EAST Lancashire Euro MP Chris Davies has welcomed new police guidelines for dealing with cannabis users.
In January cannabis will be reclassified and users will only be arrested in certain circumstances, such as smoking around children or in public view.
Mr Davies said: "Hundreds, indeed millions, of people have been arrested, fined or even imprisoned for the possession of cannabis and these new guidelines show that it has been a complete folly -- using up police resources and wrecking the lives of many cannabis users who have done no harm to anyone other than themselves."
But he said the Government's decision to increase the maximum penalty for the supply of the drug to 14 years was a mistake.
He said: "If dealers are going to face 14 years in prison for the supply of cannabis, there is no incentive not to sell other drugs as well. Cannabis users may be pushed into the hands of heroin dealers."
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