POT LUCK IN BRITAIN

LONDON (CP)- Smoking pot in Britain without fear of arrest will be a
reality by next summer as the government virtually decriminalized cannabis
yesterday to give police more time to fight the use of hard drugs.

The decision by Home Secretary David Blunkett to reclassify cannabis is
risky as critics fear it could encourage children to take up smoking marijuana.

The government has downgraded cannabis to a Class C drug, putting it at the
same level as anabolic steroids and anti-depressants. While that means it
is still a criminal offence to possess pot, in most cases cops will be
instructed not to charge people if they smoke it for their own use.