jacob
i suffered from the bad sides after smoking it for a while, now i dont smoke it at all but when i did i really enjoyed it and therefor think that people should just miss out just because the minroties (me in this case) take a bad reaction to it, and for those who do take a bad reaction, simple solution, just stop,easier than you think ;)

sense
how can you ban a plant? a plant? its a plant? what next are roses going to get banned if people start smoking them. No but really though, I get both sides, I have seen a few people who smoke go through mental illness issues, but then there are some (the majority) that have not. With the ones that have, there is a record of mental illness in the family. Also I work at a hospital, and I see the damages of tobacco, and alcohol, they are much worse than cannabis, they should all be in the same category. all illegal, or legal (thye latter preferably). Alcohol is a big cause of the problems my patients suffer...

Dan D
Mate i have been a alcholic, I have tried Charlie, E's, Speed, LSD and magic mushrooms. They all make you feel bad for days after. I feel Cannabis helps you eat, sleep and want to have sex, it chills you out, helps you relax and makes you non aggressive. I have not touched any drugs or drink for 8 years. The only one a really miss is cannabis.

BabySoft
I know people that have smoked weed for years and i mean years!!!!!!!!!!. . .They are perfectly cool, well at least they appear to be. However, its classification (b or c) is really not going to have an impact on the community as weed is perhaps the most utilised drug in the world. My mates Nan uses it to heal her aches and pains. . . . .!

D MAN
sometimes if i get drunk i become very aggressive and have had fights and have even hit my own mate but when we smoke weed its non-stop laughter and relaxation, i have not changed at all since i started smoking the herb and have had no mental problems so if people want to smoke it let them........peace

Dreadi
How many years has this 'War on Drugs' been going on? I think it was lost along time ago. No politician dares to be the one to change the law and legalise it, yet there are more and more new users everyday. It's big business that's preventing legalisation(Tobacco, Pharmaceuticals etc.) in collusion with politicians. This will go on and on until someone is brave enough to make the change. When they want your vote they talk about change but do things actually change? No! They all want to be seen to be tough on drugs. But there's a different generation coming of age that might just make that change and I hope I'm around to finally see it!

juju warrior
read the book of life God gives herbs for the use of man..so when you want to put us in jail for it God creation dats not right...leagalized d herb i have smoked from a age of 14 and never felt down always in joyful ways...the whole world grows it you all know it to heads of goverment so who you all trying to fool so people be wise love to all cannabis...love toall..

mageeza
I think the government are on drugs, they dont have a brain cell between them all. If they did have a brain they would realise that weed is a naturalley grown plant, which relax's and chill's the mind after a long day or alcohol when you go out end up fighting some drunken man, that thinks he can fight da world, also resbonsible for many road deaths. The government need to use what brain cells they have left & use there common sense.'Smoke your herb give thanks and praise cuz it makes you think construtive & brave.'

POONSURFER F.T.P 2009
EVERYONE SHOULD SMOKE WEED EVERY DAY THATS WHAT IT WAS MADE FOR SOOOOOOOO......... SHUT UP AND SMOKE IT

elen
yuk!i think canabis is disgusting and highly dangerous

Soliman
Being a student, I am exposed to people using a wide range of drugs from alcohol to coke. If you were to go out in the city where we live, you witness drunken students and locals smashing up bus shelters, getting into fights and throwing up on the pavement. What the government say when they move cannabis to a class b drug, is they'd rather we were out spending money in the pub and getting into fights than sitting at home with a spliff in front of the television. I've smoked cannabis (never skunk, only hash and weed) for 5 years, on and off, heavily and lightly and I am a student at a prestigious university, have held down a job every year of my life since the age of 15. Cannabis is the relaxing equivalent of a cup of tea. All things in moderation.

Steve R
Weed is such a great drug, i'm studying my MBA and it really takes the edge of my nights when i want to get my mind off things, just chill out... I've made it all the way to nearly finishing my masters while smoking atleast once a week for the last 6 years.

lloyd
I agree with the decision to reclassify cannabis. If you look at Amsterdam for example. Cannabis was first decrimalised and coffee shops introduced in Holland in 1976. The experiment was introduced to reflect what the Dutch see as a fact of life: most young people experiment with illegal substances. If you let them buy and use 'soft' drugs in a regulated setting, you can keep them away from the street dealers pushing 'hard' drugs such as heroin. This approach seems to be working, as only 26 per cent of the Dutch will use cannabis in their lifetime, compared to a staggering 66 per cent of Britons.

mel
to be honest. nothing will stop people using growing an sellin cannabis..unless all the canabis in the world gets destroyed..wich wont happen. someone close to me used cannabis and this was a gateway to experimenting with other drugs, he then became addicted to heroin and really messed himself up, ended up in hospital and had to hav an operation on his brain, he forgot who his child was it effected him that bad.. such a shame people have to do that to themselves.

Mcleod
i think its stupid all this weed bussiness, should jst let us grow the herb sent from god, man made beer god made grass, nutting wrong with smoking the cronic, iv been smoking it 6 years now every day all day, have a spliff b4 work everyday, and the smell, i dnt no how people dnt like the smell of it,it dont do nuttin to u, after a long amount of time it do but sum people r different, i had a accerdant n sufferd really bad head injury's n i was on all sorts of medication for my pains in my head, afta a motorbike crash, iv smoked it every day for years, it keeps me on the strait n narrow,bless

Scott K
I been smoking cannibis most of my life and it aint never hurt me. If y'all smoke a little bit, and it dont affect ur work, then what is the problem. Just dont take nothing stronger.

