no smoke without ire

Will the government ever have the courage to legalise cannabis? Derek Draper investigates

‘Events, dear boy, events,' a wise old politician once remarked when asked what drove politics. And, indeed, it was the relaxing of drug enforcement laws in Lambeth, announced recently, that sparked the current debate about legalising drugs. People caught with cannabis for personal use in the south London borough will receive a warning rather than face arrest and avoid a potential criminal record.

Hot on the heels of the new initiative came Home Secretary David Blunkett’s call for an ‘adult, intelligent debate’ on the issue – a surprise move following the ‘not even a discussion’ edict of his predecessor Jack Straw. That was followed by the launch of a House of Commons home affairs select committee inquiry into the decriminalisation of drugs. The inquiry is expected to include evidence from senior police officers who believe cannabis prosecutions should not be a priority and will report back at the same time as the end of the Lambeth experiment.

But after all the soundbites and hot air is anything really likely to change? Will the government ever agree to legalisation? The UK has the strictest laws on cannabis use in the EU, yet also the highest number of users. Official government research shows that a third of adults in England and Wales have used illegal drugs at some point in their lives. In Northern Ireland, that figure stands at 40%. Figures also show that 60% of cannabis users arrested are simply cautioned and released. Yet in terms of manpower and law enforcement resources, the problem is immense.

One thing is certain, Tony Blair's instincts are closer to Jack Straw's than David Blunkett's and there will be no substantive shift in Britain's drug policy without Number Ten's blessing. Tony Blair has recently denounced the liberalisation of drug use, but the fact that a debate has been called is a big change in itself.