editorial comment Actually, Mr. Davis, nobody can call himself a conservative and be for drug prohibition. Conservatives are for small government, not for a police state.

David Davis, the Conservatives shadow Home Secretary, said downgrading cannabis had been wrong and would be reversed by a Conservative government, as it made young people think the drug was harmless and made the streets more difficult to police.

He said: "It is wrong because it sent out the message to millions of young people that smoking cannabis is harmless. It is not.” And he added: “Police are left bewildered by the changes and confusion is rife as to how to treat blatant smokers who break the law in public … No Government can be soft on drugs and tough on crime at the same time."

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