6ofdelta9
Greetings from cape town people! in my area there are more people selling marijuana than alcohol. There are way more alcohol related crimes though. I've been smoking for about 20yrs and yes there are side effects. Like working twice as fast as anybody around you and doing only half. I think that if you recognise the problems you can use it wisely. Legalise it and tax it i say. It will have a positive impact on the economy with positive job creation rather than promoting organised crime.

signal
I have been smoking weed for about 25 years and I feel I've had no ill-effects or other long term effects associated with its use. I think many people are seriously uninformed about the plant and are prone to cite ridiculous studies to promote their belief that cannabis is bad. Pot smokers are not violent criminals the media make us out to be. We are more likely to debate getting up to the fridge for some munchies than subject the public to fights as happens every single weekend in the UK at the clubs and bars. Times are changing here in the UK and in the USA where there are ongoing debates being brought out into the open. Studies are being debunked. I believe it really is not as bad as it is made out to be and it is FAR LESS HARMFULL than any of the legal drugs including prescription drugs that can kill people.There is way more to cannabis than just the drug.......

factual!
oviously people have their ways of dealing with ganja wen dey smoke it but me personally think it shoudnt be classified in BRITAIN!. Im saying this because of what exsperienced personally on the drug. Got onto it in yr 9 the buzz was nice something that made me feel what i would say madly nice lol. den i wasnt aware of the drug to well what was going on all around me with the drug witch was alot. i bunn piff nearly everyday up to year 10 teachers were aware of this and warned many of us about the drug and we were searched regulary. we were,nt fazed didnt care just wonna to do what we wanted to do ennit. teachers would tell me how down hill my work and concentration had gone, i didnt notice nothing wrong. what i did realise is my temper i was fighting next man almost everyday my fustration was unbelievable i got so vex over the littleist things, if a teacher tryed to have words with me i would usally be excluded there and then for saying something quite unnessary to them. i was still going strong on the drug skiving lessons and sometimes leaving home to go to a mates yard and blaze all daaay! my mum began to notice not just by the school but my attitude. REALLY i didnt think anything was wrong just thought people were being so dum and just not letting loose a lil. I was WRONG walking around i could see things werent right man. I DIDNT LIKE IT!! in our ends i wouldnt be suprised if more then half of the resisdents smoke grade, especially the olders. i believe god is for real after this, something wasnt right that day i woke feeling weird not my normal self walking to school half the day late cause i was soo lean the night before i watched and looked around like i have never done before and saw alot. things scared me what i saw that day i mean. . i was excluded that day i never took drugs since yh the one off but never like i use too. just left school now and i do regret my lak of attendance and co-operation towards my education.

sean..man..
they wont make it legal becuse it will wipe out over 50% of drugs over the counter. keep smilin thro these hard times free the weed!!

rizzla
Changing the category of a drug will stop no one if they want to take it they will. It is a plant that god has put here for our pleasure ;). And the only reason y it is probably illegal is because they don’t know how to grow it and tax it. Because it seems that other drugs like cigarettes and alcohol which have been in production for years are fine even though they ruin and take lives. Plus you pay tax for these things and when you are dying from lung cancer or liver damage what do they say then. It’s your fault for smoking or drinking!! But they happily took your money and then some(TAX)!!!!

BADMAN
Yo bludz i smoke weed everyday soon as i wake up roll a pure cheezy skunk spliff and stay high!without bud i wouldnt av money and would be messed up keep it illegal so the people can beat the system. AND ITS ILLEGAL BECAUSE IT GIVES U SMARTS!

The Sword Dancer
Why would anyone be stupid enough to smoke a drug any way? I mean come on, in the long run you'll end up dying a horrible and most likly painful death.

Tim
Totally agree with the majority here, ive smoked it for 20 years, and if BB is looking in, have my IP address, come and knock, its all a big joke, ALCOHOL is the killer, watch the TV programmes, how many 999, Emegency, binge drink doumentaries are there MR BBC, never really seen one in Cannabis, look around people, the evil is in the spirits, way stonger than Cannabis... Never did anyone any harm and for gods sake, its NATURAL!!! wake up britain and enjoy the reefer

ashleigh
its all a waste of time it definitley should be a legal drug alchol is legal and that does alot more damage to your body the only thing you have to be a certain age before you can buy it but why not put cannabis up to a certain age take a job of the police think how many people they go to for smokin weed it doesnt kill any body and when there getting the weed smokers done there are people dying that they could be saving it is just pathetic and i think something should be spoken about on this matter

Rodney H
Marijuana is the answer to all our ecomonic hardship. Medically, recreationally, regularly...

kamal c
its something heavenly right from above so dont ignore it and it also works as a medicine as well...scientifically proved..enjoy the weed for the rest of ur life..

'Damn
This is all a distraction from the economy. I've been smoking for 8 years as have my friends. I feel a lot of these "mental problems" are just people who smoke too much and get audio hallucinations. Screw this nanny state and give us freedom!

