Gordon Brown signals cannabis reclassification move

Gordon Brown has given the strongest indication yet that he plans to press ahead with toughening cannabis laws by reclassifying the drug from Class C to Class B.

Speaking on breakfast television programme GMTV, the prime minister said: “I have always been worried about cannabis, with this new skunk, this more lethal part of cannabis.

“I don’t think that the previous studies took into account that so much of the cannabis on the streets is now of a lethal quality and we really have got to send out a message to young people – this is not acceptable.”

The government received the final report on cannabis from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs on Monday. Mr Brown said he was required to take into account the views of experts that include doctors, police, judges and drugs counsellors. It is understood that the council does not want cannabis to be reclassified.

A Home Office spokeswoman said today that the government was due to make an announcement on reclassification shortly.

Mental health charity SANE said it welcomed the prime minister’s conviction that cannabis is dangerous and may be linked to psychotic breakdown and long-term mental damage.

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