| 1979 |
The
Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), the
"Government's statutory independent advisory body"
releases recommendation that cannabis be reclassified
to class C. Nothing was done. |
| 2000 |
The
Police Foundation, chaired by Dame Ruth Runciman, publish
a report "Report of the Independent Inquiry into
the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971" which recommended
that "Cannabis should be transferred from Class
B to Class C of Schedule 2 of the MDA and cannabinol
and its derivatives should be transferred from Class
A to Class C". |
| 06/02/2001 |
The
Government responds to the Runciman report, discarding
the recommendation claiming that "Existing scientific
evidence, which fuels doubts about the health risks
associated with cannabis use, persuade the Government
that it would not be right to reclassify cannabis at
this moment in time". |
| 24/07/2001 |
The
Home Affairs Committee announces
that it is to do an inquiry on whether the current drug
policy is working. |
| 22/10/2001 |
Home
Secretary David Blunkett proposes
reclassifying cannabis to class C, telling a House of
Commons committee meeting that "Cannabis would
remain a controlled drug and using it a criminal offense...but
it would make clearer the distinction between cannabis
and Class A drugs like heroin and cocaine".
He tasks the ACMD to produce report on this proposal. |
| 01/03/2002 |
The
ACMD produces a report
"The classification of cannabis under the Misuse
of Drugs Act 1971" which again supports reclassification,
saying that "The Council believes the current
classification of cannabis is disproportionate in relation
to both its inherent toxicity, and to that of other
substances...that are currently in class B."
|
| 09/05/2002 |
The
Home Affairs Committee releases a report
"The Government's drugs policy: is it working?"
which concluded that "We support, therefore,
the Home Secretary's proposal to reclassify cannabis
from Class B to Class C". UKCIA comment
on the report, saying that whilst it is welcomed it
won't solve the cause of the drugs problem and that
"no true harm reduction is possible when drugs
are supplied by the present illegal market". |
| 10/07/2002 |
Blunkett
announces
to Parliament that he "will seek to reclassify
cannabis as a Class C drug by July of next year".
The Shadow Home Secretary, Oliver Letwin responds
"There are two coherent, alternative strategies
on cannabis and the Home Secretary, in his statement
today has not adopted either of them.". UKCIA
comments
that the new policy is "muddled and confused". |
| 01/07/2003 |
The
promised reclassification date arrives and nothing is
done. It becomes apparent that the Government is seeking
to change the Criminal Justice Bill so that cannabis
possession, which would have been a "non-arrestable"
offence due to its reduced maximum prison sentence after
reclassification, is still an arrestable offence. |
| 11/09/2003 |
The
Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) release
guidelines
as to how the cannabis law should be enforced after
reclassification takes place. There is a "presumption
against arrest" for possession of small amounts
cannabis in private but they make it clear that "despite
reclassification, it remains illegal to possess cannabis"
and that "the power of arrest could be used
on every occasion". |
| 29/10/2003 |
The
motion to reclassify cannabis is debated
in the House of Commons. It is passed,
316 votes in favour, 160 against. |
| 12/11/2003 |
The
motion to reclassify cannabis, passed by the House of
Commons, is debated
in the House of Lords. It is passed,
63 in favour, 37 against, but as an addendum to the
motion they add that "this House notes that
the order may lead to increased use of cannabis with
risks to the health of young people and regrets that
the order is being made before the Government's proposals
concerning class C drugs have been finalised." |
| 20/11/2003 |
The
modifications to the Criminal Justice Bill, essential
for the Government's planned cannabis policy, are almost
blocked
by the House of Lords. However compromise on jury trials,
unrelated to cannabis policy, allow the Bill to proceed
hours before the end of the Parliamentary session. |
| 29/01/2004? |
New
date for cannabis reclassification to take place. |
