British Pot Smokers Still Face the Dreaded Finger Wag

Jacob Sullum | October 24, 2008

As expected, the British government has reclassified marijuana, a Class C "soft" drug since 2004, as a Class B drug. As NORML notes, "marijuana use by young people age 16 to 24 has fallen approximately 20 percent" since the drug's status was downgraded. Prime Minister Gordon Brown nevertheless ignored the advice of drug policy experts so he could "send a message" to Britain's youth about the "lethal" hazards of supposedly super-potent pot. Still, it looks like moving marijuana back to Class B will have few practical consequences. As before, people caught with small amounts of marijuana will receive warnings the first time around. A second offense can result in a citation and fine, while a third offense theoreticallly can lead to arrest and jail. But as NORML points out, "the Home Office will not document verbal warnings in a national database, making it difficult for police to know whether a defendant is facing their first, second, or third offense."

Comments

|10.24.08 @ 7:45PM|#

"I swear to god, constable, this is my first offence."

|10.24.08 @ 7:57PM|#

It's very sad when I envy Nanny State Britain.

jtuf|10.24.08 @ 8:09PM|#

Prime Minister Gordon Brown nevertheless ignored the advice of drug policy experts so he could "send a message" to Britain's youth about the "lethal" hazards of supposedly super-potent pot.

Having given up on preserving England's legal traditions and values like tolerance, peaceful discourse and freedom, Her Majesty's government is redoubling its efforts to fight plants. Next on the agenda, saving England from those killer tomatoes.

Just Plain Brian|10.24.08 @ 8:11PM|#

"I swear to god, constable, this is my first offence."

And you'll always have plausible deniability, because of the well-documented short-term memory loss.

|10.24.08 @ 8:14PM|#

If I ever get my ass to the mother country, I'm gonna light up a fat one in downtown London.

Kolohe|10.24.08 @ 8:14PM|#

"I swear to god, constable, this is my first offence."
And you'll always have plausible deniability, because of the well-documented short-term memory loss.

But the flaw is that you will soon not be able to swear to god in Atheistic Sharia EUrabia

|10.24.08 @ 8:29PM|#

"British Pot Smokers Still Face the Dreaded Finger Wag"

A prostate exam? I think I'd rather have a fine.

Daniel Reeves|10.24.08 @ 8:41PM|#

I know I'm beating a dead horse, but do these leaders even feel the slightest bit of cognitive dissonance...?

|10.24.08 @ 8:43PM|#

Jon H | October 24, 2008, 8:29pm | #

"British Pot Smokers Still Face the Dreaded Finger Wag"

A prostate exam? I think I'd rather have a fine.

Win.

Clarity is my drug of choice|10.24.08 @ 8:50PM|#

"the Home Office will not document verbal warnings in a national database

...reserved as it is to nonverbal warnings: semaphores, smoke signals, y'know, stuff not using words

making it difficult for police to know whether a defendant is facing their first, second, or third offense.

Not to speak of the difficulties in getting an accurate, uh, head-count in the absence of subject-verb agreement.

Oh my aching Empire.

|10.24.08 @ 9:20PM|#

Speaking of prostate exams:
Finger wag or
Winger fag?

Bedtime for me.

TallDave|10.24.08 @ 9:53PM|#

What a strange and wonderful place.

Well, except for the ban on guns and the cameras on every corner. Odd that Orwell's country would be the first to embrace central elements of his dystopic vision.

Franklin Harris|10.24.08 @ 10:24PM|#

Well, except for the ban on guns and the cameras on every corner. Odd that Orwell's country would be the first to embrace central elements of his dystopic vision.

Odder still that the Big Brother-like advertising propaganda campaign promoting Britain's surveillance program is so unknowingly unironic.

|10.24.08 @ 11:53PM|#

England lags. This country is absurd with its sentimental regard for individual liberty.

Elemenope|10.25.08 @ 12:16AM|#

Clarity is my drug of choice | October 24, 2008, 8:50pm | #

"Now would that be the customary Clarity, or the new and improved Clarity?"

BakedPenguin|10.25.08 @ 12:42AM|#

If I ever get my ass to the mother country, I'm gonna light up a fat one in downtown London.

Go to the market at Camden. If you can't find pot there, you couldn't find it at Woodstock.

Lefiti|10.25.08 @ 2:19AM|#

Who gives a fuck?

|10.25.08 @ 6:18AM|#

It is Britain, right? Shouldn't it be a yellow card booking for the first offense?

|10.25.08 @ 9:25AM|#

Oh Pulease, a little Pot never hurt anyone now did it. Gimme a break.

Liz
www.anonymity.pro.tc

|10.25.08 @ 12:34PM|#

Go to the market at Camden. If you can't find pot there, you couldn't find it at Woodstock.

Thanks for the tip. I think engaging in international commerce might lead to bad experiences.

Naga Sadow|10.25.08 @ 1:14PM|#

J sub D,

Buy American pot only. It's patriotic of you and helps domestic producers.

TallDave|10.25.08 @ 4:50PM|#

Buy American pot only. It's patriotic of you and helps domestic producers.

And in these troubled economic times, we need to support our #1 cash crop.