Jacqui Smith un-downgrades cannabis
And wants to ban pipes, bongs... Hendrix albums
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Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, standing in front of a tired-looking Gordon Brown, told the House of Commons today she would ignore advice from the government's scientific advisors and upgrade the classification of cannabis from C to B.
Smith decided to ignore advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs which has studied links, or the lack of them, between mental illness and cannabis use since 2007. The group of 23 scientists decided there was no such link in its report delivered to the Home Office last week. Gordon Brown made clear his view by describing skunk cannabis as "lethal".
Smith said she would write to the Association of Chief Police Officers to establish a system of escalation for those caught possessing the drug. She said she was not necessarily against warnings for cannabis possession, but wanted such warnings recorded to ensure further offences were dealt with more strongly. David Davies, Tory shadow Home Secretary, welcomed the decision.
The Home Secretary said she wanted additional aggravating circumstances including selling cannabis near colleges, universities, mental health facilities and prisons. Which should cover most urban areas.
She also said she was talking to Acpo to see how they could curtail the sale and promotion of cannabis paraphernalia. Presumably this would be aimed at pipes and rolling papers and such, but we would further suggest woolly hats, combat trousers, prog rock albums and cheesy corn snacks. Most of these items are already sold with disclaimers that they should only be used to smoke legal substances.
The second paragraph of the Home Office press release reads: "Cannabis use has fallen significantly across all age ranges and this is a testament to the success of the previous ten year Drug Strategy. However, the reduction in cannabis use must not be allowed to reverse." Which sounds to us like someone's been at that lethal skunk stuff.
Cannabis was downgraded by David Blunkett in 2004. ®
COMMENTS
Sugars
Yeah it's a chemical, and yes it does change or alter your state of conciousness, so yep :) And if any of you have seen a school full of kids after the Krispy Kreme Man turns up, you'd realise that sugar is the real mind killer here ;)
@ Mat Stace
"Right, so because weed affects you in that way, it obviously does the same to everyone else. Exactly the same way that peanuts, and pollen, and cat hairs affect everyone the same way."
So we just have to take that gamble do we?
@AC (13:20)
Right, so because weed affects you in that way, it obviously does the same to everyone else. Exactly the same way that peanuts, and pollen, and cat hairs affect everyone the same way.
This morning I was in an iffy mood, and couldn't focus at all, due to the stinking hangover from drinking that lovely, legal, beer last night.
As for "maybe this time the govt are listening to people with experience in this matter. I can only hope."
I would invite you to re-read the actual story, in particular the bit where it says:
"**Smith decided to ignore advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs** which has studied links, or the lack of them, between mental illness and cannabis use since 2007. The group of 23 scientists decided there was no such link in its report delivered to the Home Office last week."
You see the bit I've emphasised with the double asterisks, where it says that the Home Secretary is ignoring the report the government have spent our money on?
Yeah, maybe this time the govt ARE listening to the people with experience in this matter. NOT. Remember, for every bad experience story, there will be hundreds, if not thousands, of good time stories which remain untold.
Black helicopters because I'm rapidly thinking that the government need reminding that they are there to serve us and protect us, not to lord it over us being our masters, so they'll be coming for me any day now ;-)
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