Liverpool, United Kingdom
Smoking tolerance level [1= very illegal 5=virtually legal]: 2.5
Legislation: After a downgrade to class C in 2004 the drug is very shortly (Jan 26th 2009) tabled for an upgrade back to that of a class B which can (if the law stupidly flexes its muscles fully) land you in prison for 7 years even WITHOUT the attempt to supply! A government scientific panel advised that the drug stay as class C but our nanny state thinks we shouldn’t be using it, getting stoned is bad and we fear for the nations mental health.. Idiots !
The decision to reclassify cannabis to Class B means enforcement of the law will also get tougher.
The Home Secretary asked the Association of Chief Police Officers (new window) for their proposals for a strengthened approach to cannabis possession. They submitted proposed changes, which she and the Secretary of State for Justice Jack Straw have accepted, subject to a consultation planned by the Ministry of Justice (new window).
The proposed changes would mean that – once the drug is reclassified – those caught with cannabis could still get a cannabis warning on a first offence, but on a second offense they are likely face a fine of £80. If caught a third time they could be arrested.
Until the reclassification comes into force, though, cannabis remains a Class C drug. Current penalties are listed below. A young person found to be in possession of cannabis will be arrested and taken to a police station where they can receive a reprimand, final warning or charge depending on the seriousness of the offense.
Following one reprimand, any further offence will lead to a final warning or charge. Any further offence following a warning will normally result in criminal charges. After a final warning, the young offender must be referred to a Youth Offending Team to arrange a rehabilitation programme.
This police enforcement is consistent with the structured framework for early juvenile offending established under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.
Adults in possession of cannabis
It is unlikely that adults caught in possession of cannabis will be arrested. Most offences of possession result in a warning and confiscation of the drug. But some instances may lead to arrest and possible caution or prosecution, including:
* repeat offending
* smoking in a public place
* instances where public order is threatened
* possession of cannabis near buildings or areas used by children
Cannabis is illegal and is now a Class C drug. It’s against the law to possess it, sell it or give it away, grow it or let your place be used for smoking it.
The local government allows doctors to prescribe marijuana for medicinal purposes, while the herbal medicine is also administered regularly on the streets and in the clubs.
Law enforcement: mostly you get your weed taken off you, but they do take your details and they can nick you if they feel that way inclined though you wont usually get arrested unless you have a few bags on you (or a big chunk !)
Though do check out http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/oct/13/drugspolicy-drugsandalcohol
Furthermore smoking pot is very common in most of England, and so is in Liverpool. Police don’t occasionally look for it, unless you smoke publicly. NORML reports that English police don’t even consider possession a big deal anymore. If you are unlucky enough to get caught, most chances are the pot will be compounded and you will be released. If the occasion did not pass smoothly, courts usually impose a fine in cases involving cannabis products.
Although the cops here aren’t too bothered about possession (you get an on-the-spot warning & they nick your stash, bastards. If you’ve got a lot of previous warnings for possession, or they think you might be dealing then it can get more serious), if the cops think you’ve been smoking weed before driving you’ll be in a lot of trouble. Might be worth catching the tube instead.
Where to buy Marijuana in Liverpool: Drugs are usually delivered now as its all too easy to get nicked mid-transaction out in the open so drugs are now dialed from someones mobile phone book. One word of warning though, buy from recommendation, best to ask a friend, a member of hotel kitchen staff smoking out back or a friendly person you meet in a bar * BE AWARE of “The Scouser” (those indigenous to the principality of Liverpool) whilst they are some of the loveliest people in the world, there are a lot who would leave you with no money, no weed and no idea what had just happened… So stay on your toes, no money without a sniff and a poke and watch for multiple “salespeople” when you’re shopping alone. You may find out what “getting rolled” means… That said, the fastest way to score can be to walk past busy pubs through the masses of people stood outside smoking, smell that nice smell and VERY politely and quietly ask the smoker if they know of anyone who may be able to sell them “a weed”
The only ones who do search for Marijuana, seem to be the night club watchers: “Expect to be searched for drugs before you get in, then expect to be offered drugs once inside,” a female Liverpudlian said about a popular nightclub called Cream. So, the nightclub scene would be a good place to get hooked…
Liverpool Marijuana Prices:
1/8 oz.= £20
¼ oz. = 35-40
1/2 oz. = £60
1 oz = £100 -120
Liverpool Hashish Prices:
¼ oz. = £15
1 oz. = £40
Marijuana brands: Everything if you know the right people, The market is flushed with UK grown super skunks on a regular basis, the stronger the better for most (though you DO pay for it)
Marijuana brands are usually Jamaican and West African varieties, as well as homegrown. Hash is usually of Moroccan and Lebanese origin.
