LEGAL CONCERNS: A lawyer believes changes to drug laws would allow more time on tougher cases Photo posed by modelRELAXING laws on minor drugs offences would allow courts to spend more time on the prosecution of higher-level crimes according to a Dorking barrister.
Rio Pahlavanpour, who lives in Dorking and prosecutes cases at Redhill Magistrates' Court, believes more progressive drugs laws would give courts the time to focus on more serious cases such as domestic violence.
Mr Pahlavanpour suggests that following the example set by many US states and has put his concerns in a letter to Mole Valley MP Sir Paul Beresford.
Recreational use of cannabis is legal in four US states and medical use in 23 states.
Mr Pahlavanpour says it is embarrassing that the UK has fallen behind on this issue.
He told the Advertiser: "Of course there are harms that this drug causes, if it is taken from a young age of course it is going to cause damage.
"But we don't allow alcohol in our schools and if a child is caught drinking in school they would be dealt with. Why would this be any different?"
He added: "As a lawyer I want to be able to say that if, for example, you have 30 grams on you, then yes, you should be prosecuted. That is too much. Or at least tell me why you have that amount."
Mr Pahlavanpour argues that changing the laws regarding recreational cannabis use would allow more focus on protecting vulnerable victims in domestic violence cases.
Any change would also free up valuable police time which could be used to ensure that big issues are dealt with more effectively in the courts.
He said: "In a lot of the domestic violence cases that I do we have issues with defendants and witnesses turning up.
"What if the officers who are no longer needed to do drug searches go and pick the victim up and bring them to court? Then we can have a proper trial and really start to address domestic violence."
Legalisation of cannabis has been a hot political issue in recent months. More than 200,000 people signed a petition arguing legalising cannabis could bring in £900 million in taxes every year to the UK, save £400 million on policing, and create more than 10,000 new jobs. But only 14 MPs attended the ensuing debate.
At the time of publication Sir Paul Beresford is yet to respond to Mr Pahlavanpour's letter but a spokesman from the Home Office told the Advertiser: "Cannabis is an illegal drug and there is clear medical evidence that it can damage people's physical and mental health.
"The Government has no plans to legalise cannabis."
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