CANNABIS will be designated as a Class C drug from January after the change was approved by the House of Lords.
The move to reclassify the drug as Class C rather than Class B will put it in the same category as anabolic steroids, benzodiazepines and the "date rape" drug GHB.
The change was approved by peers by 63 votes to 37, a majority of 26.
The depth of cross-party concern was shown earlier when an amendment criticising the plans was carried by 78 to 61.
Moved by Tory peer Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts, this warned that the classification change "may lead to increased use of cannabis, with risks to the health of young people, and regrets that it is being made before the Government's proposals concerning Class C drugs have been finalised".
It has no legal effect, however, and the reclassification will come into force on January 29 as planned.
Home Office minister Baroness Scotland of Asthal said any approach to the drugs problem was risky "but we believe that our strategy outlined here provides the best possible opportunity to get credibility into our drugs education".
What do you think? Should the drug be legal or should it be classified more highly? Let us know by submitting your comments below.
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Reclassifying - what are they on???
So its ok to have and use cannabis, but if you give your mate some you can get banged up for 14 years!
Our politicians are muppets.
RECLASSIFICATION OF CANNABIS IS JUST A LOAD OF OLD B'S AND C'S
The Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA) challenges the British Government to justify the continued punishment of cannabis users for simple possession and cultivation at home, that will exist after reclassification of cannabis on January 29, 2004.
(http://www.lca-uk.org/challengeintro.php)
Reclassification is virtually meaningless. It is a load of old B's and C's.
Whether cannabis is class B or class C, there remains no reason for punishing cannabis users or growers who neither harm nor threaten others. There is a basic fault in the concept of reclassification: that because cannabis does not fit into the B classification it will fit better in class C.
It is like trying to fit a square plug into a round hole: it will not fit so let's make a different size round hole!
The LCA believe that the law ought to reflect the issues of risk, human rights and good policing.
Reclassification will do nothing to decrease the risk posed to cannabis users through exposure to illegal dealers who MAY offer noxious substitutes and hard drugs. It will do nothing to protect the right to Privacy and Religion of Belief.
It will do nothing to enable the provision of accurate and credible information on making cannabis consumption as safe as possible.
The refusal of this Government to allow legal cannabis outlets, whilst sending a clear message that cannabis is not as dangerous as class B drugs, will simply create more openings for illegal dealers. This will increase availability of street cannabis substitutes and increase the customer base. Because the Criminal Justice Bill proposes increase of maximum sentences for cannabis supply to 14 years - the same as class B drugs - it is possible that the knock-on effect of reclassification will be an increase in street supply of those drugs too.
The whole policy of reclassification is badly thought out and we anticipate a negative effect.
Only a policy that allows for legal supply is going to start to solve the problems associated with and originating from the prohibition of cannabis: bad quality and advice, association with hard drugs through dealers, infringement of human rights, and unnecessary and expensive use of police and court time.
In addition, legalisation would enable home growing and taxation on profits of suppliers.
Society would gain all round. With reclassification, everyone's a loser.
Alun Buffry
National Coordinator Legalise Cannabis Alliance
Some people choose to have a glass of wine with a meal in their house, and I don't see why I should have any right to stop them. Some people choose to have a spliff, and I don't see why I should have any right to stop them, either.
Cannabis helps many people. By not making cannabis legal and only putting it into class C, there are still many people who stand a chance of going to prison. No one should be taken to court for trying to help themselves, this herb has been used for hundreds of years by all different kinds of cultures.
So basically some people are backing off, and admitting that canabbis is not sooo bad after all.
This is not good enough, nothing less than the complete decrimilisation of cannabis is justifyed.
ADULTS have the right to CHOICE, they have the right to choose cannabis, over alcohol and tobacco and decide for themselves what they think is healthy.
Legalise it then tax it, say no more.
Surely the point here is that the government still cannot justify ANY laws against cannabis without a blatant display of hypocrisy, and so the drug should be legalised and brought into line with the far more harmful alcohol and tobacco laws. For people who prefer a smoke to a drink, this is an increasingly exasperating situation.
Yeah, really clever that one! Lets turn a blind eye to people smoking it, 'cos thats ok now, but you have to go to underground sources to buy crap weed! I am often gobsmacked by the intelligence of our erstwhile leaders.
