FACTBOX-Cannabis and its use in Britain

LONDON - The government is to raise cannabis to a class B drug, on a level with amphetamines and barbiturates.

Here are some facts about cannabis and its use in Britain

Cannabis is the most commonly used drug in the Britain, with 8.2 percent of 16 to 59-year-olds telling the 2006/07 British Crime Survey they had used the drug in the past year.

It is the drug most likely to be used by 16 to 24-year-olds, with 20.9 percent telling the survey they had used it in the past year.

But usage has fallen by as much as a quarter over the past five years.

Cannabis was reclassified to a class C drug from Class B on January 29, 2004 on the recommendation of the government's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD).

Three products derived from the Cannabis sativa plant (hemp) are commonly available in Britain:

- cannabis resin (hash)

- traditional herbal cannabis (marijuana)