MOST BACK CANNABIS REFORMS

MOST people want criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of
cannabis to be scrapped, the Daily Express can reveal.

And an overwhelming majority believe smoking tobacco is more harmful, our
exclusive NOP poll shows.

The revelations will re-ignite controversy over the law on cannabis, about
which home secretary David Blunkett has said he wants "an adult intelligent
debate."

In the poll of 1,000 people aged 15 and over, 58 per cent opposed criminal
penalties for cannabis possession, with four out of five saying long-term
tobacco use did more damage to health than smoking cannabis.

support for decriminalisation is especially strong among those under 34,
with more than two-thirds in favour.

Almost as many aged 35 to 54 take the same view, but support for
decriminalisation falls to 43 per cent among the over-55s.

There are also sex and class differences, with decriminalisation more
strongly supported by men (62 per cent) and wealthier "ABC1" consumers (63
per cent) than women (54 per cent) and manual workers (54 per cent).

however, belief that tobacco is more harmful is almost equally shared by
different ages, sexes and classes.

Ian Robinson, deputy director of drugs charity Release, said: "Lots of
people know people who smoke cannabis and they don't see them as criminals."

But he believed support for a change in the law would probably have been
lower had the survey asked whether cannabis itself should be legalised,
allowing open sale.

At present those found in possession face a maximum of five years in jail.