UK: Clarke to keep soft policy on cannabis

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Philip Johnston

The Telegraph

Thursday 19 Jan 2006

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Cannabis is to remain a Class C drug but there is to be a greater focus
on the mental health dangers it poses, Charles Clarke, the Home
Secretary, is expected to announce today.

After a nine-month review of medical evidence linking cannabis to
schizophrenia, Mr Clarke will tell MPs that he has decided not to
reverse the reclassification introduced two years ago by David Blunkett,
his predecessor.

Mr Clarke concluded that the confusion which would be caused by another
change in the law would outweigh the advantages of tightening it up
again. He recently conceded that the reclassification itself had caused
confusion and appeared to hint that he would make a U-turn by voicing
his concern over a report from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of
Drugs, which suggested there was a growing body of evidence about mental
health risks.

Mr Clarke has accepted that the high psychoactive content of modern
cannabis is having an effect on the mental health of young users and the
Governmment is planning an education campaign to highlight the risks of
using it and will urge the police to tackle suppliers more aggressively.

Until 2003, cannabis was a Class B substance. Mr Blunkett announced in
2001 that he wanted to regrade it as Class C, which means it is still
illegal but the police adopt a more "softly, softly" approach to possession.

Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug in Britain. Two in five
15-year-olds have tried it - more than in any other country in Europe.

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