Angela Watkinson

Conservative Party | Upminster

CANNABIS U TURN

Angela Watkinson, MP for Upminster, said this week.

“The recent decision of the Home Secretary to reclassify Cannabis from a Class C to a Class B drug has been long awaited and hard fought for. The decision recognises that the change in policy gave the wrong message to young people. Many thought it harmless and even legal. The mental health profession has supported the campaign on the wealth of evidence of mental health problems such as psychosis and depression brought on by Cannabis use. The softly softly Metropolitan Police Cannabis project in the London Borough of Camden was bizarre in the face of so many hard drug users committing acquisitive crime to feed their addiction, who started on Cannabis. At last, the use of this gateway drug will be taken seriously. The campaign continues and I am now pressing for improvements to drugs prevention, education in schools and a revision of the website Talk to Frank. The message to young people is very simple, Cannabis is harmful and illegal – be clever and resist it.”