Former Justice Secretary SNP Kenny MacAskill's call for a radical liberalisation of drugs policy north of the Border have been dismissed by the Scottish Government.
Kenny MacAskill backed a move towards decriminalisation as he called for the devolution of drugs policy in yesterday's Herald. He said it should be treated as a public health issue rather than a criminal matter.
However, a spokeswoman for the government said that it had "no plans" to to support the legalisation or decriminalisation of illegal substances, should it ever gain control of an area of policy currently reserved to Westminster.
Mr MacAskill, who is standing down as an MSP in May, has sparked controversy by saying that while he still supported prosecution of those who profited from "human misery" caused by abuse of illegal drugs, a radical new approach to the way users are dealt with should be brought in.
He has called for a national commission to look at bringing Scotland into line with changes taking place in countries such as Ireland, where possession of small quantities of drugs, including cocaine and heroin for personal use, will no longer be a crime.
Police Scotland has said it will no longer report cannabis users caught with small quantities of the cannabis for prosecution.
Scottish Greens justice spokesman John Finnie welcomed Mr MacAskill's contribution and said the time was right for an "informed debate" around drugs.
He added: "Our drug laws are dated and, in most instances, simply serve to criminalise, and thereby affect the life chances of countless otherwise law-abiding folk.
"[Mr MacAskill's] comments about the so-called war on drugs being lost echo what many have been saying for some time. Imagine if the countless billions poured into failed law enforcement had instead been directed to education and the provision of the full range of harm reduction treatments. Evidence from elsewhere shows that changed approach would see drug-related deaths drop significantly."
Margaret Mitchell, the party's justice spokeswoman, said: "It’s bad enough that police want to decriminalise cannabis by the back door, but now it seems some senior figures in the SNP want to go even further. This is another indication of the SNP’s chaotic handling of Scotland’s criminal justice system."
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "The classification of drugs is currently reserved to Westminster – however, even should we gain responsibility for the issue, we have no plans to support the legalisation or decriminalisation of drugs. The medicinal use of drugs is a separate issue, which is also currently reserved to Westminster."
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