London’s mayor has expressed his support for decriminalizing marijuana. This comes after the release of an exhaustive report commissioned by the government that concluded that punishing people simply because they possess cannabis causes more harm than benefit and negatively impacts minorities.
London’s Mayor Sadiq K Khan stated on Wednesday that the London Drugs Commission report, which he created, “makes an evidence-based, compelling case for decriminalizing possession of small amounts of natural cannabis”.
The policy recommendation that marijuana be moved from the Misuse of Drugs Act into the Psychoactive Substances Act is often referred to as decriminalization. However, the proposal would remove all criminal penalties for low-level cannabis possession and prevent police officers from searching people based on the scent of the drug.
What the report expressly does not recommend, however, is legalizing and regulating cannabis sales—at least for now. The report’s recommendation is disappointing to those who are in favor of commercial legalization. They feel that evidence gathered from countries that have made the move and discussions about reform show it would be a safe step for public safety.
The mayor stated in a press release that we need a new approach to reducing the serious harms related to drug-related criminal activity in our localities. Better education, better healthcare, and more equitable, effective policing are all long overdue.
Khan explained that the report was comprehensive and made many recommendations, including for City Hall as well as other government agencies. We will study these recommendations and share the findings of the report with all relevant parties including government, local authorities, Met Police, [National Health Service] London and other partners in health and education.”
The LDC report—titled “The Cannabis Conundrum: A Way Forward For London”—includes a total of 42 recommendations, both for London and the U.K. more broadly, that focus on the “education, healthcare and policing of cannabis.”
Beyond decriminalizing marijuana, the body advised the government to study racial disparities in cannabis enforcement, conduct an updated cost-benefit analysis of legalization, codify that the smell of marijuana can’t be used as a pretext for a police search and explore the possibility of allowing limited home cultivation—with the caveat that the commission feels that policy shouldn’t be implemented until evidence demonstrates it can mitigate the illicit market.
LDC has repeatedly stated that they do not endorse commercial legalization.
It said that “potential gains, such as tax revenue and a reduction in criminalization can be realized very early.” However, it takes longer for the full extent of harms to be realized, including those relating to personal health as well as public and societal costs.
The report stated that “it is not uncommon for people to see legalization as the panacea to all of the problems associated the prohibition against cannabis.” “We are not at that point, but neither do we argue in favor of the status-quo.”
The report said decriminalizing possession of cannabis while maintaining criminal sanctions for sale, manufacturing, and importation, was the “best way” to deal with the key problems of current legislation, but without exposing others, as further relaxation of laws or legalization might at this time imply.
Lord Charlie Falconer KC is chair of LDC. He said, in a release to the press, that the report “represents the most thorough consideration as to what the right public policy reaction should be towards cannabis in the recent past.”
It is obvious that we need a complete reset. The answer isn’t legalization. “The criminal justice system must focus its response on only the dealers rather than the users,” said he. “Those who suffer from the adverse effects of cannabis—which may be a small percentage of users but it is a high number of people—need reliable, consistent medical and other support. “There needs to much more educational on the risks associated with cannabis use.”
Falconer said that “Our report provides detailed recommendations as to how to improve the support for those who have been damaged by the use of cannabis, including how to better engage the public.”
A spokesperson from the U.K. Home Office, the department responsible for reclassifying substances as controlled, said to The Times, that the government currently “has no intention” to change the status of marijuana.
The statement said, “We will work with partners from health, law enforcement, and the wider public sector to help reduce drug use and ensure people are treated and supported promptly, as well as making our communities and streets safer.” The Misuse of Drugs Act does not allow cannabis to be reclassified as class B.
The current law punishes possession of marijuana with a maximum prison term of five years. The Home Office, in conjunction with RAND Europe, released a report recently that concluded that criminalizing drugs will increase violence rather than reduce it.
Steve Rolles (senior policy analyst, Transform Drug Policy Foundation) told MEDCAN24 he is “disappointed” by the final report recommendation. “I had hoped for much more,” he said.
He said that “the critique of criminalization, and the semi-decrim calls accompanying it are welcome.” But the rejection of legal regulation rests on old arguments, such as those used by the commission to suggest that legalization won’t reduce the illegal market in a meaningful way and would give youth more access.
“They seem to be arguing that it could be done badly and have some bad outcomes—but this is like saying, ‘Why did you you build a bridge over the ravine out of matchsticks?’ OBVIOUSLY YOU NEED TO DO IT PROPERLY,” Rolles said.
A report released earlier this year by Transform found that legalizing and taxing marijuana for adults in the U.K. would earn the country an estimated £1.5 billion in tax revenue and government savings each year.
Reports from the United Nations Agency from September of last year highlighted the human rights issues raised by war on drugs. The report urged members states to switch from punitive policies for drug control to a public health-based approach. The report said treating drug abuse as a crime is damaging.
In the same year, Scotland’s government, part of U.K. said the “war on drugs” had failed and it was time for harm reduction measures like overdose-prevention centers, as well as decriminalizing currently illegal substances.
Separately, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) in February blasted U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, telling him to “put down the bong” and “stop dipping into your ketamine stash”—a response to a U.K. agreement to turn over authority of a British territory where a joint military base is stationed.
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