Cannabis Users In England To Be Named And Shamed

[ShadyLady]

Drug users will be named and shamed and shopped to their employer as a part of a revolutionary new "zero tolerance" scheme, it emerged last night.

People convicted of possessing illegal substances, including cannabis, will have their photograph posted on a website, published in their local paper and pinned up in Tube stations to deter others from buying drugs.

The move is a direct response to the failings of the liberal drugs policy introduced in Labour-run Lambeth, South London, by the borough's former police chief Brian Paddick.

Officers say Lambeth, which includes Brixton, has turned into a glue-pot for "drugs tourists" who believe they will be treated leniently if caught with banned substances.

The unprecedented "naming and shaming" proposal has been suggested by Lambeth Council's leader Steve Reed and will outrage human rights groups.

But Mr Reed says a public crackdown on those who come to the area to buy drugs is the only way to stop the trade.

Lambeth was the venue for the "softly softly" experiment on cannabis pioneered by Commander Brian Paddick nearly six years ago.

Mr Paddick, who is now a Scotland Yard Deputy Assistant Commissioner, argued that those caught with a small amount of the drug should be warned instead of arrested.

His pilot scheme, introduced in 2001, was widely seen as the trailblazer before the heavily criticised relaxation of the cannabis laws in 2004.

But Mr Reed is angry that Lambeth, and Brixton in particular, has become a honey pot for drug "tourists".

He said the get tough policy would apply to anyone convicted of possessing any illegal drug including cannabis.

"We intend to write to people's employers and publish their names and photographs in their local paper. If we get a few of these individuals and expose them, people will stop coming," he said.

"We're planning to put up a website and publish their names and pictures on that. Posters of them will be put up in train stations. If buyers are coming up the escalator, they will see that poster with the message If you come to Lambeth to buy drugs we will stop you. It is the most draconian approach ever taken by any council ever. The police are 100 per cent behind it."

In the past, forces have in the past been given permission to set up websites for wanted criminals and paedophiles but possession of drugs, especially if a small amount of cannabis, may not be considered sufficiently serious to warrant exposing an offender.

Mr Reed said checks were being carried out on the legality of the proposals but he hoped the scheme would be up and running within a few weeks.


He said: "The drugs policy in Lambeth changed after that Borough Commander left and that was three borough commanders ago.

"In fact, there has not been any kind of toleration since then but the problem is that reputation still exists. We need to be much more draconian about the drugs trade on our streets. If we have a reputation that you can come and buy your drugs here, people we keep coming. So we are going to get tough, naming and shaming people who arrested to stop the flow of people coming to buy here."

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We recognise that there is a problem with drugs tourism in Brixton with people coming from outside the borough to buy drugs.

"We continue to work closely with our partners, including the local authority to tackle drug-related crime.

"A variety of different initiatives are being discussed but it is too early to say if and when any of them will be agreed and adopted."

Last week a Rastafarian temple in the borough, which had been taken over by Jamaican Yardies and turned into a huge drugs den, was raided by armed police and 23 people were arrested.

Three people were charged with conspiracy to supply Class C drugs and further charges are expected.

However the council may be prevented from implementing their name and shame tactics by human rights laws which public bodies are bound by.

In 2003, convicted burglar and car thief Gary Ellis, 29, won a High Court battle to stop Essex police publishing a warning poster of him because it infringed his human rights.

NEWSHAWK: Shadylady http://www.420magazine.com/
SOURCE: Daily Mail
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COPYRIGHT: Daily Mail
WEBSITE: Drug users to be named and shamed | the Daily Mail

[User]

jez, this sucks.

[ShadyLady]

I for one won't be detered... It's just another challenge for the mj smoker

[vinny]

The people who SHOULD be named and shamed are the legislators who created and passed this law!

vinny

[ALWAYS-420]

thats the dumbest thing ive ever heard,, man ive heard plenty..

"name/shame" ---geez yea crazy brits!

[Janjaweed]

it would backfire... i believe, forcing people to come out of the closet and making the political issue even more prominent in the public eye.

[J842P]

Hm, it MIGHT deter people with a lot to loose if outed.
If it was me, I'd be fucking proud.

[User]

once your busted whats the difference anyway.

say it loud, i'm stoned i'm proud!

[guttokill]

HAHAHA that has got to be the lamest shit i heard all day. but anyway hey at least people will get their 15 mins of fame.. id straight up laugh at that shit

[crystalbuds]

This is such grade school BS. They can't possibly be serious.


Happy 4/20 everybody!

[RooRman]

This will not deter anyone. In fact, I believe it will not only strengthen the great bond already shared by all users of cannabis but make great inroads into disallowing this kind of outrageous conduct in the future.

Does the government of Great Britan have nothing better to do then to persecute the peaceful users of an almost completely benign substance? I think not.

[J842P]

Originally Posted by RooRman

This will not deter anyone. In fact, I believe it will not only strengthen the great bond already shared by all users of cannabis but make great inroads into disallowing this kind of outrageous conduct in the future.

Does the government of Great Britan have nothing better to do then to persecute the peaceful users of an almost completely benign substance? I think not.

I think you're right. The British government obviously isn't aware of CANNABIS CULTURE. I'm beginning to see it more and more, it's a common bond.

[Medical Marijuana]

Send the smokers to the Colonies!

[whiteknight66]

You'd be surprised how petty our Government is,we now have a no smoking ban.You can't smoke anywhere there are people.Outcasts,not a thing of it,lepers more like(and that is no insult to lepers). If it wasn't for these petty laws our MP's (like Governers,senators) are total as*holes.If i could be sent to a colony i'd be there bud,any of them.Think yourselves lucky......

[User]

my hendrix poll is still up and i posted it about sept 06. but it still gets posts every once in awhile.

plus it is a news thread. she did something i never thought of, adding a poll to a news story. i thought it was a great idea. i haven't used it yet mostly because i forgot. i'll try and keep an eye out for articles this would work with. thanks for reminding me 8-)