The reclassification debacle

UKCIA guide to cannabis reclassification 2001-2009

What did "reclassification" mean? Class C - what's it mean?
Milestones to reclassification
Life after reclassification
Common misconceptions
UKCIA comments
ACPO guidelines on enforcement
 

On the 22nd October 2001, Home Secretary David Blunkett proposed reclassifying cannabis from its previous category under the MoD act as a class B drug to a class C drug. More than 2 years later it finally happened on 29th January 2004. In the intervening period the changes were so watered down as to almost meaningless and a mass of confusion, misinformation and misunderstanding of both what the changes are and what effect they would have occurred.

The ACPO guidelines were ammended in January 2007 such that children (<18) would no longer face automatic arrest for possession, bringing them in line with the way adults are treated.

This rather meaningless change was reversed in 2009 by the government of Gordon Brown despite the advice form the ACMD not to do so. Cannabis is now a class B substance again (as of 2010), although the enforcement regime is totally unlike that for any other class B drug.

 

Kfx "Spliff rules" guide to the cannabis laws - January 2007 - download pdf file
UKCIA does not encourage anyone to grow or use cannabis. The aim of the site is as an information resource which will help people fight the injustice of prohibition with the strongest of weapons: Knowledge.

Please note this site uses Cookies - small downloads to your computer. These make certain aspects of the site work properly. We assume you're happy with this if you continue using the site. If you're not, you can turn cookies off in your browser and delete any which have been downloaded, but if you do, some parts of the site may not work.