Police: New British marijuana law hazy

LONDON, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- British police are criticizing the government’s decision to downgrade marijuana possession from a class B to a class C crime.

Downgrading marijuana possession sends the message that marijuana use, which has “ruined people’s lives,” is not serious, said Ian Johnston, president of the Police Superintendents Association of England and Wales, The Independent reported Sunday.

It also has created confusion amongst law enforcement officials about how to enforce the law, Johnston said. In some areas, police prefer to issue cautions to people caught with the drug, while in others they practice a zero-tolerance policy.

Cautions, which do not result in a permanent criminal record, increased 28 percent to more than 81,000, the newspaper said. This year, the Association of Chief Police Officers issued guidelines recommending warnings instead of prosecution in marijuana possession cases.