READ THIS!
5% of all populations have drug addictive personalities. Some even have scizofrenia (40% increased chance to become drug addictive)The rest 95% have a 1% increased chance of getting schizofrenia from smoking Cannabis (they totally have 1% chance) ---Although this is NOT completely confirmed yet by the scientific community, it might be lower than 1%---I would rather take that 1% chance then mess my livers up and kill my brain cells with alcohol or mess up my lungs up from tobaccoBtw: Those 5% will still become addictive to some drug, it might aswell be the least harmful of them all: Cannabis.

P-Armstrong
I personally believe, the UK Goverment has taken the wrong approach, with the war on marijuana. They seem rather foolish, especially now with an uproar in America with legalisation. What signal is the Goverment really sending out? We all know the truths about Marijuana, despite the propoganda spread by those with power. We know of the medicinal benefits, we know it is not addictive and we also know it is impossible to overdose.

gav
the secret to decriminalisation is to allow people to grow a small quantity of their own at a time. Thus no contact with dealers and no real super skunk.

greg
it good my grandad in Holland has arthriris it helps him alot

taxis
i do belive this current effert from the government is to stop the pound leaving the country lots of foreign articals i have read have foriegn factory growers (not all ofc ) but the amount of money leave the uk throught this avenue is a vast amount , which would have gone back in to the country had it been a english national growing it ,who grows your weed ?

Anonnymous
Will the reclassification have an affect? Yes it will cause people to think that class B drugs are ok as they have had no problem with cannabis. so really this will cause people to start taking other Class B drugs especially people who are not drug aware. Going back to K's Comment Too much of anything can be bad. Just how bad can it be though? alcohol has been known to take lives from heavy consumption. What evidence is there to say that weed is worse than this? this is exactly right, there is information regarding the death figures on the net and cannabis falls below average and i think even natural cause. I would say that making it illegal for anyone under 21 and for people who are old enough have to go to the doctors for a medical check up regularly at the consumers expense and not the NHS in order to get a permit to smoke would be a good idea after all we are in a recession and this could generate the tax revenues that the government need.

PK
Having read many of the opinions expressed here, the general consensus is that weed is widely used and acceptable. i see many people argue here that alcohol and tobacco are far more harmful, to which i agree. nonetheless weed is still a harmful substance, lets not dismiss this people. it inhibits thoughts, can impair judgment and can lead to harder drugs, and to u guys, give a little thought to what its doing to your sperm count.

frank
I completely dissagree! All this talk of weed being so dangerous is silly, its just scare mongering by the government because they have realised that they are wrong but after so long they cant change waht theyve been saying as it will prove that they dont have a clue! ive been smoking daily now for around 15 years, ive always had a job, ive always paid my taxes, i got good grades in school and i live a comfortable healthy life.

andrew johnston
The fact that cannabis is illegal is simply put, Ludicrouse and illogical, there is no basis for regrading cannabis, even the governmrent advisors who are leading scientists amongst other proffesionals have advised against this represive move.

A.D.
I have smoked cannabis for 25 years continually, although mainly at night.I have watched tv programmes and read ridiculous articles on people saying they had smoked pot for a couple of months and forgotten how to write etc. I am a university lecturer and lecture physiology amongst other things.Everything I have written over the years I have written stoned late at night. I am a well respected member of the community, that has to feel like some sort of low life living in fear I will be rumbled for smoking something that gives me pleasure and depth of thought.I cannot stand up and make a positive public argument for the benefits of marijuna because its against the law and I would lose my job. Instead the only people we see on TV are the people who like to blame their weed smoking for everything they do, these people would blame anything rather than themselves for their unsociable actions.My biggest problem with all this legalisation shite is the fact that alcohol kills more people than anything. A&E departments are overflowing with alcohol related problems every weekend, alcohol is the biggest problem of all yet someone who wants to go and get absolutely bladdered every weekend, can do that and then go into work bragging about how they collapsed or threw up over someone, and those same people have the right to look down on me cause I smoke weed as though I'm some sort of druggie?????It all makes me furious

K
The govornment don't know what they are talking about. how many more researches, experiments, or debates does it take to not make me feel like a criminal for going out and buying some WEED! I have been smoking cannibis on and off nearly 14yrs. I have seen loads of people smoke weed and including myself i have never seen any violence with it. Completely the opposite to be honest. It makes a part of my day quite enjoyable. Too much of anything can be bad. Just how bad can it be though? alcohol has been known to take lives from heavy consumption. What evidence is there to say that weed is worse than this?! I aint seen any. I know people that smoke weed heavily and have been smoking for decades and they are ok. I dont even find it addictive because in the past ive just put the spliff down and picked it back up as and when it suited me. Id like to see it legalised. happy days!

Chris
To save 1 person from getting schizophrenia from cannabis Jacqui Smith will have to stop 5000 people from using it.

J b
WEED IS GOOD! GOD PUT THIS HERE FOR ME AND YOU TO ENJOY SO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT! TOBBACO ALCOHOL CLASS A DRUGS = BAD WEED = GOOOD

denny
I never been keen on weed but id rather be with sometone who is stoned than being with someone who is heavily drunk. In my opinion it only effects people who rely on it people like people who smoke up to an 8th a day.

Steven
Max - any mind altering substance is a bad idea for a 12 year old.

Meme
I have smoked cannabis on and off since my late teens, and I am now in my 50's. During that time, I have worked hard in decent jobs, built a home and raised 3 wonderful sons, one of whom is studying for a masters degree. I smoke because I enjoy it, simple as that. Some say it induces paranoia, but street bought weed is often contaminated by chemicals used in it's production, so maybe it's these that cause the problems. And I don't believe it causes psychosis, I think those who do develope schizophrenia would have done so even without taking cannabis. Alcohol wrecks lives, you only have to watch the news and read the papers to see that.

