Smith snubs experts over cannabis

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith insisted the U-turn was necessary to safeguard "the future health of young people". She also unveiled a crackdown on cannabis "paraphernalia" such as pipes and even potentially posters that "glamorise" its use.

However, critics insisted Ms Smith was "crazy" to defy expert opinion, and accused her and Gordon Brown of "dithering" over how to deal with the drug.

The Prime Minister announced a review of the 2004 decision to downgrade cannabis shortly after taking over from Tony Blair last year. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) examined the issue on behalf of the Government, and concluded that cannabis should remain Class C based on its health risks.

A report from the group, published just hours before Ms Smith's statement to MPs, pointed to a "probable, but weak, causal link between psychotic illness, including schizophrenia, and cannabis use". However, despite stronger "skunk" varieties becoming more widely available, the drug played only a "modest role" in the development of these conditions in the population as a whole.

Ms Smith said she had given the report "careful consideration", but was rejecting its central recommendation.

"I have decided to reclassify cannabis to a Class B drug, subject to Parliamentary approval," she told the Commons. "There is a compelling case for us to act now rather than risk the future health of young people.

"Where there is a clear and serious problem, but doubt about the harm that will be caused, we must err on the side of caution and protect the public. I make no apology for that - I am not prepared to 'wait and see'."

Ms Smith said her decision took into account the "public perception" of the drug, and estimates that around four-fifths of cannabis seized on the streets was now skunk.

As a result the maximum penalty for possession of the drug will rise from two to five years by the end of this year. Warnings against cannabis use are also set to be put on cigarette paper packets, while the sale of seeds, pipes and even material encouraging people to smoke could be restricted.