FACTBOX-Cannabis and its use in Britain

The British government is to raise cannabis to a class B drug, on a level with amphetamines and barbiturates. Here are some facts about cannabis and its use in Britain.

Cannabis is the most commonly used drug in the Britain, with 8.2 percent of 16 to 59-year-olds telling the 2006/2007 British Crime Survey they had used the drug in the past year.

It is the drug most likely to be used by 16 to 24-year-olds, with 20.9 percent telling the survey they had used it in the past year.

But usage has fallen by as much as a quarter over the past five years.

Cannabis was reclassified to a class C drug from Class B on Jan. 29, 2004 on the recommendation of the government’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD).

Three products derived from the Cannabis sativa plant (hemp) are commonly available in Britain: cannabis resin (hash); traditional herbal cannabis (marijuana); and sinsemilla (including skunk).

Sinsemilla is made from the flowering tops of unfertilised female cannabis plants produced by intensive indoor cultivation.

Sinsemilla now makes up around four-fifths of the British market and is at least two to three times more potent than resin or herbal cannabis.

The effect of cannabis is due to the chemical component tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, which acts on specific proteins in the brain.

The use of cannabis may worsen the symptoms of schizophrenia and lead to relapse, the ACMD reports.

However, evidence is unclear on the significance of the link between use of the drug and psychotic illnesses.

Smoking cannabis generally produces feelings of relaxation, but unlike alcohol it does not appear to reduce inhibitions or lead to an increase in risk-taking behaviour or aggression.

Source: British Crime Survey, Advisory Council on Misuse of Drugs