Cannabis: Bringing out the best in our politicians

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Cannabis is to be reclassified as a class B drug, Jacqui Smith has said.

The home secretary said she wanted to reverse Tony Blair's 2004 downgrading of the drug because of "uncertainty" over its impact on mental health.

The move from class C means the maximum prison sentence for possessing cannabis rises from two years to five years.

Her statement to MPs came despite the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs' review - commissioned by Gordon Brown - saying it should stay class C.

'Psychotic illness'

Since cannabis was downgraded there has been widespread concern about the increased prevalence of stronger "skunk" varieties.

Ms Smith said this now accounted for 80% of the cannabis seized on the streets and the drug was nearly three times stronger than in 1995.


SKUNK
So-called because it has a very strong smell
Three times stronger than other types of cannabis
Contains much higher levels of the active ingredient - tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Now accounts for between 70 and 80% of samples seized by police
Six years ago it accounted for 15% of samples

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She added that the government's change of heart - which is subject to parliamentary approval - was part of a "relentless drive".

Ms Smith told MPs: "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'."

In its report, Cannabis: Classification And Public Health, the advisory council described cannabis as a "significant public health issue".

But it said it should still remain a class C drug, as the risks were not as serious as those of class B substances, such as amphetamines and barbiturates.

The report said the evidence suggested a "probable, but weak, causal link between psychotic illness, including schizophrenia, and cannabis use".

However, in the population as a whole, it played only a "modest role" in the development of these conditions.

Council chairman Sir Michael Rawlings told BBC Radio 4's World at One: "The strength of things like skunk hasn't really changed very much over the last few years but it's now more widely used... The question of potency is a very complex area."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7386889.stm

Weed *may* adversely affect your health. Unlike cigarettes which *definitely* adversely affects your health. And going against experts in the field. A very slow clap is needed for this man, another reason for Labour to get the hell out of town.

[RZZZA]

/sparks up

[Copperknickers II]

Personally i am very pleased with this. formerly, cannabis was being recognised by young people as 'class C illegal', so not really against the law at all, just slightly irrespecful of authority, which after all is exactly what we want to be. Cannabis messes with your mind, its like advisors. Good on Jaqui Smith, you are there to make decisions, not to be told what to do.

[Da Skinna]

How do you protect the public?

Oh right, by educating them properly. Not a cap full of bleach to cure pregnancies...

Seriously, this infringes on some very basic rights for people to do as they please as long as they do not hurt anyone else. People need more education, not more sheltering.

[Serious Spamurai]

"How many people were died last year from alcohol related deaths again? Oh, 18/100,000 men is low enough. Lets go after the evil things that may cause mental illness..."

[Da Skinna]

Anti-retard policies would seem pretty self-defeating to these politicians...

[James Cook]

this is BS I tell you, these ppl should spent the time on different matters.
In many ways, cannabis is harmless comparied too alcohol and smokes,
whitch is legal in most countrys around the globe.

[NakedBarbarian2]

Weed should just not be in the same boat as pills, meth or H, or even alchahol for that matter.

I smoke a spliff all i want to do is eat a donut, watch some mighty boosh and play M2TW.

Some yobbo drinks a carton of piss and goes and bashes his wife or ploughs his car into pedestrians. Its bull crap.

The government should just legalise it and put a tax on it like cigarettes and booze.

If you don't like nugz don't smoke them it really isn't that destructive. a spliff every 6 months keeps me normal.

[James Cook]

a spliff every 6 months keeps me normal.

A spliff every day makes makes me normal.

[NakedBarbarian2]

A spliff every day makes makes me normal.

I have responsibilities unfortunately its been a long time since my uni days

[Last Roman]

sucks for you Brits

I can gladly say that the view of marijuana is finally relaxing in the US

hey, even our politicians can get somethings right

[Gary88]

just to point out smoking cannabis has the same ill effects as smoking cigarettes for your lungs etc, in fact i believe its worse in that regard.

[Last Roman]

just to point out smoking cannabis has the same ill effects as smoking cigarettes for your lungs etc, in fact i believe its worse in that regard.

nein, no, nope

just like any smoke inhalation, it's not good for your lungs, but there are far more problems with cigarette smoke

like lung cancer for example

despite several attempts, they have found no link between cannabis smoke and lung cancer

[Copperknickers II]

nein, no, nope

just like any smoke inhalation, it's not good for your lungs, but there are far more problems with cigarette smoke

like lung cancer for example

despite several attempts, they have found no link between cannabis smoke and lung cancer

Actually there is a lot more tar in cannabis, from what i have heard.

[Last Roman]

Actually there is a lot more tar in cannabis, from what i have heard.

there are actually more carcinogens in marijuana, but there is something about the plant which neutralizes them, or that's what researchers think

and LR to me ruining my lungs is bad enough as far as i'm concerned.

you wont even necessarily damage your lungs

but hey, whatever floats your boat

[Vladimir Lenin]

nein, no, nope

just like any smoke inhalation, it's not good for your lungs, but there are far more problems with cigarette smoke

like lung cancer for example

despite several attempts, they have found no link between cannabis smoke and lung cancer

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Psychiat...ctions/tb/8096

I think that's a direct link....

[Last Roman]

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Psychiat...ctions/tb/8096

I think that's a direct link....

it seems that they're not even completely sure

Even using the prevalence of the highest tertile of cannabis smoking among the control group, the researchers estimated that about 5% of lung cancer among those younger than 55 in New Zealand may be attributable to cannabis smoking.

While it is important to interpret the findings in the context of these limitations," the investigators concluded, "the balance of evidence would suggest a positive association between cannabis and lung cancer."

note the MAY BE, and suggest (as opposed to a more definite answer)

now, if they find conclusive evidence that cannabis can lead to lung cancer, I cant say I'd be all that surprised.

But also note, these folks are smoking A LOT for a long time (most people who use pot don't do so for all the way to age 55, unlike most cigarette smokers) A joint contains a huge amount of marijuana, one of the reasons I usually stay away from Js and stick to water pipes or vaporisers.

[Vladimir Lenin]

it seems that they're not even completely sure



note the MAY BE

now, if they find conclusive evidence that cannabis can lead to lung cancer, I cant say I'd be all that surprised.

But also note, these folks are smoking A LOT for a long time (most people who use pot don't do so for all the way to age 55, unlike most cigarette smokers) A joint contains a huge amount of marijuana, one of the reasons I usually stay away from Js and stick to water pipes or vaporisers.

I stand corrected.

[LoZz]

i really dont get what people are complaining about, its ilegal. it always has been and being a class C or B or even A doesnt change that

[Chaigidel]

all BS, the active chemicals in tobacco are far more dangerous than cannibis, yes your still inhaling tar and vegetable oils, which isnt good, but it will eventually be expelled, in short

smoke all you want.