More information: Come visit, be good, check out Crosby Beach
Country: United Kingdom
Time Zone: No UTC/GMT offset
Dialing codes: + 44 (UK) + 151
WeBeHigh’s City Tale:
The Beatles made Liverpool famous. This city on the western coast of England, a four-hour train ride from London, was a nondescript seaport until the early 1960s when the Fab Four, and their hometown, became known around the world. As Paul McCartney became one of the world’s most famous Scousers, the local name for a Liverpool native, he subsequently also became its leading pothead.
Sir Paul’s fondness for the green bud became widely known in 1973 when he was fined for growing pot plants in a greenhouse on his Scottish farm. In 1981 he was arrested in Japan for marijuana possession. When the McCartneys returned to England from a 1984 trip to Barbados, where they had just been fined for possession of marijuana, wife Linda was arrested. Can you guess the charge?
Many in Liverpool still follow their musical hero’s example. The local government allows doctors to prescribe marijuana for medicinal purposes, while the herbal medicine is also administered regularly on the streets and in the clubs.
Marijuana in Liverpool – Jamaican and West African varieties, as well as homegrown – is priced around 25 British pounds, or $40 American, for a quarter ounce. Half an ounce can be had for 45 pounds. One anonymous user said Scouser pot made him feel “very relaxed” and made it “easy to chat with others.” Hash – usually of Moroccan and Lebanese origin – goes for 15 pounds, or about $25, for an eighth of an ounce. A quarter sells for 25 pounds, while a half usually costs 40 pounds. One unnamed local said dark Moroccan hash is sold at 90 to 100 British pounds per ounce, “as it has been for the last 10 years.”
Like most of England, Liverpool is fond of its drink. The city, which has a number of universities, is home to a seemingly endless array of pubs and dance clubs. Wood Street, Mathew Street and Slater Street in the city’s centre are all filled with bars and discos
overflowing with party people. The Blue Angel on Wood Street is noted as a popular spot for students who fill up on relatively cheap drinks and then dance to 1970s and ’80s music. Beatles fans can find the band’s old haunts on Mathew Street. Any of the discotheques are a good bet for finding smoke.
“Expect to be searched for drugs before you get in, then expect to be offered drugs once inside,” a female Liverpudlian said about a popular nightclub called Cream.
After his wife was arrested for pot possession, leading Liverpudlian Paul McCartney made a subtle plea to the English legal establishment. “I’d like to see it decriminalized,” he told the media. Some lawmakers are now trying to make Paul a daydream believer.
“Our drug laws need some review after 30 years to make them more accurate, more enforceable and fairer,” said Dame Ruth Runciman, who has called for reduction in legal penalties for possession of cannabis and some other drugs. The government is also considering a measure that will excuse people from having to tell prospective employers about any legal warnings for marijuana possession.
With or without the help of legislators, however, smoking pot has become one of England’s most popular pastimes.
In 1999 the BBC called Britain the “cannabis capital of Europe” and reported that more weed is consumed in England and Wales than by any other European Union countries. NORML reports that English police don’t even consider possession a big deal anymore. The pro-pot organization cited a 1999 Bristol University study in which 95 police officers ranked marijuana less addictive than coffee.
“The officers were then presented with a situation where they go to a house where the owner is growing four marijuana plants and there is harvested marijuana in eyesight. Two-thirds said they would not arrest the owner, saying it was a run of the mill sort of case,” NORML said.
Don’t let the lenient attitudes fool you, though. Drugs can still get you in trouble in Liverpool and smokers should take precautions. Some of the Scouser club bouncers reportedly deal to customers, while others are allegedly police informers.
NORML reports that use of drugs other than opium is not a criminal offence, but possession is. Drugs are split into three categories of legal penalties, with cannabis and cannabis resin possession falling into the group that carries a six-month jail sentence and/or a fine. Trafficking can get you a year in prison.
“In practice, the courts usually impose a fine in cases involving cannabis products,” NORML said. In Liverpool the police reportedly have a “cautioning” policy in which they give smokers and other drug users a warning the first time they are caught.
But a statement from Norman Bettison, chief constable of the local police department, shows that Liverpool’s authorities are not going to simply ignore drug deals. “Merseyside Police has a reputation for gathering intelligence and evidence so as to root out criminals – particularly drug dealers,” he said.