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From: Paul Stanford Date: Sun Oct 24 22:58:00 PDT 1993

[1] Hemp News # 17 Lines: 1223

From: Paul Stanford Subject: Hemp News # 17

EP COMMITTEE DEBATES LEGALISATION OF DRUGS, PRESS FREEDOM EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT INFO MEMO PRESS RELEASE DOCUMENT DATE: OCTOBER 13, 1993 + COMMITTEE ON CIVIL LIBERTIES AND INTERNAL AFFAIRS Chairman: Amedee Turner (UK, EPP) Meeting of 11, 12 and 13 October + COMMITTEE DEBATES DRUG LEGALISATION The committee continued its debate on the controversial question of drug legalisation with the presentation of a draft report by Marco TARADASH (I, Greens). Taking the view that the war on drugs was not succeeding, Mr TARADASH felt the time had come to look for other solutions. Mayors and police in many European cities were advocating a different policy, he claimed.

The approach favoured by Mr TARADASH in his report is the establishment of a legal and controlled market for drugs. However, aware of widely differing views in the committee, Mr TARADASH said he was not suggesting the legalisation of illicit drugs. Rather at this time he wanted to see a serious discussion of the whole drugs issue and thus would be calling for a comprehensive study and for an international conference.

Except for Dorothee PIERMONT (G, RBW), who favoured a frank discussion of new policies in the drug field, the initial reaction in the committee was hostile. With the European elections coming up in the next year, Florus WIJSENBEEK (Nl, LDR) felt it was the wrong time to be discussing drug legalisation. Pat COONEY (Irl, EPP) felt it was impractical to advocate legalisation. 'The answer to something wrong was not to declare it right', he said. He didn't agree that the present drug policies had failed saying that the fight against drugs had not been properly engaged, particularly in the area of demand. Michael ELLIOTT (UK, PES) recognised that the current repressive policies were not working but said he was very cautious and reluctant to go down the road of legalisation.

Mr TARADASH will now prepare a draft motion for resolution as a basis for further discussion in the committee.