CANNABIS POLICY 'WRONG IN BRITAIN'

The decision by Britain to downgrade cannabis to a Class C drug was
criticised by the head of the United Nations anti-drugs agency as
"fundamentally wrong" yesterday.

Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the UN Office on Drugs and
Crime, said that countries got the "drug problem they deserved" if
their policies were not sufficiently tough.

He also warned EU countries not to ignore the "peril" of growing
cocaine use among the professional classes, which he said was reaching
alarming levels. In a strong statement, Mr Costa suggested that
cannabis was as harmful as cocaine and heroin -- a stance which
differs from the British position of treating cannabis less seriously
than Class A substances.

Although he did not mention Britain in his speech, Mr Costa's remarks
were taken to be a reference to the Government's decision in 2004 to
downgrade cannabis from a Class B to a Class C drug.

"Policy reversals leave young people confused as to just how dangerous
cannabis is," he said at the publication of his office's 2006 World
Drug Report in Washington.