Laughing gas still illegal despite court decisions, UK government says

Home Office says nitrous oxide remains banned under Psychoactive Substances Act after collapse of two recent prosecutions
The Guardian (UK)
Thursday, August 31, 2017

nitrous oxideProsecutors could in future decline to bring charges against people suspected of crimes linked to laughing gas after two cases collapsed when courts heard the substance was exempt from the law designed to ban it. The Crown Prosecution Service has indicated that it is considering the effect of the two failed prosecutions on its future charging decisions. But the government insisted that despite the cases, nitrous oxide is illegal under the 2016 Psychoactive Substances Act. Although the judge in one of the cases stressed that it did not set a legal precedent, there have been calls to review the dozens of convictions under the act.

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