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Zilos

A review of the decision to reclassify cannabis, after studies suggested links with mental illness, is not a policy reversal, the Home Office has said.

It was downgraded in January 2004 after advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, which will be asked if new research would change its position.

The Tories said ministers were admitting they were "wrong". The Liberal Democrats welcomed the review.

The Home Office said the classification of drugs is under "constant review".

Psychosis concerns

The move to downgrade the drug from Class B to Class C - placing it alongside steroids and some prescription anti-depressants - was made by former home secretary David Blunkett.

It made most cases of cannabis possession a non-arrestable offence.

Denying the suggestion that the review of the downgrading was an embarrassing reversal, a Home Office spokeswoman said: "It makes sense that government policy reflects scientific findings and is kept up to date."

She said the review would not affect the decision on whether to give the go-ahead to a prescription form of the drug.

Mental health charities welcomed the review, but charity DrugScope warned against the danger of the move being motivated by political, and not scientific, factors.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke, writing to the chairman of the advisory council, Professor Sir Michael Rawlins, highlighted concerns over several studies that strongly linked cannabis use to the development of psychosis.

A study by New Zealand scientists, published earlier this month, suggested smoking cannabis virtually doubled the risk of developing mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.

'Unquestionably harmful'

In his letter, released by the Home Office, Mr Clarke also asked for advice about the issue of high-strength cannabis, known as "skunk".

A Home Office spokeswoman said the possibility of a two-tier classification system for cannabis in the UK would be a matter for the review, but added: "At this stage there is nothing to inform that."

The advisory council, which is made up of scientists and medical experts, said in 2001 that cannabis was "unquestionably harmful", but less so than other class B drugs.

Mr Blunkett said he welcomed the review, "which will avoid this important issue being misused and will enable a rational and sensible debate to continue".

The Tories have pledged to return cannabis to class B and shadow home secretary David Davis said Mr Clarke's move meant the government was admitting that downgrading the drug had been "the wrong decision".

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten said his party had argued that the police should focus on "very serious drugs" and spend less time dealing with cannabis possession.

However, he added: "If evidence changes and it is clear that there are more harmful aspects of cannabis, it makes sense to review the law and that is why we would support any changes based on evidence that the home secretary is considering."

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frolic

Imagine if they held every drug to the criteria that they are demanding of marijuana. We would not be able to buy tobacco, alcohol and no one could purchass drugs like vioxx and celebrex. There are no absolutely safe substances.

killer12382

One step forward and one step back gets you absolutely nowhere.

Unregistered

It is almost unfathomable how the governments of the world can still demonize marijuana, while at the same time allowing the sale of drugs that are much more harmful. WHY CAN'T THE PEOPLE SEE THIS BLATANT HYPOCRISY? They are trying to get people to fear one of the safest substances on the planet, and then they bombard us with commercials encouraging the use of prescription drugs with side effects that can kill you. I'm so sick of this bull****.

Buzzby

Yeah. Right. Users of cannabis have more of a tendency to think that people are out to get them. Guess what? They do!

USA: Psychosis, Hype And Baloney

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ChronicSmoke7

Why,because we have been influenced and traind by the government to believe what they say and if we claim they're lying were just some wacko nut job conspiracy theorist.

Buzzby

I haven't taken anything promoted by the government at face value since the mid-60s when they lied to us about Vietnam. That's forty years! I fail to see how anyone with half a brain would believe government propaganda.

They're not in the truth business. Government doesn't work for the people. It works to maintain it's own power and to maintain the status quo. That's especially true of governments that favor the wealthy and have a religious/moralistic axe to grind.

ChronicSmoke7

i agree w/ you depending on what you mean by status quo, if you mean, trying to rid the world or ignorant common people,so the world will be a better palce for the elite, than yea the government works to maintain its own power and the status quo. i.e. world domination through population control

Buzzby

The conservative elite doesn't want to rid the world of ignorant common people. Who would serve them and build their wealth? What they want is to dumb down the populace to the point where ordinary working people think that policies which benefit only the wealthy will also benefit them. They do this by promoting fear and xenophobia: "If you don't vote for us you'll be overrun by terrorists, homosexuals, dope fiends, and other godless heathens."

They seem to be succeeding.

ChronicSmoke7

actually they want to rid the world of an unhealthy amount of common people....their goal is to get a global population of 500 million,which they consider a healthy amount that won't rape mother earth and maintain a sustainable society in harmony w/ mother nature.To do this they will use fear and the threat of nuclear war to enslave us...please save us form the terroritst!!!
http://www.acts1711.com/georgiastone.htm

They already have more money than they can spend even w/ big government budgets and wars to fight, that just produces more money and control, once they deflate the dollar by crashing the stock market, there will be recession,inflation and depression all at the same time and this will happen in the near future, i'm guessin w/ in the next 15-20 years..... forcing us to acept teh euro as the worlds money system and using the u.n. to police the population and restore order