It saddens us at the Cannabis College to hear that the UK government has decided to ignore their own experts (once again). They say they are erring on the side of caution; however (as we all know) here in The Netherlands we have had a successful "tolerant" soft drug policy for over 30 years without increased consumption rates or needing to criminalise the personal use of Cannabis.
Source: Press Association
Date: May 7, 2008
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has defied the government's own experts by
announcing that laws on cannabis will be toughened up.
Ms Smith said the drug must be upgraded from Class C to Class B to avoid
"risking the future health of young people."
The move comes despite the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
(ACMD) concluding that the health dangers from Cannabis did not justify
its inclusion in the higher category.
A report from the group said scientific evidence pointed to a "probable,
but weak, causal link between psychotic illness, including
schizophrenia, and Cannabis use."
However, in the population as a whole, the drug played only a "modest
role" in the development of these conditions.
Ms Smith told the Commons that, despite the experts' conclusions, the
Government was determined to "err on the side of caution."
"I have given the council's report careful consideration," she said. "Of
the council's 21 recommendations I accept all bar those relating to
classification.
"I have decided to reclassify cannabis to a Class B drug, subject to
Parliamentary approval."
She added: "There is a compelling case for us to act now rather than
risk the future health of young people.
"Where there is a clear and serious problem, but doubt about the harm
that will be caused, we must err on the side of caution and protect the
public. I make no apology for that - I am not prepared to 'wait and see'."
With this change, you can now get a maximum of 5 years in prison for possession of cannabis in the U.K. and only 4 years for carrying a knife. A strange decision for a country with so much knife crime.
