News

“Cannabis is to be reclassified as a class B drug”, Jacqui Smith commented. The home secretary said that she wanted to reverse Tony Blair's 2004 downgrading of the drug because of "uncertainty" over its impact on mental health. The move from class C means the maximum prison sentence for possessing cannabis rises from two years to five years. Her statement to MPs came despite the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs' review commissioned by Gordon Brown saying it should stay class C.

Since cannabis was downgraded there has been widespread concern about the increased prevalence of stronger "skunk" varieties. Ms Smith said this now accounted for 80% of the cannabis seized on the streets and the drug was nearly three times stronger than in 1995. She also added that the government's change of heart which is subject to parliamentary approval was part of a "relentless drive" to try and get the many pot smokers to alternatively quit or risk getting longer and much harsher sentences.

Policymakers should consider allowing the licensed sale of cannabis for recreational use, says one of the UK's leading researchers of the drug. Professor Roger Pertwee is going to speak his mind at a speech at the British Science Association in Birmingham. He is expected to say amazing solutions have to be considered because he believes the current policy of criminalizing cannabis is ineffective. But the government continues to insist that decriminalization the drug would not work and only make things more difficult.

The dismissal last year of Professor David Nutt as the previous government's leading drugs adviser showed it was in no mood to consider relaxing the status of cannabis as an illegal class B drug. It is a view which is also shared by the United kingdom’s current government. But Prof Pertwee, an expert on cannabis-like chemicals, is to tell scientists that he, like Professor Nutt, believes it is a policy that is doing more harm than good Professor Pertwee discusses legalizing certain forms of cannabis. "I'm talking about harm minimization," Professor Pertwee said. Professor Pertwee continued to say "At the moment there is an awful lot of harm caused by what we have at the moment, with children going to a drug dealer or they try and grow it themselves and then they get into troublewith the law."

Ollie Williams reporting live from the world series!

Police say 2 armed men robbed the dispensary taking marijuana, cash and even personal belongings of the employees. The incident took place on Sept. 29th at 11:43 am, fortunately the armed robbers never fired off their weapons and none of the employees were harmed. Images of the 2 suspected individuals have also been released. Images and video are courtesy of the San Jose police department.

Anyone with information about the suspects or either robbery is urged to contact Detectives Jason Tanner or Brandon Sanchez of the San Jose Police Department's robbery unit at 408-277-4166. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may call the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers hot line at 408- 947-STOP (7867).

(Source: MercuryNews.com)

The US Coast Guard was sent out to check a suspicious vessel that was about 2 miles off the coast of Miami. Offices boarded the vessel where they found 800 pounds of Marijuana in the boats cabins. The 4 men on the boat are facing felony charges of smuggling and conspiracy which could land them some serious jail time.

(Source: miamiherald.com)