• Huhne on Drugs - "I wuz wrong" says Jock

Much to my surprise, Chris Huhne has in fact commented on the story I linked to earlier today about Brown and Smith preparing to over-rule any recommendation from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs if they do not recommend castrating and hanging cannabis users on the spot
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Of course it doesn't actually say a great deal - not even reiterate our own very good policy on the issue - but it's a welcome intervention.  I do take issue with this bit though:

"The advisory council must take on board the increasing reports of the mental health effects of high strength cannabis, but ministers must be guided by the science and the evidence as assessed by the council."

If there is an actual causal link, which nothing has proven so far as I am aware yet (repeating it often enough does not make it true), and "high strength" (which is also not well defined, nor how much of the market is such high strength ccannabis) then legalisation is still probably the best way to counter that.  Further prohibition will inevitably lead to people facing tougher penalties producing and using stronger stuff and more adulterated stuff to maximize their profit and minimize their risks. 

Think prohibition and the nasty alcohol and illegally ddistilled overproof hooch that resulted from it.