When are the government going to wake up and legalise cannabis? When they realise how much money they can make from it probably... *sigh*
Prohibition of a substance notably less dangerous than alchohol or tobacco can only be a ridiculous situation, and give an income to criminals to help finance more dangerous ciminal activities. We should legalise it and pay the farmers of the third world to grow it, giving them a legal income.
Alisdair - what a great idea! Unfortunately you know what will happen in such a scenario don't you? The 'big boys' will give them help to set up their farms in the Third World, and then buy the crop back at a vastly reduced rate to sell on for massive profit, leaving the farmers not much better off for all their hard work.
Legalise, regulate, and control outlets. Tax it, to raise some B#1.5bn revenue (HoC research document). Print health warnings on the packets and prosecute vendors for selling to underage consumers.
Agree with other comments- it should be made legal. As it stands now, if I grow a few cannabis plants for my own use I could end up in prison for years! How do I harm anyone growing a few plants??
Personally I think the whole drugs system needs an overhaul.
Hard drugs- heroin, crack and to a certain extent cocaine need thorough policing- they ARE dangerous.
For the recreational drugs laws need amending.
Cannabis, magic mushrooms, salvia, etc should be legal for anyone over 18. Tobacco use should be restricted to 18+ too. Smoking it below that age should carry penalties.
GHB- I think GHB is great when used correctly. A clean way to enjoy clubbing without drinking lots or taking pills. GHB gives you no hangover at all as it a natural chemical in the body.
However I know there are many muppets out there who abuse this very pure substance either by spiking drinks or over doing it. Perhaps a legal supply where it is given a distinctive colour & taste is a good idea? Good education too.
MDMA (Ecstacy) again can be used safely when a pure supply is obtained and it is used correctly. However there are far too many stupid people out there to ever legalise this drug. Does mean legit sensible users suffer for the stupidity of others but there you go.
Ok ramble over...
Sadly the halfway house of class C only contributes to the taking of those so called harder drugs. The fiasco of class C fills the coffers of some drug dealers who deal in hard drugs and in so doing, make some dealers a gateway to them.
The world health organisation in a leaked report and published by New Scientist in Feb. 1998 stated "cannabis is less harmful to health than alcohol or tobacco."
When such a renowned organisation as the WHO state such a thing why should any intelligent western government continue with prohibition?
Blunkett insanity!
The solution. A network of cottage industry growers with established local customers.
Our nations income tax would be boosted and that income may well be enough to pay for free education for life and free health care.
Then we add the environmental benefits of mass hemp production across the UK to the equation. We could save millions on our wood pulp for paper import bills and also if our farmers can produce enough, a brand new textile industry, thus cutting back on our imports of pesticide sprayed, cancer causing, soil depleting, cotton.
We are turning the world slowly but surely into Christmas Island. Once the breadbasket of India, the Punjab, is quickly becoming desert.
What do the people of the world do? Nothing because they are not told the whole truth and our global leaders turn a blind eye, and don't give the evilest of expressions for the future of both our and their own children.
Hemp for sustainable environmental development
WHAT? Use the tax from cannabis to pay for a free helth system or free education? This government had the chance to do that with the lottery, but decided instead to give it to much more worthy causes such as the opera and ballet. They also earned B#22bn for selling licences for mobile phones and we saw precious little of that either. Why should they when they have a workforce thay can tax to the hilt whenever they please in order to help those who put diddley squat into the system. Sorry - that was a bit of a rant. I need something to calm me down? I wonder . . . . .
Hypocracy reins, if I'm ever caught smoking cannabis I have go to court, and swear to my honesty on the Bible. In the very book I am swearing on, are the 10 commandments, recieved from above by Moses, who prior to his jaunt up a mountain, annointed himself with oil. An oil made of 9 parts HERB and 4 parts Olive Oil. When Him upstairs gave Moses the 10 Commandments to told him,' I am the law' 'Thou shalt make no other laws before me'. He goes on a bit more, but at no time did he say you shalt not PUFF !!!
Just a thought :)
Nothing is made safer by being illegal. Luckily cannabis is the safest intoxicant know to man, that is according to all scientific research, as opposed to government propaganda. However it is still patently ridiculous that it remains illegal, the sale unregulated and controlled by criminals who adulterate it with god knows what.
