Home Office asked to rewrite Psychoactive Substances Bill

Government advisers are saying the proposed Psychoactive Substances Bill needs to be rewritten so people are not wrongly criminalised.

The legislation cracking down on legal highs such as laughing gas currently outlines people caught selling them could face seven-year prison sentences. But Theresa May, the UK's Home Secretary, has been told by the advisory council on the misuse of drugs (ACMD) that it needs to be reviewed.

While it is going through the House of Lords, the ACMD has highlighted problems with it as it is. These include the difficulty of proving the "psychoactivity of a substance" in court, the inclusion of substances that may actually have health benefits, the failure to point out the difference between harmful and harmless products and the risk of illegal dealing via the internet if official 'head shops' are closed.

The ACMD also wants to make sure it's "enforceable and proportionate" and hopes the "potential for unintended consequences" are minimal.

The Home Office has said the advice is "greatly valued" and plans to respond to it before the next stage of debate in the House of Lords on July 14.

Scientists said last week that medical research could be halted by the legislation as it currently stands.

Read the full list of recommendations here.