UK cannabis campaigners urge government to consider ‘reasonable’ reforms as more countries legalize the drug

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Removing criminal or civil penalties on cannabis use and possession and implementing cooperative models of distribution are among the 14 “principles” of a drug charity to guide the “inevitable” movement of UK towards deregulation.

Allowing home cultivation of cannabis similar to those brewing beer or wine at home, and the ‘automatic expungement’ of previous cannabis-related convictions were set out in a proposal exploring equity and social justice initiatives as part of cannabis reform in the UK.

The report, “Regulating Right, Repairing Wrongs,” called for cannabis “social club” models like those in Malta, which legalized cannabis last month, to be incorporated into any new regulatory system.

He said tax revenue would be invested in communities that have been “over-policed ​​and over-criminalized” and would support harm reduction interventions and treatment initiatives, according to proposals developed by Release, the national center of expertise. on drugs and drug law. UK.

A ‘Cannabis in Stock’ sign seen in South Edmonton, Canada. The country legalized cannabis for personal use in 2018 (Photo: Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Dr Laura Garius, head of policy at Release, said countries around the world are “making progress in drug law reform” while the UK lags behind.

She said: “Despite unprecedented movement restrictions and border closures as a result of the pandemic, the drug market has remained remarkably stable and indications are that drug use is increasing, not decreasing.

“The UK government’s new drugs strategy has regurgitated ‘tough on drugs’ rhetoric, despite the Home Office’s own research concluding that spending an estimated £1.6bn a year on the Drug law enforcement has no impact on drug use levels. We need a new approach.

Steve Rolles, Senior Policy Analyst at the Transform Drug Policy Foundation, added: “We know that when these principles are not at the forefront, people continue to be punished for cannabis use and the harm caused by it. the war on cannabis are not corrected.

Cannabis has been the most widely used drug in England and Wales since the end of 1995, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Eight percent of adults aged 16-59 (about 2.6 million) said they had used it in the year to March 2020. Data on drug use during the pandemic has yet to be released. .

Drug users spend £9.4billion each year on illegal narcotics, including around £2billion on cannabis – more than powdered cocaine (£1.9billion) but less than opiates such as heroin (£4bn) according to the first of two by Dame Carol Black. in part an independent review of the drug trade.

Learn more about cannabis

Most drug users are under 30, and higher levels of cannabis use are “associated with lower incomes and more deprived areas”, according to the 2020 report.

Uruguay was the first country to legalize cannabis for personal use in 2013, followed by Canada five years later. The drug became legal for private and recreational use in Mexico in June last year and can be used recreationally in 18 US states.

Closer to home, Malta last month became the first European country to legalize the cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal use.

Meanwhile, Germany’s new coalition government announced a sea change in its drugs policy last October when it unveiled plans to legalize recreational cannabis for adults. It is understood that the law could be adopted within two years. (Germany legalized medical marijuana in 2016, and possession of small amounts of the drug for personal use has long been decriminalized.)

Activists believe that a regulated cannabis market that imposes maximum levels of THC, which can cause paranoia and anxiety, and minimum limits of cannabidiol (CBD), which studies suggest has harmful effects. antipsychotics, could reduce the risk of mental health disorders and ease the pressure on NHS services.

Independent reports say a legal UK market could generate up to £3.5bn for the Treasury and relieve pressure on police and courts, which are dealing with a backlog of cases affected by the pandemic.

In July 2021 Boris Johnson launched his ‘Beating Crime Plan’ in which he said ‘recreational drug use’ is not safe (Picture: Toby Melville/REUTERS)

Despite this, the government announced its plan to fight crime, a 52-page “shared vision of fewer victims, peaceful neighborhoods and a safer country”.

He described drugs as a “scourge on society” and pledged to “tackle both supply and demand – tougher on drug dealers, busting gangs counties, making it clear that ‘recreational use’ is not trivial and supporting drug and alcohol addicts to access the treatment services they need to change their lives”.

The term “county lines” refers to the transport of illegal drugs from cities and towns to suburban and rural areas. Drug gangs, eager to avoid detection, groom and coerce vulnerable young people – often males between the ages of 15 and 17 – to carry the drugs and collect the money.

When the departmental line, the cell phone used to facilitate drug orders, is shut down by police, contacts receive drug-warning messages. They are also encouraged to ask for help.

MP Alistair Carmichael, home affairs spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, called on the government to “take power and money away from criminal gangs” and protect young people by introducing a legal and regulated cannabis market.

He said: “The conservative ideological ‘war on drugs’ has not stopped the supply of harmful drugs. All they have done is concentrate power in the hands of organized criminals.

“More and more countries around the world are leading the way in sensible drug law reform. Under the Tories, the UK is lagging behind.

The Home Office said: “Our first-of-its-kind drug strategy will deliver a comprehensive systems approach, backed by record investments to tackle the problem at every stage and tackle head-on the underlying causes of crime.”

Cannabis and the law

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. (It was reclassified from a Class C drug in January 2009.) As a street drug, it comes in three main forms: herbal cannabis, such as weed, weed or marijuana, is identified as the dried leaves of the plant.

Skunk is a potent form of herbs and consists only of the buds of the plant. It contains high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive agent that produces a high sensation. During this time the hash (hashish or resin) takes the form of a black or brown mass and is rarely seen in the UK.

It is illegal to possess, grow, distribute or sell cannabis unless individuals or businesses are licensed by the Home Office. The maximum penalty for possession of cannabis is five years and a fine or both. Those convicted of possession with intent to supply face up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both. The same maximum penalty applies for production and cultivation.

The number of cannabis offenses increased by 22% between 2019/20 and 2020/21, according to ONS figures. However, the total number of convictions has dropped by 17% over the past decade.

Medical cannabis has been legal in the UK since November 1, 2018, but is only available to patients with a prescription from a specialist doctor.

For more information visit drugwise.org.uk/cannabis

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