Minister for Justice, Jack Straw, has admitted that relaxing cannabis laws was a mistake.Speaking on Channel Four News, he said, "I was always against it, let me say, I can disclose this now, reducing the categorisation of cannabis from B to C, I thought that was an error."
"I'm glad to know that we are now looking again at that. I don't think would work.
"I'm happy to have a debate about that, but I'm absolutely clear - what we know about cannabis now, more than we did even five and 10 years ago, is the way it can lead to very serious exacerbation of mental health problems."
Speaking on GMTV, he said, "Why I want to upgrade cannabis and make it more a drug that people worry about is that we don't want to send out a message - just like with alcohol - to teenagers that we accept these things."
Cannabis was reclassified from a class B to a class C drug by then Home Secretary David Blunkett in changes which were implemented in 2004.
Gordon Brown announced soon after becoming Prime Minister that a review of the law would be launched. Mr Straw's comments add to speculation that the Government is keen to see the drug returned to class B.
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