CANNABIS LAW IS A MESS

The Government has made a total mess of the law on cannabis. For more
than 30 years, it was designated under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as
a Class B substance. But in 2004, David Blunkett downgraded the drug
to Class C. He maintained this would allow the police to focus their
efforts on more serious, Class A drugs, such as heroin and cocaine.

Yet hardly had the reform been proposed than the criticism began and
the Government began to back track. Possession of Class C drugs was
made an arrestable offence, defeating the point of the exercise, which
was to relieve pressure on the police.

Shortly before the 2005 general election, in order to neutralise the
issue during the campaign, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
(ACMD) was asked to carry out another review.

It recommended no change, a conclusion accepted by ministers once the
election was safely out of the way.

Then, when Gordon Brown became Prime Minister last summer the ACMD was
asked to undertake its third review in six years. Its report is due to
be published shortly and is expected to recommend that cannabis should
remain a Class C drug.

However, this is likely to be overruled by Mr Brown, who is adamant it
should return to Class B, rightly in our view. Now we learn that if it
is reclassified, the police will simply carry on as though nothing has
happened.

This is a thoroughly unsatisfactory state of affairs. Evidence of a
link between cannabis and psychotic illness makes it absolutely
essential that the Government and police send out clear and consistent
messages.

If the Government is now intent upon making cannabis once again a
Class B drug in order to signal concern about its use, it would be
perverse for the police then to treat it as though it were a less
potent substance.

It is essential that the law is both clear and is upheld. It is too
important for it to be used as a political football.