Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in west England made a call to re-classify cannabis as a Class A drug on the same level as cocaine and heroin.
Others have said that greater criminalization of cannabis will only worsen the problem, with neuropsychopharmacologist David Nutt saying that the people making such suggestions failed to learn the "lessons of history."
More:
- Law enforcement leaders from different regions and cities have called for cannabis users to face stricter penalties in court. Currently, few cannabis smokers are arrested - fewer are prosecuted.
- Supt Mark Runacres, Bristol Police Commander, said that Bristol police use a "range of options to keep drug users out of court."
- These new guidelines will focus on educating people on drug use and ensuring they don't expose themselves.
- The British government has said that a new White Paper on New Consequences for Drug Possession "sets out proposals for tackling demand," raising the possibility that cannabis purchasers will be treated more harshly by the British criminal justice system in the future.
