RSA Drug Commission Report

The Royal Society of Arts Commission on Illegal Drugs has issued its final report, "Illegal Drugs, Communities and Public Policy."

The system, the commission's report says, is "crude, ineffective, riddled with anomalies and open to political manipulation."

Existing drugs education is often "inconsistent, irrelevant, disorganised" and "delivered by people without adequate training" and its main focus should shift from secondary to primary schools.

Current laws are "driven by moral panic" with large amounts of money wasted on "futile" efforts to stop supply rather than going after the criminal networks behind the drugs on British streets.

The commission is in favour of a much more flexible system than classes A, B, and C, i.e. differentiating between different strengths of cannabis.

The commision's website is here.

Later this morning, when they have it up, you can listen to the commission's chair, Anthony King of Essex University, interviewed on the Today programme (it is the interview just after Jack Straw, about 718-720am).