CLASSIFICATION OF DRUGS

Early day motion 1212, tabled 26 March 2007 by Brian Iddon (Labour). Signed by 29 members.

That this House notes with concern that within the public debate on the future of drugs policy there is an increasing focus on the classification of cannabis; considers this to be a limited avenue for debate given the range of problems created for individuals and society by the current situation regarding all psychoactive substances; further welcomes the recent report from the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce calling for a revised policy framework based on the harms caused by substances; notes that within this framework it is expected that some strains of cannabis would be recognised as more harmful than the current law suggests, while others would be less so; and calls on the Government to give greater prominence to harm reduction as against crime reduction in compiling a new 10 year Drug Strategy in time for 2008.

Signatures by party: Labour 19, Liberal Democrat 7, Conservative 1, Independent Labour 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1.