John
The lancet report showed that Cannabis is less harmful than alcohol. We had an outcry last week becasue the Government suggested that parents shouldn't be allowed to give their under 15's alcohol a drug that kills over 8,000 people a year.Kids shouldn't be using any drug but for adults cannabis is a far safer alternative to both alcohol and tobacco. To imprison someone for making that choice is hypocritical and stupid.

Rich
When will the lies end...? Police/politicians are using this 'skunk' word like it's a poisonous plant, the fact is, it's exactly the same as any other form of cannabis, it's just 'unfertilised' by a male plant, the correct terminology is 'sensemillia'.Cannabis grown in the home has saved my life as i am a person who is ravaged by arthritis of the spine as well as having ms. My allergic reaction to all opiate medicines makes pain relief impossible without cannabis, a fact my specialist seems to agree with as i am now prescribed Sativex by my pain management specialist. Cannabis helps people!!!

Dopeman87
"Last year healthcare institutions registered 280,000 people treating from alcohol related illnesses." Alcohol is much, much worse than cannabis. In every sense, it makes people violent, it destroys peoples liver/kidneys in the long term, it is the cause for many cases of domestic violence and has a major contribution to all the violence we see in our day to day lives. Cannabis supply should either; A) be decriminalised like in Holland, and taxed and controlled therein. or B) all people wanting to smoke Cannabis over the age of 18 should be allowed to grow at a rate of 1 plant a month for personal use, therefore, in both cases, individuals can get hold of the purest, most natural weed, and Brown doesnt have to worry about his taxes as the supply will be either a) controlled or B) non-existant.

Cinderella
The problem is not cannabis; it’s the abuse of its use. All stuff has the same story. In moderation it can be safe and fun; but when you start to abuse anything (food, cigarettes, alcohol or even more harsh drugs, even prescription drugs) there will be consequences; social, physical or emotional. The government should try to educate the population then we may not have quite drastic situations or such severe circumstances with regards to abuse of substances.

neja
I have smoked for the past 11 years and I have only positive things to say. weed helps me with the period pains, it helps me with hangover, and watching movies is much better after smoking.although I don't smoke joints- hate the taste of burn paper. whatever class they gonna give to the cannabis, we all gonna continue smoking and be healthy and happy people.

Ill Kapitan
Weed has wrecked my life - if you ask my mum (I'm 29). However, what she doesn't know is the pure anger I had inside, which will also wreck lives. If I hadn't started smoking weed, what release would I have had? I was bullied rather heavily as a child, and had little-to-no help, and didn't ever whine about it. I used to be EXTREMELY angry and negative, and that may have ended up with me in prison for violent offences if I had blown my top. Cannabis was great to relax with. I would have had many less problems if it had been legalised, and the NHS WILL be paying for my treatment much much more than if I'd been smoking purer cannabis, FACT. I started smoking tobacco because of the illegality of cannabis, FACT. The government are idiots for ignoring these facts. Taxing it could help pay for the woefully-underfunded mental health treatment that refused point-blank to treat my autism, which is really what's causing the problems in my life (and it wasn't recognised at the time). Why not refuse others instead - say down's syndrome children? Or try to treat EVERYONE with the extra income from taxing something that is widely used regardless of the law. This is cannabis. Where's the justice? Where's the logic? The whole government and NHS needs to start thinking a lot more along those lines to succeed.

Mojo Jojo
I don't agree. Cannabis was criminalized to control mexican workers in North America as many were poor and couldn't even afford beer. Combined with a threat from comunist east america bullied the world into criminalising cannabis. Cannabis is not actually illegal though, it is controlled and requires a licence to cultivate, sell or carry. Which means the government are probably producing it, I know in califormia they grow acres of cannabis for "research". Cannabis due to illegality goes through the wrong channels where there is no quality assurence. Which is why they will nearly allways be contamination on Cannabis and it's the contam that messes with your mind. Legalise it and sell it from shops where it's liscenced and controlled not running wild on the streets.

melody
personally, i have my lil bun of weed every now and again and it done me no harm. i do it once or twice a week, get myself feeling good, get myself ready for a night out with the girls. it ain't done me no harm so far. maybe the government should try it...

Jak
Been smoking on and off for 20 years sometimes heavily, sometimes having a break for a couple of months just because I feel like it, and I feel a lot better in the morning than when I've been out drinking. This change will make no difference to peoples smoking habits, maybe even get more people smoking as it has more of a status symbol for some as it's now class B instead of being a class C (and usage had dropped when it was class C does this not say anything). At one point I was smoking most nights whilst holding down 2 full time jobs (one being a foreman) as well as successfully learning to become a professional diving instructor and getting my commercial boat license.

steve
why why why?its not a drug its a plant drugs you've got to do stuff to it bakin soda water ect.. ive got a job and a happy life and yes i inhaled ha

little_k
are you kidding me?? 1xtra is about music right??? let me give you an example of how the govenrment has got its prorities wrong...in a club...a regular club that we all got to alcohol is readily on sale to the to everybody, we all accept that alcohol IS a drug right??? but its just socially accpted. cigaretts and tobaco are also drugs right...?? but again are socialy accepted, both are widley know to cause a risk to health the only difference with cannabis is that the government cannot tax you on it.. look at the facts for yourself people, alot of the things we ate and drink all carry serious helth risks...most cordials contain ingredients that cause cancer!!!!!! this is ridiculous, three strikes and fines...just another way for the government to take money out of the unwitting british populations pockets!!!

