U.K. Legalizes, er, Decriminalizes, er, Does Something to Pot

Police fear ‘cannabis confusion’

The downgrading of cannabis on Thursday will lead to a rise in the number of
drug addicts and criminals, police officers’ leaders have warned.

The Police Federation of England and Wales said many people were confused and
believed the drug was now legal.

Cannabis has been downgraded from Class B to C, which means police will no longer
automatically arrest those caught in possession of it.

The maximum penalty for possession is cut from five to two years in prison.

The government said the re-classification will bring credibility to its drugs
strategy and give police more time to tackle hard drugs.

from the BBC