Pubdate: Tue, 25 Nov 2008
Source: Guardian, The (UK)
Copyright: 2008 Guardian News and Media Limited
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Website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardian/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/175
Author: Ian Sample
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?207 (Cannabis - United Kingdom)

SCIENTISTS ATTACK PLAN TO UPGRADE CANNABIS

Government plans to overrule its own drug advisers and reclassify
cannabis as a more dangerous substance are attacked by leading
scientists and MPs in a letter to the Guardian today.

The home secretary, Jacqui Smith, intends to move cannabis from class
C to class B, where it will sit alongside amphetamines, such as speed,
and barbiturates. The move comes despite repeated recommendations from
the government's drug advisers that its classification should not be
upgraded.

The proposal, which is due to be voted on by peers today, is described
as "extremely damaging" in the letter, whose signatories include two
former chief scientists, Sir David King and Lord May; Professor Colin
Blakemore, former head of the Medical Research Council; and Sir
Gabriel Horn, chair of the Academy of Medical Science's working group
on brain science, addiction and drugs.

The letter warns that changing the classification of cannabis risks
reversing a downwards trend in use of the drug since 2004 and
undermines public health messages about the more serious dangers of
class B drugs. It urges peers to block the change of classification by
voting to defer the move until 2010.

"In recommending this change to parliament the government has rejected
the explicit advice of its appointed experts, the advisory council on
the misuse of drugs, for the first time in its history," the experts
write.

The Lib Dem science spokesman Evan Harris said the letter demonstrated
the anger in the science community over the government's treatment of
expert scientific advice. "It may be that it will take resignations in
order for ministers to understand that they can't ignore the evidence
and keep scientists on board," he said.

The government's advisory council on misuse of drugs (ACMD) has
reviewed the classification of cannabis three times since 2002. Its
most recent report, which was commissioned last July amid concerns
that highly potent "skunk" was becoming widely available, found that
while stronger homegrown strains of the drug dominated the market
there was only weak evidence of a link with mental illnesses, such as
schizophrenia.

The report called for tougher action against cannabis farms, a
crackdown on shops selling cannabis paraphernalia and a renewed public
health campaign. Scientists on the council warned that reclassifying
cannabis was unlikely to curb usage, but risked increasing the chances
of vulnerable people getting a criminal record.

In a last-ditch attempt to block the Lords from approving the
government's plans, Baroness Meacher has tabled an amendment that
would postpone a decision on the drug for two years, pending another
review by the ACMD.

In May Smith told the Commons that she had to take public perceptions
and the pressures on policing into account when making a final
decision on cannabis.
___________________________________________________________
Pubdate: Tue, 25 Nov 2008
Source: Guardian, The (UK)
Copyright: 2008 Guardian News and Media Limited
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardian/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/175
Author: (see below)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?207 (Cannabis - United Kingdom)

LORDS MUST STOP PLAN TO RECLASSIFY CANNABIS

Today the House of Lords debates the proposal from the Home Office to
reclassify cannabis from class C to class B. In recommending this
change to parliament, the government has rejected the explicit advice
of its appointed experts, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs,
for the first time in nearly 30 years. In its last report, produced at
the request of the home secretary, the ACMD clearly recommended - for
the third time in the last six years - that cannabis remains a class C
drug, and did so after examining all the available and latest evidence
on short- and long-term health risks, as well as social harms, public
attitudes and policing priorities.

After setting out its conclusions on the health risks of cannabis and
concerns regarding greater potency, the report made clear
recommendations for improved drugs education and greater efforts to
tackle drug dealing. However, it concluded that the evidence was
against greater criminalisation of possession. The impact of
parliament agreeing to the government's policy could be very damaging.
Cannabis use has fallen in recent years, especially following its
downgrading to class C in 2004, and it is obviously unwise to risk
reversing that trend. The classification system must be credible -
reclassification would send out an ambiguous message about the dangers
of current class B drugs.

Even more importantly, the move would be a sad departure from the
welcome trend - established after the Phillips report into the BSE
disaster - of public policy following expert scientific advice unless
there is new evidence. Baroness Meacher has tabled an amendment
calling for a postponement of any reclassification pending a further
ACMD review in two years. We urge peers to maintain the trend to
evidence-based policy-making by supporting the amendment.

Dr Evan Harris MP Lib Dem science spokesman, David King Former
government chief scientific adviser, Professor Michael Rawlins Chair,
ACMD 1998-2008, (Lord) Robert May Former government chief scientific
adviser, Phil Willis MP Chair, Science select committee, Professor
Gabriel Horne Chair, Academy of Medical Science working group on
addiction, Professor Colin Blakemore Member, UK Drug Policy
Commission; former director, Medical Research Council, Tracey Brown
Director, Sense about Science, Dr Leslie King Member, ACMD, Ruth
Runciman Former member, ACMD.