London
Possession of small amounts of marijuana is no longer punishable in Britain as of this week, at least for first-time offenders. Pot was reclassified as a class C drug, putting it on the same level as steroids and tranquilizers. That means police will generally ignore casual use, particularly in private homes. Dealing the drug, though—even just a few ounces—could still bring a two-year prison sentence, and smoking in public will result in a ticket. Pot smoking is widespread in Britain. An estimated one in 10 Britons ages 16 to 59—about 3.3 million people—uses the drug each year. Among youth, it’s extremely popular: One in four of those ages 15 to 24 smoked marijuana in 2002.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Why NATO, Ukraine are nervous about a second Trump presidencyThe Explainer A 'radical reorientation' of U.S. policy is possible
-
Today's political cartoons - October 11, 2024Cartoons Friday's cartoons - gang warfare, sporting shocks, and more
-
Han Kang of South Korea wins literature Nobel PrizeSpeed Read She is the first South Korean and first Asian woman to win the award
