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Igår sa Englands nuvarande justitieminister Jack Straw till Channel Four News att han hela tiden varit emot en nedklassificering av cannabis. Jag var hela tiden emot det, sa Straw som under perioden 1997-2001 var inrikesminister före David Blunkett, som var den inrikesminister som såg till att cannabis nedklassificerades från klass B till klass C i januari 2004. Straw gjorde också mycket klart att han är emot en avkriminalisering.

Inte långt efter nedklassificeringen av cannabis beordrade den förre brittiske premiärministern, Tony Blair, en översyn av lagen. Efter rekommendation från ACMD (The Advisory Committee on Misuse of Drugs) avvisades emellertid en uppklassificering av cannabis från klass C till B.

Men strax efter att Gordon Brown tillträtt posten som premiärminister meddelade han att den nya regeringens inrikesminister, Jacqui Smith, börjat se över den gällande lagstiftningen om cannabis.

Under den nu pågående Labour-konferensen höll Brown ett tal igår och av det framgår klart och tydligt vad som väntar.

När det gäller insatser mot droger och drogrelaterad kriminalitet sa Brown bland annat följande i sitt tal igår:

Two thirds of deaths from gun crime occur in just four cities. In the last few weeks Jacqui Smith and I have focussed on the specific areas in these cities where as I saw on Saturday at first hand the police will now: match intensive uniformed patrolling and extensive undercover work; with the use of stop and search powers and dispersal powers; reinforced by new hand-held weapon detectors; and all backed up at a national level by the work of the organised crime agency and our border force rigorously targeting and stopping the illegal entry of guns.

My answer to crime and disorder - our policy - is to both punish and prevent.

To punish: for anyone over 18 illegally carrying a gun, a five-year sentence.

To prevent: in our schools intensive education warning about guns and knives and teachers encouraged to use new powers to confiscate weapons. And in our communities ex gang members helping us pull young people out of gangs.

To punish the evil of drug pushers who poison our children: I want the tough new powers that have already closed over one thousand crack houses in some areas of the country to be used in all areas of the country.

And to encourage local police to use new powers to confiscate drug profits, more of the confiscated funds will go direct to the police and local communities.

To prevent addiction: we will extend drug education and expand drug treatment and we will send out a clear message that drugs are never going to be decriminalised.

There are now 139,000 police officers and 16,000 Community Support Officers - more officers than ever before.

And by April 7th next year, every community will have its own neighbourhood policing team. And I can announce that we will provide hand held computers - 1,000 now, by next year 10,000 right across the country - cutting paper work so that officers can log crimes on the spot, stay on the beat and not waste time returning to the station to fill out forms.

So yes we will strengthen the police. Yes we will strengthen our laws. But preventing crime for me also means all of us as a community setting boundaries between what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour - with clear penalties for stepping over the line.

Boundaries that reflect the words I was taught when I was young - words upon which we all know strong communities are founded: discipline, respect, responsibility.

Nu handlade inte Browns tal enbart om lag och ordning utan innehöll också en mängd förslag på åtgärder för att också förbättra förhållandena för utsatta människor.

Torgny Peterson