Government tightens rules on cannabis despite recommendation not to do so

The UK government has announced that it will reclassify cannabis as a class B drug, four years after it downgraded it to class C. It made the move despite the advice of its own experts, who said that no change was needed.

The change raises the maximum penalty for possession from two years’ imprisonment to five. The home secretary, Jacqui Smith, told parliament that stiffer penalties would be combined with a crackdown on drug paraphernalia, health warnings on cigarette papers, and a drive to track down hydroponic cannabis farms through monitoring of electricity consumption.

“There is a compelling case to act now …