The association wants tougher penalties for under-18s who are caught with the drug, to highlight the impact it can have on young people's health (YPN, 16-22 August, p2).
At the annual general meeting of the association last week, magistrates backed a motion to call for cannabis to be classified as a class B drug for under-18s. It is currently categorised as class C for adults and young people.
But Martin Barnes, chief executive of drugs information charity DrugScope, pledged its backing for the current law. "While more needs to be done to tackle cannabis use, there is no evidence that moving the drug back to class B will have an impact on use or on awareness of the harm the drug can cause," he said.
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