The Home Secretary is considering reclassifying cannabis as a Class A substance out of fear that it serves as a “gateway” to stronger drugs and causes cancer and psychosis.
Suella Braverman is apparently in agreement with a group of Conservative Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) who advocated for the drug to be upgraded at the Conservative Party conference this week.
The Times says that Ms. Braverman is fundamentally opposed to the decriminalization of cannabis, telling close associates that she feels it sends a ‘cultural’ signal that drug use is acceptable behavior.
She is reportedly also concerned about the data tying the drug to severe mental and physical health problems, such as psychosis, cancer, and birth deformities.
Cannabis is now classified as a Class B narcotic, and its reclassification would have significant implications for law enforcement and sentencing criteria.
Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, is rumored to be vehemently opposed to cannabis legalization and is actively considering elevating the drug to Class A.
Germany and Luxembourg are among the European nations that already have concrete plans to legalize cannabis.
The maximum term for possession would increase from five to seven years, while the maximum sentence for distribution would increase from fourteen to life.
This does not appear to be an issue for the Home Secretary, as a source close to Ms. Braverman told The Times, “We have to intimidate people.”
However, she appears to be cognizant of the additional strain that upgrading the drug would place on police agencies that are already significantly overstretched and under pressure to respond to other types of crimes, such as burglaries.
Some countries have already legalized cannabis, which contradicts the global trend of loosening cannabis laws.
This includes Canada and Thailand, as well as fifty percent of US states. Luxembourg and Germany also aim to decriminalize in Europe.
The Home Secretary has also indicated in the past that she aims to crack down on middle-class drug users by introducing additional ads that highlight the connection between drug use and the exploitation of vulnerable youth.
However, pro-legalization groups contend that this is the incorrect approach and that having a regulated cannabis market would have a significant influence on the criminal gangs operating within county lines.
The Home Office acknowledged that there are presently no intentions to alter the classification, although it is believed that Ms. Braverman is studying the information before to reaching a determination.
Last week at the Tory party conference, David Sidwick, PCC of Dorset, was among those advocating for reclassification.
He stated, “We notice it because it is a gateway drug.” Cannabis is the most prevalent substance among adolescents receiving treatment.
He stated that he is opposed to decriminalization: ‘We need strict penalties for possession and an end to the trend toward decriminalization.’
David Sidwick, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset, stated during a Party Conference fringe gathering that reclassifying cannabis as a Class A substance “causes the same harm as crack and heroin.”
We are no longer talking about “a little bit of cannabis”; this is as harmful as crack and heroin. Therefore, the sanctions for this illicit gateway drug must be comparable to those for Class A narcotics.’
Neil McKeganey, the head of Glasgow’s Centre for Substance Use Research, stated at a fringe gathering that drugs pose a larger threat to society than religious fundamentalism.
He stated that police commanders treating drug abuse as a health issue was a’serious failure of their obligations,’ adding, ‘It’s like attempting to win a war by building more hospitals.’
Janie Hamilton, whose son James died of cancer after cannabis-induced insanity caused him to refuse cancer treatment, also spoke at the gathering.
She implored delegates, “Let no one assert that cannabis is safe.”
However, Congress is divided on the appropriate approach to combating cannabis use.
In response to US President Biden’s announcement this week that he intends to pardon all simple marijuana users, Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy tweeted: “Convicting individuals for cannabis possession forces them into the criminal justice system and wrecks their lives.”
It is time to adopt a public health perspective on drug policy. This is a crucial first step that I hope the United Kingdom will follow.”
Crispin Blunt, a member of the Conservative Party, stated during a separate party conference fringe meeting that addicts should be let to use heroin lawfully in a safe environment.
He stated, ‘It’s possible that you’d allow individuals access to heroin – legal access to heroin – but you’d require that they consume it under medical supervision in a certain facility, so that you can be certain that the drug they’re consuming is heroin.’
He stated that society cannot ‘arrest [itself] out of the drugs problem’ and that it would be’smarter’ to let individuals make informed judgments about what they are taking rather than allowing them to become part of the ‘illegal