Cannabis shuld be legalised.
If individuals wish to consume a, relatively, harmless substance such as cannabis then they should have the freedom to do so withut the fear of possible prosecution. It is illogical and irrational that we should consider adults capable of exercising freedom of choice about whether to take alcohol or tobacco, which are responsible, annually, for the deaths of thousands, but then deny them the choice and threaten them with prosecution if they take cannabis a drug which has never knowingly killed anyone!
The risks associated with taking cannabis are in great part due to prohibition. Cannabis IS a gateway drug to heroin. This is because caanbis is illegal, and, consequently, many cannabis consumers have to get their cannabis from drug dealers who will try to sell them heroin and other dangerous drugs. Legalise cannabis allow its sale from licensed cannabis cafes and you help break the link between cannabis and hard drugs. Yes, there are ill effects from taking cannabis but these are generally due to drug dealers selling "soapbar" and other contaminated forms of cannabis. Legalise cannabis and those selling it will have their product subject to quality control. Any cannabis cafe which sold substandard, adulterated, cannabis would have its license removed.
It is time to legalise cannabis!
It should be fully legalised, Class C is a cop out by meally mouthed vote grabbers
Cannabis is a dangerous drug. it breeds apathy and inertia. It is psychologically addictive and it can damage relationships. Yet, because of the attitude of previous governments, I found this out the hard way, furtively sneaking the odd joint and not being able to ask anyone about the consequences. I am minded to legalise all drugs and educate children about their detrimental effects. I hope my child will be able to choose her highs from a position of knowledge and not have to experiment in ignorance. Mace.
I watched the debate and voting online from the Parliament website with great interest. I think cannabis should be legalised and sold in shops. Very brief reasons:
Whilst it is illegal:
o 100% procedes are lost to black market
o i am forced to buy from a dealer/criminal
o i am encouraged by said dealer to buy hard drugs
o it is more expensive than it should be
o i can go to jail
Made legal it will/can:
o allow for taxation, keeping the procedes in the UK economy
o it would not incur a fine/jail time
o it would be safer to get
o by making it legal, this will automatically cut crime, as it will no longer be one. (circular argument)
People say "sure, kids can get it more easily then! Keep it illegal!"
I say "Well, kids can get it *NOW*, more easily an alchohol. If it is sold at licenced premises, then those who sell to kids will lose their license (just like an off license / bar does now).
Prohibition does not work. It has not worked for 80 years, and it will not work in the future. Supply and demand. And if you cannot stop the demand, then at least CONTROL the supply.
There are good laws and bad laws - the law against cannabis is a bad law.
Prohibition DOES work, if enough resources are given to the task, just because people still commit murder doesn't mean we should legalise it.<br>
Reclassifying pot, gives out all the wrong messages to everyone, deprived areas have enough problems without condeming the kids to a dependant life, opting out of reality. Most are likely to begin use at a vital time in their education, I've seen it happen, brain dead kids , NO EDUCATION or qualifications, dead end job, mental and health problems. Users will be excluded from society, more and more employers are using random drug tests, to root out users. <br>
Its been predicted by health officials that we will see a massive rise in mental health problems that the health service will find impossible to control, as well as all the associated nicotine problems, (pot causes far more problems). ZERO TOLLERENCE.... we should be giving our youth highs based on achievement and education, not opting out on a health destroying drug.
Cannabis should be legalised and the government and anyone with a sound mind can see this.
However whilst there is a whole generation of people who don't care either way, they will get high legal or not, nothing will change.
Id just like to say that cannabis should be legalised for three reasons. First of all because of its benefits as a renewable resource for example for fuel. Secondly because of its extremely enjoyable properties when it is smoked.This is not comparable to the effect of alcohol in the way that it does not make you aggressive and careless, but instead makes you appreciate art, music and films a lot more as well as encouraging deep thought. Thirdly because of its medical benefits. To those that have extremely painful illnesses such as MS and Cancer and those that suffer the sight stealing disease Glaucoma, the only respite they can get is in the smoking or eating or cannabis or cannabis derived medicine. There is a myth that cannabis makes you stupid, however I feel that after a substantial period of time using the drug, my mental capabilities have no way been impaired by it.