The great cannabis classification debacle: what are the likely consequences for policing cannabis possession offences in England and Wales?

The British government downgraded cannabis from a Class B to a Class C drug in 2004; but in 2008 it reversed this decision,and cannabis is due to be reclassified back to Class B in January 2009. In this Harm Reduction Digest, Paul Turnbull assesses the impact of reclassification to Class B focusing on policing and the legitimacy of drug law. The government cited the availability of stronger strains of cannabis and a large rise in the number of UK-based "cannabis farms" as the reasons for this decision.

Over a decade of syringe exchange: results from 1997 UK survey.

Aims: To describe syringe exchange provision in the United Kingdom.

Design: Two-phase cross-sectional survey: phase I, establishing a sampling frame of syringe exchange coordinators (n=420); phase II, surveying the coordinators seeking data on the number of syringe exchange outlets, visits and syringes distributed during April 1997 (68% response rate).

Setting: United Kingdom.