darkcircle
Well i dont think it should change, cause at the end of the day you can go to a flowershop and buy a rose bush(fine) but buy a 10bag and thats 2years in prison, this country is getting out of control, we all need to stand up together, and start making this a better country for our selves

Danielle
Weed is a tool for escapism, weed smokers turn to weed for joy... go for a walk enrich your lungs, release the endorphins your body freely gives, basically get a life. Ive grew up aroung weed smokers, and did it myself for several years, so i speak from experiance. yes it may relax, but biochemicaly speaking it degenerative to your body. This is FACT! not oppinion, weed smokers keep living your life of illusion and dillusion because you aint fooling anybody. THINK are you happy.....?mmm yes when im stoned! i pity you all.

andy
its stupid to be fair, no way is there any need to put it up to a class b, it shouldnt even be a class c! wheres alcohol in all this.

karl
I've smoked skunk for years and have smoked many different strains with a THC rating of 15%-20% with NO BAD side affects at all. I also have ha father in law that has been smoking cannabis for 38 years now and is still fit as a fiddle and he is 50 years old.he had one brother who died at very young age from alcohol abuse and a sister that on her last legs as well from alcohol abuse and shes is only very young.Even though ALCOHOL and TOBACCA are rated right along next to heroin, crack and cocaine as to be one of the most deadliest drugs the government still allow the sale of tobacco even though thousands people die each year from smoking related diseases.And ALCOHOL is one of the biggest causes of anti-social behavior, road deaths and probably all the latest stabbings and gang crime and you can buy it from practically anywhere even a petrol station.SO WHY IS SMOKING CANNABIS IN THE PRIVACY OF MY OWN HOME AFTER A HARD DAYS WORK MAKING MY A CRIMINAL??? DO I GO OUT AND CAUSE A FIGHT OR COMMIT A BURGALRY.NO! I CHILL OUT AT HOME AND LISTEN TO A BIT OF MUSIC LOW AND WIND DOWN AFTER A HARD DAYS GRAFT.IF THE GOVERMENT USED THERE HEADS AND LEGALIZED CANNABIS THERE WOULD BE NOT SO MANY ORGANIZED CRIMINAL GANGS TRAFFIKING THE DRUG AND MAKING A HUGE PROFIT TO FUND OTHER ORGONISED CRIME.AND THE MAY EVEN BE ABLE TO BEAT THE CREDIT CRUNCH BY BRINGING I ANOTHER REVINUE

mspL4
I've been smoking Marijuana habitually for the past 16 years daily and in that time I have attained a Degree, am in Full-Time employment and have produced 4 Albums of original material.To say that Marijuana accelerates or contributes to the already existant mental instability of some users is like saying that alcohol may cause someone with a short temper to become aggressive when drunk...it's par for the course. Cigarettes and Alcohol are by far the most dangerous drugs available in this Country due to their ease of availability and the constant reminders of how Alcohol comsumption is engraved into our Society.I no longer drink alcohol as I find it far more dangerous than marijuana, (how many stoned people have you ever seen fighting?) and Police report that up to 80% of all violent crime involves alcohol, yet the Government do nothing to discourage it's use and abuse because of the Duty they can charge on it.

F
people wont stop smokin weed cos its a different class an they wont stop sellin it either, weed aint bad i reckon at the end of the day alcohol does far worse. it causes hundreds of deaths every year and weed... none... i used to smoke heavily nearly everyday and it hasnt affected me at all

dill
I've just got home from work and tuned in, had a spliff and put my feet up, relaxed, not feeling aggresive or anything. Unlike the affects of alcohol which is legal. I do believe it should be kept out of schools because it is very hard to concentrate when your high. There is also a huge difference in supply to 12 year olds like any dealer trying to make money, and getting an eighth for your friend because he can get any in his area. Moving it to a class B will make no difference except for wasting police time which could be spent catching murderers or rapists. peace

Budge
The government is getting worse and worse, and this should make it perfectly clear why they are upgrading it. I share the same views as everyone else, alcohol brings out more aggression in people, you will have more problems with alcohol related crimes then you would for weed. it is a plant at the end of the day, and so is tabacco, it shoudl be legalized, but let me tell you why it is not. because the government have got control over tabacco, and alcohol, they have thier tax on it, the government makes money from the country smoking tabbaco and drinking alcohol, but they are not stressing the facts about health issues with them, with weed, they have NO tax on it, they do not make any money from anyone smoking it, that is the only reason behind them upgrading it.

