Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
UK - The Government is to regrade cannabis from a class C drug to a class B, only four years after it was downgraded. What will the change mean in terms of how drug users, dealers and growers are punished in Swansea?
The answer to what the change will mean seems to be a resounding "nothing", if the experts are to be believed.Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has announced plans to upgrade cannabis from its current class C position - the lowest class - to class B.
It will mean that jail sentences for users can increase from a maximum of two years, to five years.
It will also mean police get more powers to arrest users on the street. Currently police give informal on-the-spot warnings.
But the maximum sentence for drug dealers - 14 years - will remain unchanged.
South Wales Police made three arrests in Swansea every two hours as part of the Operation Jaguar crackdown on suspected drug dealers, as well as burglars, car thieves and members of organised crime gangs.
Officers have raided 16 drug "factories" in the city since January, removing plants with a combined street value amounting to hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The police force in Swansea could not comment on what the reclassification would mean for the force.
But Ifor Glyn, of the Swansea Drugs Project, said there was no reason for the reclassification.
He said: "What we've seen in Swansea during the past couple of years is a lot more people growing their own on a large scale.
"The Government has an advisory committee, and they've just decided to ignore that advice.
"I can see what the Government is saying, about there being stronger cannabis and its links to mental health issues.
"But I think the Government would be better off taking time to consider the matter, but in the wider context of drugs in this country as a whole.
"To me, this feels like a knee-jerk reaction."
The last reclassification of the drug took place in 2004, after the then Home Secretary David Blunkett followed advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD).
The council said that police needed to concentrate their time more on the eradication of hard drugs, rather than arresting cannabis smokers.
But in the new reclassification, set to come in early next year, Ms Smith has ignored a report from the same council, which suggested there was no reason to bump cannabis back up to a class B.
Sir Michael Rawlins, chairman of the ACMD, said moving cannabis from class C to class B "is neither warranted, nor will it achieve its desired effect".
Ms Smith has told the House of Commons that she had to consider public perception and the pressures on policing as well as the advice of the advisory council.
"There is a compelling case to act now rather than risk the future health of young people," she said.
"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."
The ACMD decided by 20 votes to three to recommend that cannabis remain a class C drug. Its nine-month review concluded that while more potent, homegrown strains of herbal cannabis, such as skunk, now dominate the British market, the evidence of a substantial link with mental illness remains weak.
Professor Rawlins said that the Government had the right to consider other factors but warned that reclassification would make little difference to consumption.
He added: "We know that for people who smoke cannabis, it makes no difference to them whether it is class A, B or C.
"What is important is a really vigorous public health response."
The Home Secretary told MPs she had accepted the 20 other recommendations made by the ACMD, including a tougher enforcement campaign against cannabis farms, a crackdown on so-called head shops, which sell cannabis paraphernalia, including seeds, and a renewed public health campaign.
Ms Smith confirmed that the police approach to those under 18 found in possession of small amounts would remain unchanged.
The police will continue to have the discretion to issue warnings to most adults found with small amounts of the drug.
But the Home Secretary made it clear that she has asked the police to propose a tougher enforcement policy with escalating penalties for repeat offenders including fixed penalty fines.
Supplying the drug to children, students, psychiatric patients or prisoners will also attract harsher sentences.
DrugScope, the leading drugs information charity, said in a statement that it was disappointed the Government had ignored the ACMD's advice: "Unfortunately, the message given by this decision is that drugs policy can be driven as much by political considerations, media headlines and scare stories as by the evidence," it said.
News Hawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: This Is Swansea
Copyright: 2008 This Is Swansea
Contact: this is swansea
Website: this is swansea
The answer to what the change will mean seems to be a resounding "nothing", if the experts are to be believed.Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has announced plans to upgrade cannabis from its current class C position - the lowest class - to class B.
It will mean that jail sentences for users can increase from a maximum of two years, to five years.
It will also mean police get more powers to arrest users on the street. Currently police give informal on-the-spot warnings.
But the maximum sentence for drug dealers - 14 years - will remain unchanged.
South Wales Police made three arrests in Swansea every two hours as part of the Operation Jaguar crackdown on suspected drug dealers, as well as burglars, car thieves and members of organised crime gangs.
Officers have raided 16 drug "factories" in the city since January, removing plants with a combined street value amounting to hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The police force in Swansea could not comment on what the reclassification would mean for the force.
But Ifor Glyn, of the Swansea Drugs Project, said there was no reason for the reclassification.
He said: "What we've seen in Swansea during the past couple of years is a lot more people growing their own on a large scale.
"The Government has an advisory committee, and they've just decided to ignore that advice.
"I can see what the Government is saying, about there being stronger cannabis and its links to mental health issues.
"But I think the Government would be better off taking time to consider the matter, but in the wider context of drugs in this country as a whole.
"To me, this feels like a knee-jerk reaction."
The last reclassification of the drug took place in 2004, after the then Home Secretary David Blunkett followed advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD).
The council said that police needed to concentrate their time more on the eradication of hard drugs, rather than arresting cannabis smokers.
But in the new reclassification, set to come in early next year, Ms Smith has ignored a report from the same council, which suggested there was no reason to bump cannabis back up to a class B.
Sir Michael Rawlins, chairman of the ACMD, said moving cannabis from class C to class B "is neither warranted, nor will it achieve its desired effect".
Ms Smith has told the House of Commons that she had to consider public perception and the pressures on policing as well as the advice of the advisory council.
"There is a compelling case to act now rather than risk the future health of young people," she said.
"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."
The ACMD decided by 20 votes to three to recommend that cannabis remain a class C drug. Its nine-month review concluded that while more potent, homegrown strains of herbal cannabis, such as skunk, now dominate the British market, the evidence of a substantial link with mental illness remains weak.
Professor Rawlins said that the Government had the right to consider other factors but warned that reclassification would make little difference to consumption.
He added: "We know that for people who smoke cannabis, it makes no difference to them whether it is class A, B or C.
"What is important is a really vigorous public health response."
The Home Secretary told MPs she had accepted the 20 other recommendations made by the ACMD, including a tougher enforcement campaign against cannabis farms, a crackdown on so-called head shops, which sell cannabis paraphernalia, including seeds, and a renewed public health campaign.
Ms Smith confirmed that the police approach to those under 18 found in possession of small amounts would remain unchanged.
The police will continue to have the discretion to issue warnings to most adults found with small amounts of the drug.
But the Home Secretary made it clear that she has asked the police to propose a tougher enforcement policy with escalating penalties for repeat offenders including fixed penalty fines.
Supplying the drug to children, students, psychiatric patients or prisoners will also attract harsher sentences.
DrugScope, the leading drugs information charity, said in a statement that it was disappointed the Government had ignored the ACMD's advice: "Unfortunately, the message given by this decision is that drugs policy can be driven as much by political considerations, media headlines and scare stories as by the evidence," it said.
News Hawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: This Is Swansea
Copyright: 2008 This Is Swansea
Contact: this is swansea
Website: this is swansea
