From BBC NEWS | UK | Cannabis 'should remain class C'


Cannabis 'should remain class C' Some types of cannabis are increasing in strength
Home Secretary


The official body which advises the government on drugs policy has decided cannabis should remain a class C drug, the BBC understands.

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs' decision appears to go against the view of Gordon Brown, who seems to favour returning the drug to class B.

The government asked the council to review cannabis's legal status amid concerns over stronger forms of it.

The council refused to confirm or deny a decision.

Chairman Professor Sir Michael Rawlins said a report would be sent to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith later this month.

The expected decision has caused concern among mental health charities who say skunk, a stronger form of the drug, can trigger psychotic breakdowns.

Others say public health education would be a better route than reclassification.

University study

BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the decision was taken at a private meeting of the council, which discussed significant new research from Keele University about links between cannabis and mental illness.

The study found nothing to support a theory that rising cannabis use in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s led to increases in the incidence of schizophrenia later on.
MAXIMUM DRUG PENALTIES
Class A: Seven years for possession, life for supplying
Class B: Five years for possession, 14 for supplying
Class C: Two years for possession, 14 for supplying


The Advisory Council's decision leaves the government in an awkward position, our correspondent added.

Gordon Brown has indicated he favours transferring cannabis back to class B to send a message about the dangers of the drug, particularly to teenagers.

At a news conference earlier this week, he said that - given the changing nature of cannabis and the greater damage being caused - there was a stronger case for sending out a signal that cannabis was not only illegal, but unacceptable.

If the government does reclassify, it would be rejecting the findings of the Advisory Council's panel of 23 drug experts, which has never happened before on a decision about drug classification.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she would not comment on the review until she had received it.

Mass criminalisation

Cannabis was downgraded from a class B drug to class C in January 2004.

The move was designed to free up police time and allow officers to concentrate on tackling harder drugs.

Adults found carrying cannabis are unlikely to be arrested, and young people are most likely to be arrested and reprimanded.

Possession of the class C drug does carry a maximum penalty of a two-year prison sentence, but this is rarely served. People found to be carrying a class B drug can be given up to a five-year sentence.
Young people are literally dicing with their minds and futures
Marjorie Wallace, Sane


Steve Rolles, of the Transform Drugs Policy Foundation, said increasing jail sentences from two years to five through reclassification was not the best way to send a strong signal to teenagers about the dangers of the drug.

"Rather than mass criminalisation of millions of young people, the best way would be to invest in effective, targeted public health education," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

He said current estimates suggested 2 million people in the country were regular cannabis users, 4 million dabbled occasionally and 6 million had tried it.

But former government drugs advisor Keith Hellawell said the government should never have reclassified cannabis to class C.

He said the move created confusion for police, teachers, parents and young people by sending out the wrong message.


Mental health charity Sane was one group which gave evidence to the advisory group.

Marjorie Wallace, the charity's chief executive, said not enough was yet known about the direct links between cannabis and the brain.

She said she knew of hundreds of cases where people smoked cannabis heavily, in particular skunk, and went on to suffer psychotic breakdowns, hallucinations and paranoia.
He turned to me and said 'you've got it wrong, even the government think it's safe to smoke'
Debra Bell, Talking About Cannabis


"Young people are literally dicing with their minds and futures," she told BBC News.

"If you have ever seen someone who has taken heavy cannabis and gone on a trip from which they have never really returned, and you have seen the collateral damage to them and their families, then you have to look at it from that point of view."

Debra Bell, chief executive of parents' group Talking About Cannabis, also gave evidence to the advisory council.

Her son became a heavy user after starting to smoke cannabis at 14, and she believes the government message is very important.

"When I spoke to my son, pleading with him as he became more and more ill and I watched him turn into a stranger in our own house... I said to him 'this is a very dangerous drug, just look at the research'.

"He turned to me and said 'you've got it wrong, even the government think it's safe to smoke'."



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Story from BBC NEWS:
BBC NEWS | UK | Cannabis 'should remain class C'

Published: 2008/04/03 09:22:43 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

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I have a gun to my head while being forced to type

a step back for uk cannabis dam we are so behind american and canada

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'hey' hey' 'hey' 'smoke weed everyday'

http://www.rollitup.org/grow-journal...-watt-hps.html my grow journal share the love

Thats the most stupidest law change if there was ever 1 .

They send out the message that it is ok to smoke weed in your own home , With the worst out come a big fine and probation or somthing silly

But to grow or have enough to get charged with intent to supply you can get any thing up to 14 years .. wtf its class c

So its ok to buy the poison stuff from the polish and the asians or who ever u choose Thats ok,,,But its not ok to grow a little bit Instead of funding scumbag dealers buying contaminated weed

let us grow are own ffs then the peacfull tokers are out of your nose and they can worry about the violent drugs and them kids full of cocaine kicking people to death or what ever they do that night ... shoot

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Global warming gives you wings ..Bring on the next evolution

"If you have ever seen someone who has taken heavy cannabis and gone on a trip from which they have never really returned..."

What the hell are you guyz in the UK smoking? And ... where do I get some?

Vi

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Liberals are people that will believe anything twice.

Mostly Diesel and Camel Hair if you're buying UK street hash (Don't do it), or Green covered in tiny glass balls (meant to look like pollen) if you're really unlucky.

These things are FAR more dangerous than any combination of TCH or Cannabinoids however strong, yet are made possible due only to the prohibition of our beloved plant.

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MONE¥ I$ D£BT.
No Victim No Crime Legalize

The youth is all depressed in the uk and killing them selfs from that shit they smoke The media say its cannabis but if they smoked proper well flushed buds they would not have any of that stuff ,

The contaminated weed that we are aloud to smoke Has deadly selica, graded glass, meta,l sand , reptile sticky gear ..........Any thing that makes it look real again after they make some nice bubble hash or oil and de-crystalize the hole crop

The hash you name it its in it .. bin bags(with rubbish in them sometimes) glue , tupintine, beeswax , honey coffee and some boot polish for the finish off look , and the plants folage of course or any old plant mater usually and 10g of kieff per key lol

It solves most there problems just to let us grow a plant or two per home , Theres people smuggling going on just to bring asians into the uk just to watch grow houses

Then they could focus on real problems Cocaine ,Heroin, Gun Crimes ,Gangs, Ect

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Global warming gives you wings ..Bring on the next evolution

anyone posted your views on the bbc forum? i just did...

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I have a gun to my head while being forced to type

sorry to hear all that goin on in the uk.. my dream was to move to london some day

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you cant just put something in the mailbox without a stamp. thats a federal offence. - Hank Hill