Jess
The whole issue surrounding the re-classification of cannabis is just a cover up for other major issues. i.e. recession. its pure politics. For the government to avoid being attacked on the actual major global issue of recession they are flagging up an issue that has pretty much laid dormant for a fair while. argueably canabis has had detromental effects on some people causing them to become violent from withdrawal hence making them dependant and only displaying what can only be called articifical calmness. But the legalizing of the substance would undoubtedly make curiosity far less. furthermore cannabis is not a substance that has just magicaly appeared in our generation- why is the problem constantly being focused on the devastation of 'parents' dealing with a child who smokes cannabis? experience has shown me that when parents find out about their child smoking cannabis they automatically assume they're addicted PURELY because its an illegal subtance. if its illegal it must mean they are desparate enough to go through illegal measure to get the subtance. parents need to be educated on the subtance.Alcohol has far worse affects- you carry on until your unable to control how far you can go. alcohol correlates with higher pregnancy rates and more sexually related assults

Dam
Everyone knows smoking weed damages you, the reason people smoke weed is to have a good time and an alternative to drinking all the time.

Luke
I feel that if you were able to cultivate several plants on rotation in your home it would make more sense. This way you would know what was going in the plant (eg not glass sprayed) also it would mean you could not be accused of funding illegal activities. In-fact by growing it in your home you would be using your utilities and therefore in some way putting money legitimately back in the system. If necessary there could be a license to apply for letting the government know who is growing it. As i don't really drink at all and smoking weed has been my only vice (daily for 10 years) i don't like the feeling of being made out to be a criminal. I have never not had a job and never claimed on the dole and had many relationships and make music. Its effects are unique to individuals and in the same when some people react badly to wheat, you will always find someone who has had an adverse affect. Reclassifying will only cause more issues for the police as people who smoke will continue to do as for better or worse and there will be more admin taking them away from other duties.I fully agree people should be made aware of the risks however demonizing it unfairly is unjust.

Iain
I don't know how many times I have to say this, but cannabis DOES NOT cause mental illness, but it can exacerbate pre-existing mental instabilities, so it's not for everyone, but then neither is alcohol. Anyway, there are many powerful and dangerous people making massive profits that will do anything to ensure it stays illegal, so this who debate is utterly pointless.

Michael
i think cannabis is a drug which should be legal i am not a cannabis smoker my self but i just think it is a waste of police time and with all of the outher uncertaintys that are going on in england i dont think cannabis should be one of them.

H
I dont understand this goverment. We can Drink as much alcohol as we want and that will kill you liver just a quick if not quicker. If the goverment were to make weed legal they could Tax it and contro it better. This seems to work in Holland.I cant remember the last time i got High and started a fight but each each i go out and can see people kicking off because of the acohol.

mark
I have smoked weed for 26 years, i have 3 children and a full time job, the government is trying to ban it as they cannot control it, alcohol does more damage to society than weed but the government gets taxes from booze so allow it even though it costs billions in public spending with health issue, social issues ect.I am sure if the government found a way to tax weed smokers, they would make it legal....

Tol
i think the upgrade from class C to class b is irrelevent to me and to the vast majority of smokers. What effect are the government expecting, are all the smokers suddenly going to give up because Jaquie Smith says we have to I don't think so, did it suddenly become impossible to buy over night again I don't think so.

Rob
i think cannabis is a wonderfull drug, it is my preference to alcohol. i aint really a fan of alcohol and its effects and what i see it doing to people. aggressive alcohol fueled fights, shouting in the streets, alcoholics, people dying in hospital from a failed liver!! i dont see this being made illegal, know why? because the government makes millions to billions of pounts a year TAX off of it!! cannabis? i dont see anyone fighting and dying from that!

Tom C
I smoked weed from the age of 15 to 20 quite hevily. I noticed it having an affect on me so i made myself stop.i became very withdrawn socially and paranoid that everyone hated me and was watchin me.i still have these feelings now to a degree even though i gave it up more than two years ago.i wish i was smart enough to say no at the time because i think it has effected me for life how do you know it was cannabis that made you like that and that you weren't just going to be like that anyway?

SCATTY
YOU SHOULD JUS LEGALISE IT CUS DEN DA GOVERNMENT WILL KNOW HOW MUCH PEOPLE R SMOKIN N ALSO PUT DRUG DEALERS OUTA BUSSINESS LEGALISE CANIBIS NOW

Hayley k
Alcohol is far more dangerous than cannabis i started smokin it 6-7 years ago n im perfectly fine, unlike a close friend of mine died from alcohol poisonin so my opinion is make alcohol illegal!

mischa
I personally think the penalties for smoking weed are so tough beacuse weed is smoked mostly by foreigners(mainly black british). the british are into their daily glasses of red wine and pints.

stuart doores
Cannabis has never been shown to cause mental illness, I would like someone to show me some evidence if any exists. Of course there wont be any un-biased reports because most of them get funding from medicinal corporations who want to give it a bad name because it alone could replace many of their medicines. You cannot patent a natural substance so get your politician friends to ban the competition. THE GOVERNMENT LIE TO US ALL THE TIME, HAVE DONE FOR CENTURIES AND IF PEOPLE DONT WAKE UP AND CARE ABOUT OTHER ISSUES BAR WHAT DRESS IS RIHANNA WEARING AND WHAT NEW APPLE PRODUCTS AVAIABLE THEN WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE WAGE SLAVES FOR THE BANKERS. WAKE UP!

Hi IQ Guy with a well paid job.
It makes me really cross to hear people blaming this plant for their own problems, it's become very easy to blame a plant for your own short comings, especially when you know you can get a lighter sentence by doing so .. it's called playing the system, Cannabis never caused anyone to murder or hurt anyone else. In any society there will always be certain individuals that will have a problem with whatever substance they use, whether it be alcohol, cannabis or heroin, but that is the individuals problem & they should stay away from what does them harm ... you dont hear the government try to criminalise alcohol, yet alcohol is the single biggest abused drug on earth & has caused & still causes deaths by the hundreds every single day ..

