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A Derbyshire mother who witnessed the effect cannabis had on her son has expressed her delight that the drug has been reclassified.

Carol Taylor's 20-year-old son, Joe Heathcote, killed himself in April last year after suffering from depression.

He used to smoke cannabis and his mother is convinced it only served to make his condition worse. Yesterday, the Government confirmed that it would be reclassifying the recreational drug back to Grade B, from Grade C.

As a result, the maximum penalty for possession of the drug will rise from two to five years by the end of this year.

Warnings against cannabis use are also set to be put on cigarette paper packets, while the sale of seeds, pipes and even material encouraging people to smoke could be restricted.

Mrs Taylor, 44, of Derby Road, Wirksworth, said "I am so happy that the Government has made this decision, absolutely delighted.

"Last year, my son fell ill and confided in me that he smoked cannabis.

"I thought that it was probably a phase he was going through and something that young people did to experiment but I didn't think it was too much of a problem.

"When he died last April, it was just such a big shock."

Mrs Taylor said that since her son's death she had received help from a support group called Talking About Cannabis.

The group is made up of parents of children who have suffered at the hands of cannabis and last October, they lobbied Parliament, urging them to re-classify the drug.

Mrs Taylor said: "Talking About Cannabis have been a great help and through them I have been in contact with a lot of other people who have been through something similar to me."

Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said that she had decided to reclassify the drug subject to Parliamentary approval.

She said: "There is a compelling case for us to act now rather than risk the future health of young people.

"Where there is a clear and serious problem, but doubt about the harm that will be caused, we must err on the side of caution."