Should cannabis be reclassified?

Mental health charities have welcomed the order to review the decision to downgrade cannabis.

Cannabis was reclassified 15 months ago from Class B to Class C to enable the police to tackle the use of harder drugs such as heroin and cocaine.

But Home Secretary Charles Clarke ordered a review because of research that suggests a strong link between the drug and mental illness and also new fears over a high strength cannabis known as skunk.

Do you think cannabis should be reclassified? Was downgrading cannabis the right move to tackle other types of drugs and drug-related crimes? Have you or your family been affected by the use of cannabis? Send us your comments.

This debate is now closed. Thank you for your comments.

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The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far:

I would welcome a policy of "zero tolerance" on all drugs John Harrison, Leeds, West Yorks

Downgrading cannabis was certainly wrong. Gangsters and crooks sell it and will benefit from any downgrading. I understand that many addicts start on cannabis and progress to harder drugs. I would welcome a policy of "zero tolerance" on all drugs, including ecstasy.
John Harrison, Leeds, West Yorks

Would it really make much difference to the amount of people actually smoking the stuff? The only change reclassification would bring is a change in the rate of prison population growth.
Alex Mangan, Swindon, UK

Drugs aren't good for anyone, even simple things like paracetamol. So why should we be given anything we can abuse and harm ourselves with like; smoking, drinking, fast-food, drugs. It's all expensive to our health. Children should be taught every detail so we can keep their lives pure of harm. Put higher taxes on anything dangerous to us. Isn't our live expectancy rate supposed to be increasing?
Natasha, Chatham, Kent

It was the wrong decisions because it didn't go far enough. Just decriminalise the drug already, and provide education on the health risks. Criminalising cannabis just drives it into the black-market, impedes regulation and does nothing to stop millions of people smoking it every year.
Matt Sellwood, Oxford, UK

What would be the point of reclassifying cannabis? It will put an extra burden on the police force they don't need, and exacerbate the culture of fear in our society once again. I've smoked weed for about 4 years, and apart from making me lazier, I've had great experiences with it. I certainly prefer it to alcohol, and having recently been in hospital, I've seen first hand the effect that alcohol misuse can have on people. However, cannabis is a drug, and misuse of any drug will be bad for you. Legalise it and control it, but for god's sake, stop criminalising people for wanting to relax!
Rob Scott, Liverpool UK

We need to teach young people not to use cannabis, it can be the start of a slippery slope Catherine, Monmouthshire

We need to teach young people not to use cannabis, it can be the start of a slippery slope. I have seen this with friends who progressed to other drugs including heroin. We need to reclassify cannabis and increase fines, etc. It should however be used for medicine, there is proof it is useful but only when used in the right way.
Catherine, Monmouthshire

People should be free to make decisions about soft drugs themselves, just as they do about alcohol or higher risk sports. Cannabis is less harmful than alcohol and should be left to individual choice.
Tom Hagen, Sheffield, UK

The main problem with the re-classification to class C was that the government did nothing to tackle the supply side. Most of the problems with cannabis are due to the way that the £5bn UK market is left to criminals. Licensing of supply would have allowed age limits, strength restrictions and quality control, reducing harm. You would also take the current tax-free £5bn gift to criminals away from them. Of course cannabis is not harmless, but heavy alcohol use also triggers psychosis and prohibition just makes any harm worse.
Tony, London

I think I speak for every cannabis smoker when I say it makes no difference what classification it has. They could make it Class A and I'd still smoke it. I'm well aware of the 'risks' and am quite intelligent enough to make the decision to smoke it myself. Let the politicians argue with themselves, it won't affect anyone at the end of the day.
Pete, Portsmouth, UK

Treat Cannabis the same way as nicotine: make it legal, but tax it so that the revenue can be used to provide medical help for those unfortunates who succumb to the associated problems, rather than relying on general taxation, which comes mainly from people with more sense.
G J Robinson, Reading, Berks

This is an issue which needs thinking about not just jumping on the policies bandwagon Bethan Davis, UK

My boyfriend has used cannabis for several years to combat the effects of his drug taking past - mainly his use of LSD and ecstasy. He has horrendous migraines and the only thing that helps them is to smoke a joint. The government should look into the medical benefits of this drug - research has proved it helps people with MS and it also helps sleeplessness. If taxed and controlled in the same way the tobacco industry is the government could raise a lot of money for education, the NHS, transport and the like. Alcohol kills more people each year than cannabis yet its still illegal. So are cigarettes - this is an issue which will run and run but needs thinking about not just jumping on the policies bandwagon - particularly as we are allegedly close to an election
Bethan Davis, UK

The law on drugs is unenforceable. I don't think people who take recreational drugs care what the government does. It's interesting that this has come up just before an election. If the truth is the government want us all to be healthy how about higher taxes for those who don't exercise, triple the cost of unhealthy food, make alcohol and tobacco only available to the rich and ban all fat people from appearing on TV as this might say to the young - it's ok to be fat!'
Ian, Sussex, UK

Reclassifying cannabis gave the wrong, and a confused message. Everyone round here thinks it is now legal!
Frank Skinner, Cirencester, Glos, UK

