The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs had recommended such a reclassification as early as 1979, a view endorsed by the Runciman Report[4] in 1999.
The change was designed to enable police forces to concentrate resources on other (more serious) offences, including those involving "harder drugs".
[5] Early in January 2006 Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, said that on the basis of advice from the Advisory Council, a decision was made not to return cannabis to class B.
[7][8] On 7 May 2008, Smith confirmed that cannabis in the UK would again be classified as a class B drug, despite the Advisory Council's recommendation.
[11] In October 2022, it was reported by The Sunday Times that the UK's Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, was considering upgrading cannabis to a class A drug.
[16] On Tuesday 10 October 2017 under the Ten Minute Rule the Legalisation of Cannabis (Medicinal Purposes) Bill was proposed by Paul Flynn, Frank Field, Caroline Lucas, Mary Glindon, Jeff Smith, Kelvin Hopkins, Crispin Blunt, Michael Fabricant, Martyn Day, Ronnie Cowan, Layla Moran, and Alistair Carmichael.