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Mostly_Harmless
wyrd bið ful aræd



Registered: 05/12/09
Posts: 5,043
Loc: Perfidious Albion
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Three More British Police Forces Will No Longer Press Charges On Small Scale Cannabis Users
#22013828 - 07/29/15 08:51 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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http://www.cannabisculture.com/content/2015/07/28/three-more-british-police-forces-say-they-will-no-longer-press-criminal-charges-on-small-scale-cannabis-users
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Three More British Police Forces Say They Will No Longer Press Criminal Charges On Small Scale Cannabis Users
Sparking up a spliff in the UK is becoming less of a crime with each new day. Just last week it was announced that Durham's police force would no longer look to prosecute anyone growing or using small quantities of cannabis, and now three more British counties have followed suit.
Police in Derbyshire, Dorset and Surrey will no longer hit small-scale pot users with heavy criminal charges, and are more likely to let them off with a caution instead.
The relaxation in policy is the result of a number of different contributing factors. Police and Crime Commissioner for Durham, Ron Hogg, said that the threat of criminal repercussions puts users off coming forward to get help, and that the law needed to find a better way of working with them. There is also a feeling that police forces would rather prioritise catching more dangerous criminals, rather than chasing around generally harmless stoners.
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We have seized a number of cannabis plants at an address in Medomsley. A property was searched in The Dene on Friday 17th July where a quantity of cannabis was found growing in a poly tunnel. A 51 year old male was given a caution.
Surrey's PCC Kevin Hurley has dismissed the argument as a 'pointless debate', and said that cannabis has moved way down on the agenda of priorities. Alan Charles, PCC for Derbyshire, said that the financial strain on the police means they need to decide where to focus their attention most.
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"When we are faced with significant budget cuts we cannot keep turning out to every single thing reported to us." He said
The third PCC, Martyn Underhill of Dorset, was also willing to explore a new system.
It is not unlikely that even more county forces will add themselves to the growing list of advocates for looser ruling on the class B drug, particularly after a petition last week campaigning for full legalisation reached 150,000 signatures in a matter of days. A number of countries in Europe already either allow the possession and sale of small quantities of cannabis, or choose to overlook it. They seem to be coping just fine, and anything that allows the police to spend more time going after criminals who pose a genuine risk to the public is surely worth serious consideration.
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Hitsuzen
Space Cowboy



Registered: 10/17/08
Posts: 399
Loc: Earth
Last seen: 3 years, 2 months
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Re: Three More British Police Forces Will No Longer Press Charges On Small Scale Cannabis Users [Re: Mostly_Harmless]
#22014657 - 07/29/15 11:59 AM (8 years, 6 months ago) |
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Good news for our friends across the pond.
-------------------- Hate never yet dispelled hate, Only love dispels hate. This is the law, Ancient and inexhaustible. -Buddha
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