Police and crime chief calls for cannabis to be sold over the counter in off-licence-style shops – and for heroin and cocaine to be available on prescription
Arfon Jones believes that trying to prohibit narcotics is a waste of police time
North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner says drugs should be regulated
He claims war on drugs has failed and prohibition causes unnecessary deaths
A police chief has called for cannabis to be sold in off-licenses and heroin and cocaine to be available on prescription, claiming the war on drugs has failed.
North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones thinks trying to prohibit drugs is a waste of police time and kills people unnecessarily.
The former police officer and Plaid Cymru member sees no reason why cannabis shouldn't be sold in the same way as alcohol - over the counter in licensed shops.
But Mr Jones, who has appealed to MPs at Westminster to legalise narcotics, thinks hard drugs like heroin and cocaine should only be available on prescription from pharmacies.
'A lot of the problems around drugs are caused by prohibition and strong enforcement. It just doesn't work,' he told the Daily Post Wales.
'I think prohibition kills a lot of people unnecessarily and if we did regulate, we could divert police resources towards harmful behaviours like child sexual exploitation, domestic abuse and modern slavery.
'Prosecution for minor possession of drugs is a waste of time.'
He added: 'I want to see drugs controlled and sold by responsible retailers similar to off-licences that sell alcohol.
'I don't see a difference between the use of alcohol and the use of cannabis.
'If we went back to day one, and we were legislating this again I'm sure people would realise that alcohol causes a lot more harm than cannabis does and I think the categorisation would reflect that.
'But we are where we are, alcohol is legal and cannabis is illegal and it is illogical to have it like that.
'Hard drugs like cocaine and heroin could be sold or prescribed from a secure pharmacy.
'But I think cannabis could be sold with the same level of security as alcohol is sold at now in an off-licence.
'This would be with suitable age restrictions to prevent children buying it which is something we do not have now.'
Mr Jones told MPs he first decided drugs should be legalised when he witnessed a colleague being condemned for saying the same thing.
Former Chief Constable for North Wales Richard Brunstrom made a similar call in a 2007 report and Mr Jones said 'he was vilified across North Wales and the UK'.
He added: 'I read that report and I thought yes the penny drops what he's saying in here makes absolute sense.
'A lot of the addiction and the harm that is caused is caused because of the illegality of drugs.
'People are taking substances that they haven't got a clue what is in them.
'At least if we regulated them it would be the same as alcohol, we'd know what the strength of what they were taking was.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5483255/Police-crime-chief-calls-cannabis-sold-counter.html
Now here is a copper who speaks the truth and is trying to talk sense into the UK government.......Hear Here! Arfon Jones!!
Arfon Jones believes that trying to prohibit narcotics is a waste of police time
North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner says drugs should be regulated
He claims war on drugs has failed and prohibition causes unnecessary deaths
A police chief has called for cannabis to be sold in off-licenses and heroin and cocaine to be available on prescription, claiming the war on drugs has failed.
North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones thinks trying to prohibit drugs is a waste of police time and kills people unnecessarily.
The former police officer and Plaid Cymru member sees no reason why cannabis shouldn't be sold in the same way as alcohol - over the counter in licensed shops.
But Mr Jones, who has appealed to MPs at Westminster to legalise narcotics, thinks hard drugs like heroin and cocaine should only be available on prescription from pharmacies.
'A lot of the problems around drugs are caused by prohibition and strong enforcement. It just doesn't work,' he told the Daily Post Wales.
'I think prohibition kills a lot of people unnecessarily and if we did regulate, we could divert police resources towards harmful behaviours like child sexual exploitation, domestic abuse and modern slavery.
'Prosecution for minor possession of drugs is a waste of time.'
He added: 'I want to see drugs controlled and sold by responsible retailers similar to off-licences that sell alcohol.
'I don't see a difference between the use of alcohol and the use of cannabis.
'If we went back to day one, and we were legislating this again I'm sure people would realise that alcohol causes a lot more harm than cannabis does and I think the categorisation would reflect that.
'But we are where we are, alcohol is legal and cannabis is illegal and it is illogical to have it like that.
'Hard drugs like cocaine and heroin could be sold or prescribed from a secure pharmacy.
'But I think cannabis could be sold with the same level of security as alcohol is sold at now in an off-licence.
'This would be with suitable age restrictions to prevent children buying it which is something we do not have now.'
Mr Jones told MPs he first decided drugs should be legalised when he witnessed a colleague being condemned for saying the same thing.
Former Chief Constable for North Wales Richard Brunstrom made a similar call in a 2007 report and Mr Jones said 'he was vilified across North Wales and the UK'.
He added: 'I read that report and I thought yes the penny drops what he's saying in here makes absolute sense.
'A lot of the addiction and the harm that is caused is caused because of the illegality of drugs.
'People are taking substances that they haven't got a clue what is in them.
'At least if we regulated them it would be the same as alcohol, we'd know what the strength of what they were taking was.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5483255/Police-crime-chief-calls-cannabis-sold-counter.html
Now here is a copper who speaks the truth and is trying to talk sense into the UK government.......Hear Here! Arfon Jones!!
