Blunkett warns of drug 'confusion'

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Prime Minister Gordon Brown has ordered a review of the reclassification amid widespread expectations that it will lead to the eventual return of the drug to class B status.

Defending his decision to downgrade the drug in 2004, Mr Blunkett said that it was more "honest" to make cannabis class C - which means that users cannot be arrested for carrying small amounts - rather than place it in the more serious category but then take a softly-softly approach to policing it.

He told the Independent on Sunday: "Rather than affecting practice on the ground, classifying cannabis back to class B now would simply cause confusion.

"Classifying cannabis as class C is a much more honest approach both politically and in terms of how the drug is policed, rather than tackling what was a class B drug with a class C approach, as happened in the past."

Following criticism of reclassification and claims that new stronger strains of cannabis were causing a health threat, former PM Tony Blair ordered a review of the law, which in 2006 rejected the argument for reversing the change.

But within weeks of entering 10 Downing Street last year, his successor announced that the new Home Secretary Jacqui Smith was again reviewing the issue.

He has made little secret of his desire to see cannabis returned to class B.