Let it be legal and just slap a tax on it. At least that way, tax on more useful things like petrol might be reduced as there would be an instant injection in to Government spending from 'drug' taxes.
Jack, Liverpool, Liverpool

Oral use of cannabis is no more harmful than parecetamol Lloyd Evans, Brighton, UK<

Cannabis is far from harmful - in fact, its medical benefits are enormous. It is extremely effective at relieving the symptoms of MS, Parkinson's, Arthritis, Rheumatism and Insomnia. Also, people undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy suffer enormously from persistent severe nausea which often causes them to lose the will to live. Cannabis is the only drug that effectively relieves that - conventional anti-emetics are useless. I agree that cannabis smoke is much more harmful than tobacco smoke - but you don't have to smoke it. Oral use of cannabis is no more harmful than parecetamol.
Lloyd Evans, Brighton, UK

I hold a good, trusted position with a big media company, and have smoked weed pretty much every day for years. I consider myself an active stoner who has no mental or social issues as a result. I'm not a good drunk, so why deny me this maturely-controlled pleasure?
Dafeth, Glasgow, Scotland

These 'new' results on cannabis psychosis have been known for a long time already. Basically if you have a history of mental illness in your family and/or you've been smoking it heavily since your very early teens, then the chances are greater. if you don't belong to either category, just sit back, roll a phatty and relax.
Nelson, Oxford

If there's evidence that cannabis users have higher levels of depression or paranoia, may this be partly to the case that a lot of paranoid and depressive people use cannabis a means of appeasement?
Matt, Bristol

I'd like to see every single recreational drug available to adult users Roy Snelling, Newcastle

All drugs should be banned or under government control. Personally I'd like to see every single recreational drug available to adult users, with proper government guidelines on use, quality control and taxes. Also if you're stupid enough to take any of these drugs and fall ill, then you should be refused treatment because it's your own stupid fault.
Roy Snelling, Newcastle

Cannabis should be legalised completely, taking it entirely out of the sphere of Criminals. Any mental health problems should be tackled just as the effects of other legal drugs are tackled now. And of course people should be warned of the possible effects of using any substance that might harm them.
Dream, Huddersfield, Britain

In the past I smoked a large quantity of cannabis and enjoyed it greatly. Now I do not smoke anymore and have suffered neither mental nor physical withdrawal symptoms or side-effects. Why should I have been denied the very enjoyable time that I had? Remember, there are plenty of people who cannot handle cigarettes, alcohol, driving fast cars or even eating.
Toby, Surrey

The smartest thing the government could do, would be to legalise it completely and tax it heavily Ross, Cheltenham, UK

Looking at the big picture here, many, many people will smoke cannabis regardless of what classification the government labels it. Whether you like it or not, it's actually heavily entrenched in our society and that isn't going to change. The smartest thing the government could do, would be to legalise it completely and tax it heavily. This would remove it from the darker side of the drug culture, allow it to be safely regulated, cut down on wasted police time and also provide a huge revenue stream that can be directed into improving all of our lives.
Ross, Cheltenham, UK

People overreact to this kind of drug usage. Whilst admittedly it may cause some people to become depressed there is evidence to show that regular drinking causes similar effects. In moderation it is a sociable and harmless activity. There is a real risk of the nanny state we live in disproportionately interfering with the lives of its citizens. You don't see 'stoners' being sick in the streets and causing criminal damage in our towns and cities after the clubs shut, they're at home watching TV and eating pizza. Where's the harm in that?
Angelica, Southampton

I have had many laughs and good memories with cannabis Brian H, Belfast, Northern Ireland

I've been smoking "dope" from I was about 15 or16. I'm now 19 and still smoke it regularly. I have had some problems with it like paranoia, but I've always known when to cut back. Sometimes you can get quite heavily involved with it and it does mess with your head, but I personally always have a "moment of clarity" so to speak, and cut-back. It's not hard to stop smoking it, I just don't want to because I enjoy it. It is definitely an experience and I have had many laughs and good memories with cannabis.
Brian H, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Cannabis eases pain for people with Multiple Sclerosis, and has been shown in trials to slow down the progression of MS and aid in the repair of damaged Myelin. Having witnessed first hand the devastating effects of MS, I cannot understand why the government will not legalise the use of cannabis, at least for medical purposes.
Andy Monk, Bury, Lancs. UK

All the calls for adults being able to do what they want with their own bodies is fine, as long as they are prepared to pay for their medical care with the drug induced mental illness and cancer caused by cannabis being 10x more carcinogenic. Then people can do what they want with their bodies. This goes for alcoholics and cigarette smokers, if we are adult we can be responsible for our actions and not burden the NHS.
Paul, Chelmsford, Essex

It is just a tedious smoke screen from more pressing matters Robin Tudge, London

The undulating confusion in government and the police over this issue suggests they've all been on the pot of late. I think it's really a non-issue that, like fox hunting, it is just a tedious smoke screen from more pressing matters.
Robin Tudge, London

