Written by Omar Khan, Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer, High Tide Inc. (HITI)
The first challenge facing a new prime minister is not whether Britain should embrace cannabis. It already has.
Millions of Britons use cannabis every year despite decades of prohibition. The question facing Andy Burnham’s government is whether that market should continue operating in the shadows or be brought under public regulation.
For more than half a century, Britain’s cannabis laws have promised to reduce consumption, protect young people and improve public safety. They have achieved remarkably little. Cannabis remains widely available, the illegal market thrives, and consumers buy products of unknown strength and quality.
Burnham has built his political reputation on evidence-based policymaking. As prime minister, he can apply that principle to one of Britain’s most enduring policy failures.
This is not an argument that cannabis is harmless. Heavy use carries genuine health risks, particularly for adolescents and people vulnerable to psychosis. But those risks are precisely why prohibition no longer makes sense.
Prohibition has not prevented cannabis use. It has left the market to unregulated suppliers. Illegal dealers do not check identification, test products for contaminants or accurately label potency. They provide no health information and contribute nothing to the NHS that treats the consequences of problematic use.
Regulation gives government something prohibition never can: control.
A legal market allows age restrictions, laboratory testing, child-resistant packaging, advertising controls and clear health warnings. It enables governments to monitor consumption, educate the public and intervene when evidence demands it. Those protections do not exist in an illegal market.
Some argue that decriminalization is enough. It is preferable to criminalizing people for possessing small amounts, but it leaves production and supply in the hands of illegal operators. Regulation goes further. It establishes quality standards, licensed retailers, taxation and consumer protections while drawing people away from the illicit market.
Canada’s experience deserves attention.
Since legalizing adult-use cannabis in 2018, Canada has shifted consumers towards licensed retailers operating under strict federal standards. Today, roughly three-quarters of cannabis purchases take place through the legal market. Legalization has not eliminated illegal sales, but it has shown that governments can progressively replace an unregulated market with one that is transparent, accountable and subject to democratic oversight.
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The fiscal benefits matter too.
Canada has generated billions of dollars in cannabis-related tax revenue since legalization. Britain should not view cannabis taxation as a cure for every challenge facing the NHS. But neither should it ignore a recurring source of revenue that currently sits beyond the tax system.
Burnham’s government should dedicate part of cannabis excise duties to the NHS, helping reduce waiting lists, expand mental health services, recruit nurses and GPs, and invest in addiction treatment and cancer diagnostics. An economic activity that currently generates no public benefit could instead strengthen Britain’s most valued institution.
Public opinion has moved faster than Westminster. Recent polling shows Britain almost evenly divided on legalization, while a majority supports less punitive approaches to possession. That should encourage politicians to have an honest conversation about reform instead of defending a status quo that has failed.
Legalization should not mean commercialization without limits. Britain should adopt strong safeguards: strict licensing, independent product testing, plain packaging, tight advertising restrictions, robust enforcement against illegal operators and sustained education about the risks of cannabis use, particularly for young people.
Evidence, not ideology, should guide those choices.
Cannabis prohibition has failed to eliminate demand, protect consumers or bring a vast existing market under public oversight. The choice is no longer between cannabis use and no cannabis use. Millions of Britons have already made that decision.
The real choice is between chaos and control.
Britain has spent decades allowing an illegal market to flourish while pretending prohibition is working. It is time to replace that failed experiment with a regulated system that protects public health, weakens the illicit market and generates revenue for the NHS.
That is the kind of evidence-based reform a new government should be willing to make.
Written by Omar Khan, Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer, High Tide Inc. (HITI)
The first challenge facing a new prime minister is not whether Britain should embrace cannabis. It already has.
Millions of Britons use cannabis every year despite decades of prohibition. The question facing Andy Burnham’s government is whether that market should continue operating in the shadows or be brought under public regulation.
For more than half a century, Britain’s cannabis laws have promised to reduce consumption, protect young people and improve public safety. They have achieved remarkably little. Cannabis remains widely available, the illegal market thrives, and consumers buy products of unknown strength and quality.
Burnham has built his political reputation on evidence-based policymaking. As prime minister, he can apply that principle to one of Britain’s most enduring policy failures.
This is not an argument that cannabis is harmless. Heavy use carries genuine health risks, particularly for adolescents and people vulnerable to psychosis. But those risks are precisely why prohibition no longer makes sense.
Prohibition has not prevented cannabis use. It has left the market to unregulated suppliers. Illegal dealers do not check identification, test products for contaminants or accurately label potency. They provide no health information and contribute nothing to the NHS that treats the consequences of problematic use.
Regulation gives government something prohibition never can: control.
A legal market allows age restrictions, laboratory testing, child-resistant packaging, advertising controls and clear health warnings. It enables governments to monitor consumption, educate the public and intervene when evidence demands it. Those protections do not exist in an illegal market.
Some argue that decriminalization is enough. It is preferable to criminalizing people for possessing small amounts, but it leaves production and supply in the hands of illegal operators. Regulation goes further. It establishes quality standards, licensed retailers, taxation and consumer protections while drawing people away from the illicit market.
Canada’s experience deserves attention.
Since legalizing adult-use cannabis in 2018, Canada has shifted consumers towards licensed retailers operating under strict federal standards. Today, roughly three-quarters of cannabis purchases take place through the legal market. Legalization has not eliminated illegal sales, but it has shown that governments can progressively replace an unregulated market with one that is transparent, accountable and subject to democratic oversight.
READ MORE…
The fiscal benefits matter too.
Canada has generated billions of dollars in cannabis-related tax revenue since legalization. Britain should not view cannabis taxation as a cure for every challenge facing the NHS. But neither should it ignore a recurring source of revenue that currently sits beyond the tax system.
Burnham’s government should dedicate part of cannabis excise duties to the NHS, helping reduce waiting lists, expand mental health services, recruit nurses and GPs, and invest in addiction treatment and cancer diagnostics. An economic activity that currently generates no public benefit could instead strengthen Britain’s most valued institution.
Public opinion has moved faster than Westminster. Recent polling shows Britain almost evenly divided on legalization, while a majority supports less punitive approaches to possession. That should encourage politicians to have an honest conversation about reform instead of defending a status quo that has failed.
Legalization should not mean commercialization without limits. Britain should adopt strong safeguards: strict licensing, independent product testing, plain packaging, tight advertising restrictions, robust enforcement against illegal operators and sustained education about the risks of cannabis use, particularly for young people.
Evidence, not ideology, should guide those choices.
Cannabis prohibition has failed to eliminate demand, protect consumers or bring a vast existing market under public oversight. The choice is no longer between cannabis use and no cannabis use. Millions of Britons have already made that decision.
The real choice is between chaos and control.
Britain has spent decades allowing an illegal market to flourish while pretending prohibition is working. It is time to replace that failed experiment with a regulated system that protects public health, weakens the illicit market and generates revenue for the NHS.
That is the kind of evidence-based reform a new government should be willing to make.
Cannabis Law Resources in Poland
Explore essential legal pages about cannabis cultivation, sales, and medical product regulations in Poland. These resources will guide you through permissions, certifications, and compliance requirements.
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Polish News Registration and Interests of Cannabis Businesses
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Permissions for Cannabis Sales in Poland
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Authorization for Importing or Manufacturing Medical Products
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Permission for Manufacturing or Importing Medical Products
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Certificate of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
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Registration of Medical Products in Poland