TPS welcomes the debate on the effects of cannabis
06 February 2008
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has insisted she still has an open mind about whether cannabis should be reclassified, the head of the Government's drug advisers said.
Chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), Profession Sir Michael Rawlins, said he had received a letter of reassurance from the politician after reports that she was prepared to disregard the committee's recommendations.
On the day the ACMD begins a two-day evidence session examining whether tougher penalties should be introduced for cannabis - four years after it was downgraded from Class B to Class C.
Research on the drug's effects on mental health will also be discussed.
Cannabis was reclassified in January 2004, making possession a largely non-arrestable offence, and placing it alongside some prescription anti-depressants and bodybuilding drugs.
Martin Bonnar, Turning Point Scotland's Operation Manager with the lead in substance misuse commented:
"Turning Point Scotland would welcome a debate on the effects of cannabis on the individual. We believe that the debate has been focused for too long on classification and enforcement. Policy should be informed by the effects substance have on individuals, families and the local community."