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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Press Release: Looking at the policies of the main political parties on cannabis
Legalise Cannabis Alliance Tuesday 27 Apr 2010 April 24 2010 No Embargo The Legalise Cannabis Alliance has been looking at the policies of the main political parties on cannabis many of which are seldom mentioned by the candidates. A spokesperson for the LCA asked today: "What do the major parties have in store for cannabis users? Will any listen to their scientific advisers? "The Conservative Party wants to 'crack down' on drink and drug-fuelled violence. They surely can't be talking about cannabis? They don't actually mention cannabis but continue to talk about increasing spending on police and rebuilding confidence in the justice system. They are sending the same old message and haven't understood the basic premise that prohibition is a failed system. Tory leader David Cameron insists on punishing people for doing what he himself did whilst at college - possessing cannabis. "Labour say their message is clear: they will not tolerate illegal drug use. The Labour Government has continued to deny that cannabis has medical benefits for most users and continued to seek out and punish people for possession or cultivation of cannabis for their own use in their own homes. Despite 'The Challenge' issued several years ago by the LCA, they have failed to justify the punishment of victimless users. "On the other hand, despite neglecting to mention cannabis in their manifesto, the Lib Dems and Green party policies do recognise the failure of prohibition and propose changes to the way in which cannabis users are dealt with. "The Liberal Democrats admit that the current system isn't working and we hope their ideas, made in detail in a statement in January, are upheld as their manifesto is lacking in detail on this subject. They wrote: " ....ensure that financial resources, and police and court time, are not wasted on the unnecessary prosecution and imprisonment of drug users and addicts; the focus instead should be on getting addicts the treatment they need. Police should concentrate their efforts on organised drug pushers and gangs." "The Green Party approach is to decriminalise, possession, cultivation and allow the trade of cannabis in a model broadly based upon the Dutch "Coffeeshop" scheme and will seek the advice from a Royal Commission. But the Green Party treat cannabis as a low priority issue. "The UKIP have nothing on the subject, but wanting to Repeal the 1998 Human Rights Act and withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, will affect policy. In a radio interview Farage stated that he would call a royal commission to look into the issue, as if the issue hasn't been studied enough already. "So, despite the fact that cannabis is an issue raised daily in our newspapers, that at least 5 million people in the UK use cannabis and some tens of thousands are arrested, none of the main parties wish to openly debate the issue and we, the cannabis users, are left with little or no chance of political representation in the next Parliament" NOTES for Editors: Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA) PO Box 674 Salfords RH1 9BN http://www.lca-uk.org/mainpage.php lca@lca-uk.org The Challenge http://www.lca-uk.org/node/7
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