Brown wants to upgrade marijuana

LONDON, April 1 (UPI) -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has endorsed a move to upgrade cannabis to a "Class B" drug, reversing a downgrade to Class C under Tony Blair.

Brown's comments at his monthly news conference suggest that he will upgrade cannabis or marijuana no matter what the conclusion of a report he commissioned, The Daily Telegraph reported. That report is to be released later in April.

"I believe that if we are sending out a signal particularly to teenagers, and particularly those at the most vulnerable age, young teenagers, that we in any way find cannabis acceptable, given all that we now know about the changes in the way cannabis is being sold in this country, that is not the right thing to do," Brown said. "My personal view has been pretty well known for some time."

Class C drugs include steroids and anti-depressants, while amphetamines are Class B. While possession of Class C drugs carries a sentence of up to two years in prison, in practice most offenders are spared jail, The Daily Telegraph said.