Pubdate: Wed, 21 Sep 2005
Source: Guardian, The (UK)
Copyright: 2005 Guardian Newspapers Limited
Contact:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardian/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/175
Author: Alan Travis, Home Affairs Editor
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?207 (Cannabis - United Kingdom)

SENIOR POLICE FEAR U-TURN ON CLASSIFICATION OF CANNABIS

Senior police officers fear that the government is to use Dutch
concerns over high-strength "skunk" to reverse the decision to relax
the laws on possession of all types of cannabis.

The government's expert committee on drug abuse will meet at the end
of the week to consider a request from the home secretary, Charles
Clarke, that it look again at last year's decision to downgrade
cannabis from class B to class C in the light of new studies linking
long-term use with mental health problems.

Mr Clarke has also asked the Advisory Council on Misuse of Drugs to
look at whether higher-strength, or "skunk", cannabis should
separately be regarded as a class B drug. Possession of a class B drug
means automatic arrest and charge, while class C drugs can be dealt
with by a warning on the street and confiscation. It is expected that
the council will confirm its longstanding advice to reclassify
cannabis, making clear that it is a less harmful drug than heroin and
cocaine.

The police fear a decision that more potent forms of "skunk" should
carry heavier penalties will cause more confusion, as it will mean
officers being expected to recognise the differences during a street
search. "You cannot have a two tier approach," said one senior
officer, who asked not to be named.

The source said there was a feeling that the home secretary was minded
to reclassify cannabis "if he can". When the ACMD was asked to look
again at cannabis, Tony Blair said the drug was not as harmless as
some people had made out. He told MPs that if the experts recommended
regrading cannabis to class B, he would act on it, and if they did not
he would have to look at the situation again.

Tiggey May, a criminologist from King's College London, who was
addressing a Royal College of Physicians conference yesterday, said
the new policy needed time to settle down.

There was confusion among young people about cannabis as a class C
drug and about police guidelines which meant children found in
possession were treated differently from adults. "To start
reclassifying cannabis in terms of strength would be extremely
difficult. I would say it would be ridiculous to try."

Harry Shapiro of DrugScope, the drugs information charity, said
"skunk" had been around a long time.

"We still do not believe there is new evidence since 2004 of dramatic
change in the availability or use of more potent forms of cannabis
that would warrant a change back from C to B."

He acknowledged there had been an unknown increase in the availability
of "homegrown" cannabis, but said it was not necessarily stronger than
imported resin. "Most people do not smoke cannabis to get so stoned
that they do not know what day of the week it is. We should legislate
for the typical cannabis user." 
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