Legalise cannabis - Kennedy.

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy yesterday became the first leader of a mainstream party to say he favoured the decriminalisation of cannabis.

Mr Kennedy was speaking after the revelation that seven members of the Tory Shadow Cabinet had taken the drug during their student years.

The admissions, by high-profile Conservatives including shadow foreign secretary Francis Maude and leader in the Lords Lord Strathclyde, threw the Tories into disarray just days after the launch of the party's new hardline policy on drugs.

Mr Kennedy said that he did not regard shadow Cabinet members or other recreational users of cannabis as criminals. Asked if this meant he believed the drug should be decriminalised, Mr Kennedy answered: 'Yes.'

But the LibDem manifesto would not pledge to end the outlaw status of cannabis. Instead, it will propose a Royal Commission to look into possible reforms of Britain's drug laws.

Mr Kennedy said: 'You asked me for a personal opinion and I gave you a personal opinion, but I would like to see an authoritative all-party, non-party look at the issue, rather than the hysterics of the past few days.

'It would be inconsistent for me and the Liberal Democrats to be arguing for a Royal Commission and then to pre-judge it.'

Mr Kennedy said he was 'thoroughly persuaded' that doctors should be allowed to prescribe cannabis to alleviate the symptoms of conditions such as multiple sclerosis.

He believed that recreational use should be regarded as, at most, a civil offence. Recent comments by senior policemen and former judges suggested that they would favour a relaxation in the cannabis laws, he said.

Westminster was out of step with public opinion, and politicians had been held back by their terror of even raising the issue, said Mr Kennedy.

'Ann Widdecombe has done a public service in the last few days, because she has shown how far attitudes are changing in this country.'

The 'outing' of the MPs was being widely interpreted as an attempt by the more socially liberal wing of the party to undermine shadow Home Secretary Ann Widdecombe, who launched the zero tolerance policy last week. There were suggestions that the seven were angry she unveiled her strategy - featuring minimum pounds 100 fines for the possession of even the smallest amount of cannabis - without discussing it fully with shadow Cabinet colleagues.

Shadow Culture Secretary Peter Ainsworth, who admitted taking cannabis and amyl nitrate while a student at Oxford, did not hide his annoyance at the lack of consultation.

He said: 'The policy needs to be looked at again and it needs to be discussed, and that would be a help, frankly, when making policy. The fact is that, in my opinion, nobody is going to die from cannabis and it is unrealistic to expect people not to come across it. I came across it.

'That is worlds apart from the whole question of serious drugs, persistent drug use, drug-dealing, selling drugs to children and so on, where we take a very, very hard line, and I think rightly.'

Miss Widdecombe said her colleagues' admissions did not alter her position: 'I am not interested in the past. I am only interested in the measures we need for the future.'

The shadow home secretary was defended by Tory former Prime Minister John Major, who said: 'She is an utterly straight and honest politician.

'What she says is what she believes. I think that is admirable. It is a great plus for politics.

'Clearly the Shadow Cabinet will have to look at (the drugs policy). It doesn't diminish the attractiveness of Ann as a thoroughly straightforward, decent politician.

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Author:	Woodcock, Andrew
Publication:	The Birmingham Post (England)
Date:	Oct 9, 2000
Words:	601
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