News and views: Drugs Body Makes Cannabis Decision
Sky News - The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs will make its recommendation this month, following a review of the decision to downgrade the drug.
There is growing concern about the impact of cannabis on mental health, particularly of younger people who use the stronger 'skunk' form of the drug.
Although the advisory council has not publicly commented on the matter, reports say it has come out in favour of keeping the classification as it is now.
Its findings could put the board on a collision course with the Prime Minister who earlier this week said he was determined to send a signal to young people that the use of cannabis was "unacceptable".
Gordon Brown inferred at his monthly news conference that he strongly supported reclassifying cannabis as a Class B drug.
But if the Government does reclassify the drug, it would mean rejecting the findings of the advisory council's panel of 23 drug experts.
"The ACMD is due to give its recommendation to the Home Office this later this month and the Home Office decision on cannabis classification will follow shortly after," said a Home Office spokesman.