I have been a cannabis smoker for over 6 years, smoking at least 5 "joints" per night without fail. Coinciding with this addiction has been a huge decrease in my mental health, to the point I am on long-term sick and am soon to undertake psychotherapy. Whether or not the addiction and mental illness are linked is possibly questionable, though I do think that more research should be done into this "soft" drug's side effects and in the meantime it should have remained classified as B.
Erica, West Yorkshire

Smoking at least one joint a day, I became severely depressed, irritable and subject to mood swings SK, London, UK

I have been a regular user in the past but "quit" 2 years ago. I would urge people not to forget that however way you cut it cannabis is a very powerful substance. During the period I was using it and smoking at least one joint a day I became severely depressed, irritable and subject to mood swings. These effects persist to this day. The side effects in terms of physical health are also substantial. I constantly battled with mild to heavy chest infections while using. A "joint" is on average at least as 10x as carcinogenic as a regular cigarette. There is also evidence emerging that some of the newer stronger strains are even more potent.
SK, London, UK

I am just wondering when was that research done? I thought it was a well known fact that certain types of ganja are deliberately enhanced which may be harmful. In my opinion, the users should be allowed to grow cannabis for their own use. That way we would eliminate the need for having dealers and as a result enrich great gardening traditions in Britain. The seeds could be sold in proper outlets and taxed to raise money for education.
Pawel, London

As there are talks to classify 'skunk' differently to regular cannabis it seems logical that there will need to be some kind of test to differentiate between the two. I selflessly submit my services to the government to sample seized cannabis and determine that difference.
David James, Manchester, UK

They ignore "legal" drugs, and at the same time have a crack-down on a natural herb Will, London

Once again, the government seems to missing the point. As a regular cannabis user I am well aware of the risks involved with heavy smoking. However, as has been argued many times in the past, what about alcohol and tobacco? Both of these have been proven to be very harmful substances. Nicotine is highly addictive and alcohol can cause all manner of problems, both physical and mental. Why does the government feel it can ignore these "legal" drugs, and at the same time have a crack-down on a natural herb which has been used both for recreation and medicine for many centuries?
Will, London

I think the government was right to downgrade cannabis to a class B drug. I mean how on earth can you compare cannabis to drugs like cocaine, crack and heroin? I think a lot more research needs to be done before people attach mental health issues to its use. People are very quick to highlight any possible bad effect that cannabis has but perhaps some balanced study could be done on some of the benefits that cannabis has for sufferers of MS and the pain relief properties it has for many cancer sufferers.
S Ellis, Wallasey UK

Cannabis isn't addictive. It doesn't make people dangerous to others. The government shouldn't get involved with anything we do to ourselves, as adults, knowing the consequences. I believe downgrading cannabis was the right move, and will help the police focus on tackling addictive drugs that trap users and cause genuine harm.
Ruari O'Sullivan, Bristol

All drugs should be legalised. If people want to poison their own bodies that's a decision for them to take for themselves. Legalisation of drugs would allow them to be sold over the counter in pharmacies, with fully quality-assured ingredients, and taxed. It is clear that the law is not stopping the people who want to use drugs - all the law achieves is to line the pockets of drug dealers. If someone can get their "fix" with guaranteed quality and consumer rights from a chemist why would they pay cash to some dodgy bloke in the corner of pub car park?
John B, UK

Schizophrenia hampered his life and all he wanted was to be able to live a "normal" life Adele, Scotland

My brother smoked cannabis on a regular basis from the age of 14 and was diagnosed as being schizophrenic at the age of 19 (but showed symptoms from the age of 17). Schizophrenia hampered his life and all he wanted was to be able to live a "normal" life (i.e. to have a job, girlfriends, social life). At the age of 26 my brother committed suicide and it will be 6 years since his death on the 3rd of May. The findings of this research have confirmed my family's thoughts about cannabis and how it affect my brother's illness(i.e. smoking cannabis contributed to the severity of his illness) so I feel very strongly that cannabis should be reclassified to Class B.
Adele, Scotland

If Cannabis is reclassified as a class B drug then alcohol and tobacco should be class A, seeing that they kill and cause more problems for society than any other drug, why does no one ever mention the psychosis that alcohol causes for the majority of young men that drink it, you only have to look at any town centre at a weekend to see this drug (alcohol) induced psychosis
Tony Rann, Hadleigh, Essex

I think that it was right to be downgraded. I think the police should spend more time on the more dangerous drugs such as heroin and cocaine. It would be a waste of time and money to reclassify cannabis again. Alcohol causes more problems and damage than cannabis, yet we don't see that being made illegal?
Alice Brett, Redhill, Surrey

I know lots of people who smoke skunk, most of whom hold down very good, professional, responsible jobs Jo, Nottingham

I think this needs further investigation, surely a change in law cannot rest on one single study. I know lots of people who smoke skunk, most of whom hold down very good, professional, responsible jobs. They have also never been in trouble with the police or suffered mental illness. It is utterly ridiculous that these people could be criminalised for choosing to get stoned rather than drunk in the comfort of their own homes. There is always danger in excess, whether it be drinking, smoking, eating or even exercising but as adults we should have the right to decide for ourselves. There will always be those prone to addiction or excess but they should not set the law for the whole country.
Jo, Nottingham