Tom
What a load of rubbish. Has anyone ACTUALLY LISTENED to the whatJaqui Smith is spewing? ''Toxic strains''? So pot is now poisonous?! Arrrrrrrrrrgggghhhhh...

kay
I believe there are adverse effects to the drug cannabis. I have smoked it, in various strengths and amounts for approx 15 years and i have experienced mental health issues - although these were predominantly caused by other things, i don't think the drug has helped me. However i do not agree with it being reclassified. I do not agree with the people in possession potentially looking at a prison sentence. I continue to use the drug, with slightly better knowledge of its effects now and will do so as long as it is available. I think the government should look at the real, yet legal killers before penalising cannabis smokers - or perhaps we should make alcohol and fat illegal too??!!??

Matt
the penalties are ridiculous! typical of a government that has no idea of what's going on with real people in the real world.a big group of my friends and myself have smoked it pretty much daily for about 16 years, the worst side effect i've ever had is my short term memory has big holes in it. It doesn't make me paranoid, it doesn't give me psychotic episodes and i enjoy a spliff after a day at work. On the odd day i don't smoke it i don't get ratty or feel ill so i'm not addicted, i just enjoy doing it.I think the people that do experience mental problems after using it already had some underlying mental problem that the drug highlights, and if they abused alcohol in the same way the same mental disorder would pop up as well.I think people should be given the choice - someone telling me what i should and shouldn't do is not going to stop me doing things i shouldn't.If the government could find a way to tax it (which wouldn't be hard if they thought about it) it would be legal anyway.

Richo
I've smoked weed for the past ten years, i have no criminal record and i'm in full time employment, i'm a responsible father. I choose not to drink as it has far too many helath implications. When will the government realise solving small problems does not help with the major issues such as heroin in the uk, people steal to support that habit.

dogone
i love da weed ! it never killed no1 .ban fags or drink insted .

Tony
I have been smoking high grade weed for 13 years and i do more things and i have a loving girlfriend

Sarah A
I don't feel cannabis is any different to alcohol, yet we can buy that in cornershops and supermarkets all over the world!It has been proven that using cannabis can cause mental problems but so can alcohol. My father was an alcoholic and has passed away but my uncle smokes cannabis on a daily basis and is still with us. How many people on this planet are addicts, have mental issues or died because of alcohol abuse?The bottom line is, the government doesn't get tax from the sales of cannabis (remember, alcohol was once illegal!), if they did you would find it in supermarkets!!

sibannac
Ive smoked cannibis for the past 20yr , i have a great wife , 2 top notch kids and a decent job.I smoke high quality high stength cannabis and suffer no mental or physical health problems.

Derek
I've been smoking various kinds of hash, weed and skunk in various quantities (from nothing for a month or so, to 4 or 5 grams a day) for the last 13 or so years with no ill effects other than a dent in my wallet and the contents of several fridges and perhaps the occasional moment of paranoia in crowded public places. Certainly I've had no psychological side effects and my IQ is still over 160, just as it always was. I believe this reclassification is totally pointless and is merely a poor attempt by the government to claw back some votes by doing what they think their main demographic of support wants to hear.

Ryan
I don't think that Cannabis is a huge deal to be honest, I mean I have tinnitus and sometimes its stops me from sleeping when I smoke cannabis its no problem. It puts me in a bubble of happiness where any of my sadness goes away and I can think at a calm level instead of being miserable. I believe it can help with depression and appetite problems too. I couldn't eat breakfast I just couldn't do it my body wouldn't let me for some reason, but when i started having cannabis more frequently it helped me out more then harmed me i could eat properly and enjoy a more variety of foods,sleep alot better,enjoy what I've already got more,worry more about my education (which isn't a bad thing really) and it helped me get along with more people more aswell for example I fell out with a guy called Dan and had a really big fight with him but I saw him out one day and we happened to be both stoned and it was all good to be honest we were sorry about the whole thing as I think cannabis also makes a bit of pacifism come out in everyone too.

Keith & Robyn
Alcohol is more harmful [than cannabis] - to the population, certainly, and to the individual, possibly. What I'd like to ask politicians is what harm am I doing by staying in, rolling a few spliffs and watching television? Maybe I should be out down the pub, getting drunk, getting in punch-ups and shouting my head off? That seems the establishment's preferred option. The only harm I do is to my own lungs. The fact that I'm considered a criminal is, I think, a fundamental breach of my human rights. This whole situation is a pathetic waste of the governments time as people are still going to use it but just use it out of site of the public and the " 5 0 " Its just another excuse for the government to take our money when its our decision to spend it whatever way we want. We all no the risks it can cause to our bodies and our mental health but yet it is our decision to smoke it! No one else's!

oli
completly pointless, i started using it when i was 14, 24 now an it was B then it wont make any difference. the home secretary says "reclassification is needed to protect our children"legislation, control, an regulation is the only way our gov will achieve that.the cannabis industry has a huge demand worth billions of pounds a year, with cannabis being one of the safest substances known to man, with only 2 related human deaths an 2 known animal deaths worldwide, only people with a predisposition to mental health problems are at any real risk from its use,its never been proven to cause cancer (THC is actually anti-cancerous.) or any other major illness or disease. i am amazed at how the gov can let the industry be run by criminals. in 99% of cases the only victim created from cannabis use are those that are criminalized for it.

