[420 Girl]

Making cannabis a class B drug is unlikely to change the way it's tackled by police in Oxfordshire, according to a drugs tsar. Cannabis has been upgraded from a class C drug by the Government because of fears the super-strength strain dubbed skunk can cause mental health problems - especially with youngsters.

In the past year, 1,576 people in Oxfordshire have been caught by police for possessing cannabis. Police dished out 341 cautions and 872 warnings, while the remaining 363 were either arrested and charged or released. Dr Shona Morrison, the drugs co-ordinator for Thames Valley Police, said the force was awaiting guidance from the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) on how to tackle cannabis use.

Currently a user gets a caution after three warnings for possession. But Dr Morrison, who sets drugs strategy for the force, said reclassification was unlikely to change anything. Dr Morrison added: "The options that are available to us when cannabis was class C and options available to us now will not necessarily change. It won't change how people supplying drugs are dealt with - they will still be a priority. It's simply a difference in sentencing, while cannabis farms will still be dealt with whether it is class B or C drug. I don't think it's going to change things dramatically. Whatever guidelines Acpo issue I am sure will be appropriate - but the way we have been dealing with cannabis has been appropriate."

Earlier this year, Pc Leigh Thompson, drugs co-ordinator for Oxfordshire, called for the cannabis to be reclassified over mental health concerns. He said: "I hope this time the Government will make a push and educate people about cannabis. It is illegal and was never legal."

Oxford's Substance Misuse Arrest Referral Team (SMART) treats criminals with drugs problems referred by police. Chief executive Darren Worthington said: "We don't have any cannabis users referred to us at all. It must be less than one per cent. "I don't think the reclassification of cannabis will have much impact at all on the usage."

Class B drug offences can lead to a five-year jail term while class C drug crimes have a two-year prison limit. The Government's decision to upgrade cannabis to class B was contrary to the recommendations by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.

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