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| Police to urge cannabis regrading | Police to urge cannabis regrading |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Senior police officers are to tell government advisers that cannabis should be upgraded from a Class C to a more dangerous Class B drug. | Senior police officers are to tell government advisers that cannabis should be upgraded from a Class C to a more dangerous Class B drug. |
| The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs is reviewing the classification of cannabis because of concerns about a link with mental illness. | The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs is reviewing the classification of cannabis because of concerns about a link with mental illness. |
| The Association of Chief Police Officers said reclassification would end confusion over the drug's status. | The Association of Chief Police Officers said reclassification would end confusion over the drug's status. |
| Cannabis use has fallen since it was defined as Class C four years ago. | Cannabis use has fallen since it was defined as Class C four years ago. |
| Tougher penalties | Tougher penalties |
| Police said the reclassification would help them target organised crime gangs who are profiting from the booming trade in herbal cannabis cultivated in the UK. | Police said the reclassification would help them target organised crime gangs who are profiting from the booming trade in herbal cannabis cultivated in the UK. |
| The reclassification would be accompanied by stiffer penalties, something that Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith are believed to support. | The reclassification would be accompanied by stiffer penalties, something that Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith are believed to support. |
| But David Blunkett, who downgraded the drug when he was home secretary, said a reversal of his decision would create confusion. | But David Blunkett, who downgraded the drug when he was home secretary, said a reversal of his decision would create confusion. |
| I'm not talking about it just being a gateway drug. It is dangerous in itself Debra Bell, Talking About Cannabis Parental Action Group | I'm not talking about it just being a gateway drug. It is dangerous in itself Debra Bell, Talking About Cannabis Parental Action Group |
| Speaking at the weekend, he said: "Rather than affecting practice on the ground, classifying cannabis back to class B now would simply cause confusion." | Speaking at the weekend, he said: "Rather than affecting practice on the ground, classifying cannabis back to class B now would simply cause confusion." |
| And the mental health charity Rethink said cannabis use could be reduced without reclassification, if warnings about the risks were placed on packs of cigarette papers, which are used to roll joints. | And the mental health charity Rethink said cannabis use could be reduced without reclassification, if warnings about the risks were placed on packs of cigarette papers, which are used to roll joints. |
| Debra Bell, of the Talking About Cannabis Parental Action Group, said: "Skunk cannabis is one of the evils of our time. | Debra Bell, of the Talking About Cannabis Parental Action Group, said: "Skunk cannabis is one of the evils of our time. |
| "I'm not talking about it just being a gateway drug. It is dangerous in itself." | "I'm not talking about it just being a gateway drug. It is dangerous in itself." |
| The mental health charity, Sane, will also give evidence to the review. Its chief executive, Marjorie Wallace, said there was a significant risk for people who smoke the drug who are under 15 years old. | |
| She said: "Their chances of developing a later illness like schizophrenia can be between two and four times higher - that means there may be about 1,500 people who are developing schizophrenia who, without taking cannabis, might not otherwise have had this long sentence of mental illness." |