the majority Democrats abstaining, in favor of seeding $10 million in taxpayer money for drug-abuse treatment programs and to allow six municipalities to begin needle-exchange centers. [continues 327 words]
TRENTON -- TV personality Montel Williams, who says he daily breaks the law by medicating himself with marijuana, presaged emotionally charged testimony expected today when New Jersey, for the first time, considers allowing prescribed pot. "I break the law every day. I will continue to break the law every day," a sometimes teary Williams told reporters at a State House news conference where the Drug Policy Alliance New Jersey, which supports medical marijuana, issued results of a poll it commissioned which showed support for their positions. [continues 483 words]
TV Personality, Who Has MS, Speaks As Lawmakers Weigh Legalizing Medicine TRENTON -- TV personality Montel Williams, who says he daily breaks the law by medicating himself with marijuana, presaged emotionally charged testimony expected today when New Jersey, for the first time, considers allowing prescribed pot. "I break the law every day. I will continue to break the law every day," a sometimes teary Williams told reporters at a Statehouse news conference where the Drug Policy Alliance New Jersey -- which supports medical marijuana -- issued results of a poll it commissioned which showed support for their positions. [continues 341 words]
TRENTON -- TV personality Montel Williams, who says he daily breaks the law by medicating himself with marijuana, presaged emotionally charged testimony expected today when New Jersey, for the first time, considers allowing prescribed pot. "I break the law every day. I will continue to break the law every day," a sometimes teary Williams told reporters at a Statehouse news conference where the Drug Policy Alliance New Jersey -- which supports medical marijuana -- issued results of a poll it commissioned which showed support for their positions. [continues 479 words]
TRENTON -- TV personality Montel Williams, who says he breaks the law daily by medicating himself with marijuana, presaged emotionally charged testimony expected today when New Jersey, for the first time, considers allowing prescribed marijuana. "I break the law every day. I will continue to break the law every day," a sometimes teary Williams told reporters at a Statehouse news conference where the Drug Policy Alliance New Jersey, which supports medical marijuana, issued results of a poll it commissioned that showed support for its positions. [continues 362 words]
CONCESSIONS over new drug laws and police reforms will be announced this week as the Government battles to shore up its crime-fighting credentials. David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, is to announce further safeguards against the political control of chief constables when the Police Bill begins its final passage through the Commons this week. These are expected to include a key concession giving police authorities the power to amend or reject Home Office action plans imposed on failing constabularies. Chief constables are alarmed that proposed new powers, allowing the Home Secretary to remove senior officers, will undermine the tradition dating back more than 160 years that police are independent of political control. [continues 675 words]
TORY wounds on drugs and gay rights are re-opened today with the leak of a letter showing that a member of the Shadow Cabinet backs the repeal of laws against cannabis and the promotion of homosexuality. John Bercow, the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said that legalisation of cannabis would help the party to "reconnect with millions of people who consider the present law to be an ass". His letter, a copy of which has been obtained by The Times, said that allowing people to take cannabis legally would break the link with hard-drug pushers and encourage "freedom and responsibility". [continues 521 words]
MO MOWLAM will today attempt to wrest back the law and order agenda from the Tories by announcing new plans to strip "career criminals" of their assets. The measure, which will be Labour's key policy on crime at the next election, will require new legislation as well as the creation of a powerful national confiscation agency staffed by financial experts. In a speech today at Glaziers Hall in London, Dr Mowlam, the Cabinet Office Minister, will say: "Why should millions of law-abiding people work hard for a living whilst a few criminals live a life of luxury built on the misery of others? Arresting and convicting criminals is not enough - we must also take away their profits. In every court case we should be looking to confiscate the unlawful assets that have built up. That should be the norm, not the exception." [continues 545 words]
CANNABIS may be available legally for medicinal purposes under a Cabinet compromise on the Government's policy towards drugs. The Prime Minister is prepared to agree to change the law to allowing people suffering from conditions such as multiple sclerosis to use the drug once human trials confirm that the drug can alleviate their symptoms. However, he has rejected Mo Mowlam's proposals for a Royal Commission on drugs, which he feared might pave the way for the general de-criminalisation of cannabis. [continues 120 words]
SUSPECTED drugs barons who have not been prosecuted for a criminal offence will have their homes and cars seized, under Home Office plans. Jack Straw, the Home Secretary, is determined to bring forward new measures against the "Mr Bigs" of organised crime - the masterminds who flaunt their wealth and stay one step ahead of the law. Senior police chiefs have grown frustrated at their inability to seize the assets of major criminals because they cannot gather sufficient evidence to make a prosecution stick. [continues 414 words]
THE Government has been warned that it faces fresh embarrassment over its tough stance against drugs, with some militant campaigners threatening to expose MPs and ministers who have smoked cannabis. The warning, following the arrest of a senior Cabinet minister's son for supplying cannabis, was last night fuelled by the disclosure that a Labour MP, Charles Clarke, who was Neil Kinnock's chief of staff in the 1992 election, has become the first senior party figure to admit in public that he has taken drugs. [continues 443 words]
Drugs tsar to lead Labour crime fight By Tom Baldwin, Political Correspondent TONY Blair will take the first step tomorrow towards the creation of an Americanstyle "drugs tsar". The Prime Minister will announce a new Cabinet taskforce whose priority will be to appoint a head of the Government's campaign against the recreational use of drugs. The move will be accompanied by measures in the Crime and Disorder Bill to strengthen the power of courts so that they can introduce mandatory drug treatment and testing orders for convicted burglars and thieves suspected of being addicts. [continues 323 words]