FTW
it should be legalized but thats not going to happen. Moving it back up to class b is a waste of time people are still going to be smoking it they'll just be more careful about where they smoke it! Why not legalize it as it makes people relax. There is a lot more violence and crime when it comes to alcohol!!! This is just another excuse for the government to stroke are money out of our pockets!

Anna
I used to smoke cannabis a lot with my ex boyfriend and social circle but chose to stop when I started to get very unpleasant feelings of paranoia. I also lost a friend at the age of 17 who hanged himself as a result of feeling paranoid. He was only smoking cannabis, nothing else. I now work as a mental health nurse in an adolescent psychiatric unit and see everyday the devastating affect it can have on mental health. But I also know several people who have smoked it for years with no ill affects. Cannabis use is down to personal choice and education, NOT legality. The government should be spending money on making people aware of the early symptoms of mental health problems, not wasting it penalising otherwise responsible individuals. If cannabis makes you feel mentally unstable then you should have the responsibility to seek help and stop. I did.

lynne
the drug has turned my son into an idiot. He is in hospital (again) with a diagnosis of drug related schizophrenia. He is able to buy drugs in the hospital grounds, its sad, addicts do not take other peoples feelings into consideration. He laughed when I told him he could go to jail for five years after the re-classification, I give up.

Jack
Yes there are stronger varieties, but people simply smoke less of it. Brilliant analogy with beer/whisky raised in your article. I enjoy it in regulation, and yes some people slip, but this is just like alcoholism. We need better aid for those who lose control, not harsher penalties.

Daniel B
i believe that people have got to find things out for themselves.i dont believe that any re-classification of cannabis will stop anyone doing it.all this will do is create more minor offenders of drug use.i really believe that cannabis is being singled out and the effects hyped.people have been using the drug for a long time,admittidly some people do suffer as a result of smoking cannabis as from alcohol, but its up to the user to decide when enough is enough.as a user of weed,i dont see any anti-social behavior change in myself.i have a job and im in a relationship with a non user of weed and who is also a psychiatric nurse who says that they have only ever come across a couple of cases where weed has been the main problem for them, as appose to alchohol which has a far greater negative impact on peoples lives.why should we listen to mp's and anti- drug campaigners who have never even tried it.'NEVER TRIED IT?NO OPINION!!!!if alcohol became the organized crime gangs substance of choice to make and sell on the 'back streets' would they ban alchohol?i can't handle alcohol very well so i never drink it but does that mean i dont get to sit back and chill out with my m8s with a spliff?why dont the government get tough on things that people want them to like knife crime,rape and murder, but of course they wont .its easier to find a kid with a spliff minding his own business and throw the book at him.this country is run by corrupt, unjust posh **** who will never really know what normal life is like!!!!!!!

Oli
This isn't going to stop people from smoking it, it's going to make less guilty people sent to prison for longer, its darn right pathetic! haha.

michael g
iv used it for 7ish years and i also feel that upgrading it will not stop the current users. i want to stop using it but its around me so much i feel its hard to stop, plus i rely on it to sleep. i dont feel upgrading it will do alot at all apart from give the goverment more money, from the fines beacuse i got a £200 fine for possesion when it was class c, im sure they will be able to charge more now the class has gone up

colin
i've smoked cannabis for 5 years and i feel like the same when i started. i smoke very hevy how and i dont know what all the worry is all about. the drug chang from c to b is a wast of time thay did it before and it did not work.

dani w
i smoked weed from the age of 15 to 20 quite hevily.i noticed it having an affect on me so i made myself stop.i became very withdrawn socially and paranoid that everyone hated me and was watchin me.i still have these feelings now to a degree even though i gave it up more than two years ago.i wish i was smart enough to say no at the time because i think it has effected me for life

ricky
No dont agree with the reclassification think there is no need for it. Dont see how cannabis is any worse than alcohol, i bet there arnt as many arrests through cannabis as there is alcohol, think they should reclassify the alcohol. I smoke cannabis on a daily basis, i function i hold down a 40hr a week job, have a baby girl 5 weeks old who i look after along with my partner, help out with day to day stuff, cannabis does not make me lazy or affect me. Some men like a drink after work, well i work too and dont drink alcohol, lucky if i have one a christmas, so tell me why i am not entitled a smoke, isnt it everyone for there own?how is it right that you can drink 10 pints, get legless, then go beat someone up, and get yourself a £60 fine, a night in cells for drunk and disordaley, how does that compare to two years in jail, for having a spliff in the comft of your own home.

Tasha
I don't agree, I mean weed is not an agressive drug at all, I think the government just lean on things that make us look bad, and them look good. Like the smoking ban, they make so much tax on that and still do, but makes it look like they care. Alcohol on the other hand, can u ever imagine a ban on that, lord no, far far far too much money is made thru taxes on this, but look at all the accidents/brawls/drama caused by alcoholism. How often you hear of stoners beating each other up, beating their wives, crashing their cars, regretting making that call @ 4am! 14 years away for something that grows from the earth? Soon we'll be sentenced for breathing too much air!

Max
i think cannabis does cause some mental issues i have been smoking it for about 5years and now at 17 i have to take anti-psycotics but at the end of the day raising it from c to b isnt going to stop anyone so whats the point