CANNABIS USE DOWN SINCE LEGAL CHANGE

Fall in Teenage Consumption Raises Doubts Over Plan to Reclassify Drug

Gordon Brown's plans to tighten the law on cannabis by increasing the
penalties for possession suffered a fresh blow yesterday as the
latest official figures showed the decision to downgrade the drug had
been followed by a significant fall in its use.

British Crime Survey statistics showed that the proportion of 16- to
24-year-olds using cannabis slumped from 28% a decade ago to 21% now,
with its declining popularity accelerating after the decision to
downgrade the drug to class C was announced in January 2004.

Mr Brown asked the government's advisory committee on the misuse of
drugs to take a second look at the classification of cannabis in July
after reports that stronger strains of cannabis - known as
"superskunk" - were dominating the British market, with startling
implications for the mental health of frequent users.

At the same time three Home Office ministers, including the home
secretary, Jacqui Smith, publicly admitted using cannabis in their
youth. Ms Smith will have the responsibility of deciding whether to
regrade cannabis as a class B drug early next year when the committee
is expected to report. The change would mean the current police
policy of confiscating any of the drug found and issuing a warning on
the street would be replaced by arrest and a formal caution at a
police station.

But the BCS figures published yesterday showed that cannabis is
beginning to lose its allure with teenagers. The proportion of
frequent users in the 16-24 age group, who were using the drug more
than once a month, fell from 12% to 8% in the past four years.

Since cannabis was downgraded the proportion of young people using it
has fallen each year from 25.3% in 2003-4 to 20.9% now. Among those
aged 16 to 59, the proportion over the same period has fallen from
10.8% to 8.2%.

Earlier this week, a Joseph Rowntree study found that heavy cannabis
use exacerbated the existing social problems of vulnerable young
people but those in further and higher education who lead relatively
stable lives managed their cannabis use with fewer negative effects.

The decline in cannabis consumption prompted a call from the
independent UK Drugs Policy Commission to take decisions about drug
classification out of the hands of ministers. Dame Ruth Runciman, the
commission's chief, said: "We do not believe the credibility of the
current system or the clarity of message has been enhanced when, in
just the space of seven years, five home secretaries have sought one
way or another to address the classification of cannabis."

Good policymaking had been overshadowed by "politicking", and much of
the confusion among public and politicians stemmed from
misunderstandings about the classification system. The commission
also says there is no evidence a drug's classification deterred use,
and suggested that instead of tinkering the whole classification
system should be placed outside the direct control of politicians.

The Home Office said yesterday the "widespread growing use" of police
powers to issue street warnings was also a likely contributory factor
to a 54% increase in cannabis seizures in 2005. The number of people
dealt with each year by the police for possessing cannabis has
doubled since the drug was downgraded.

Claims that "superskunk", which is up to 10 times stronger than
imported resin, was dominant were also undermined by police and
customs seizure figures. The latest statistics published yesterday
showed that 69 tonnes of cannabis were seized in 2005 of which 49
tonnes were the traditional resin. Although herbal cannabis seizures,
of which "superskunk" is one variety, were up by 76% - reflecting the
growth of a homegrown cannabis industry - they still only amounted to
20 tonnes, less than one-third of the market.