editorial comment Hope can only hope!

ALL drugs will be legalised within 20 years, it was claimed last night.

A study by think tank Transform said the 'prohibition' of cannabis, cocaine and hard drugs such as heroin had proved a disaster across the world.

And they said governments would soon start to recognise the only way forward is to legally control the production and supply of narcotics.

The report was launched at the House of Commons, backed by several Labour MPs.

It said the war on drugs had now been lost - and keeping drugs illegal promoted crime, cost at least £16billion to enforce and helped spread AIDS.

The report added: 'If you are around in 2020, the chances are that drugs prohibition will have been replaced with a system of regulated markets.

'Users will no longer 'score' from dealers. They will buy their drugs from specialised pharmacies or licensed retailers.'

Transform director Danny Kushlick said: 'As the failure of enforcement becomes ever more obvious, people will want to talk about the options for government control of the drugs market.'

The launch of the report is being backed by rising Labour MP Oona King.

Another Labour MP, Paul Flynn, said: 'This is the first practical road map towards a drug policy that must follow the collapse of drugs prohibition.'

A study yesterday claimed Scots drug addicts would rather go 'cold turkey' than take part in rehabilitation schemes.

Six out of 10 users revealed they would rather abstain completely than be weaned off slowly through methadone and treatment programmes.

The study, by University of Glasgow Professor Neil McKeganey, challenges Executive policy.

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