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Cannabis law to be toughened



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HOME Secretary Jacqui Smith today confirmed plans to reclassify cannabis as a Class B drug, defying the independent experts who advise the Government.
Cannabis was downgraded from Class B to Class C in 2004, but there has been widespread concern about the increased prevalence of stronger "skunk" varieties of the drug.

Ms Smith said skunk now formed 80% of the cannabis seized on the streets and the drug was nearly three times stronger as in 1995.

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs recommended keeping the classification at Class C, but Ms Smith told MPs she was responding to "public perception and the needs and consequences for policing priorities".

She said: "There is a compelling case for us to act now, rather than risk the future health of young people.

"Where there is a clear and serious problem, but doubt about the potential harm that will be caused, we must err on the side of caution and protect the public.

"I make no apology for that – I am not prepared to 'wait and see'."
The Home Secretary said she accepted the other 20 recommendations made by the Advisory Council and indicated there would be a "strengthened enforcement approach".

Chief police officers will be consulted on an "escalation" of enforcement of possession laws and the supply of drugs near colleges, universities, mental health institutions and prisons will be an aggravating factor in sentencing.

Shadow home secretary David Davis backed the move, but said it had come "rather late".

The full article contains 253 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 07 May 2008 2:47 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Drugs policy
 
1

Royalty,

Zandvoort 07/05/2008 15:09:44
UK pot heads visit Holland in there 1000's every year.

By & large they tend to be a harmless & slightly boring bunch of leftys.

Better sticking to the rum & coke I tell them, it gives you wings.

2

Pmonkey7,

07/05/2008 15:26:10
What a load of rubbish, they are doing this so the tories dont have another stick to beat them with in the next election, not that they dont already have more than enough already.

I am sure the police will be delighted to have some extra, utterly pointless work to do. Which prisons are these new offenders going to be housed in? What will be the legal costs? Are we going to give our young people a permanent mark on their records for smoking a bit of dope?
3

yockel,

07/05/2008 16:09:46
"Ms Smith said skunk now formed 80% of the cannabis seized on the streets and the drug was nearly three times stronger as in 1995".

There is a rumour that this is just not true, it's just that you get more per plant if you grow the stuff. Does anybody know the truth? How does it compare to the stuff we had in '75?
4

Caratacus,

West Britain 07/05/2008 16:32:05
I heard Gordon Brown the other day and he kept referring to 'lethal' forms of cannabis when he was talking about 'skunk'. Lethal? It was almost as if he didn't know what he was talking about...
5

Mcsnagpile,

07/05/2008 19:34:02
My problem with grass is getting the wife to use the lawn mower.I am sure Brown agrees.
6

Stewart C.,

Stranraer 07/05/2008 19:35:26
Whatever your views on cannabis and its legalisation, it is almost comical that four years after downgrading the drug from Class B to C, Labour does a U-turn and proudly announces that they are cracking down on it.

I know we have been getting dumbed down for decades by the media, state 'education' and fluoridation of the water supply, but you still have to admire the contempt the Government has for our intelligence.

from alternative Labour website http://www.thelabourparty.org
7

danielrober,

07/05/2008 19:35:45
If this is the case and the law is to be strengthened i hope it is backed up by tests and fines.

After all we give sports people a hard time for taking performance enhancing dugs, let us see the same fair principle applied to the government sector. If an official is too stand for elected office or a high government post will their be compulusary (published)dug tests to ensure that our leaders are clean.

Also will we see these petty criminal actions backed-up by fines. Our prisons seem to be quite full up so if the law is to have any effect some punishment needs to take place. So lets see fines of £20, £50, £100, etc along the same lines as successful traffic fines.

 

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