A magistrate who is calling for the reclassification of cannabis has said he will continue to work to protect youths from the drug after receiving support from the Magistrates' Association.

Roger Davy, 68, who predominantly works in youth courts, put forward a motion to the association's conference to lobby the Government to reclassify cannabis as a Class B drug up from a Class C drug for young people under 18.

"I am very pleased that the motion was approved," he said. Mr Davy of Parklands, Ilkley, said that the re-classification of cannabis had encouraged youths to try it.

He said: "The wrong message has gone out to young people who think that nothing is going to happen to them if they use cannabis. Because it has been downgraded they think it is less important.

"A lot of youngsters will start smoking at ten or 11 and will drift into smoking cannabis in their teens."

He said that although the motion specifically referred to young people under 18 the harmful effects of cannabis on all age groups were acknowledged by the association.

Mr Davy said that in his experience cannabis was often a gateway into other drugs.

He said: "This motion is about protecting young people as they do not realise the long term effects of heavy cannabis use, particularly at a young age."

One of the greatest concerns about cannabis use is that current versions of cannabis are much more potent and therefore pose a bigger danger to young people than the versions smoked 20 or 30 years ago.

e-mail: sunita.bhatti @bradford.newsquest.co.uk