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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Sco: MSPs favour legalising cannabis for medical use Liam McDougall and Alison Dunsmore The Big Issue in Scotland (UK) Thursday 21 Oct 1999 Date: 21-27 Oct, 1999. Issue 244 Source: The Big Issue in Scotland (UK) MSPs favour legalising cannabis for medical use It's traditionally seen as a vote loser. But now The Big Issue in Scotland, in the first-ever comprehensive survey of MSPs' opinions on cannabis, reveals where our politicians stand in the debate EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL REPORT By Liam McDougall and Alison Dunsmore Graph of questionnaire's results: Do you favour reform of the law to allow cannabis use for medicinal purposes? 39 YES, 6 NO, 17 UNDECIDED Do you favour the reform of the law to allow cannabis use for recreational purposes? 5 YES, 31 NO, 26 UNDECIDED Have you evere used cannabis? 2 YES, 49 NO, 11 NO COMMENT This week The Big Issue can reveal the results of the first comprehensive survey ever undertaken in the Scottish Parliament to examine our MSPs' stance on the cannabis laws. The ballot, which polled all 108 Holyrood backbenchers, follows criticism by the judge Lord McCluskey that the current legislation governing cannabis in Scotland is "unworkable". It provides the clearest insight yet into how MSPs view the future of the class B drug. Over the past month The Big Issue contacted MSPs to ask whether they would favour reform of the law to allow cannabis to be used for medicinal purposes, recreational purposes, and whether they had ever used the drug themselves. Sir David Steel, Parliament's Presiding Officer, said he could not reply as he must remain neutral in coming debates. And despite pledges of open government, the Scottish Executive's most senior spokesman, Roger Williams, said ministers were banned from replying to surveys. In all, 74 backbench MSPs responded. Of those, 62 completed the questionnaire and 12 abstained - 34 made no attempt to reply. The results found that, of those who returned our survey, more than 62 per cent - 36 per cent of all Parliament's backbenchers - wanted cannabis laws changed for medical use. Only five MSPs supported reform for recreational purposes. Twenty-six were undecided and 31 said they would be against its use as a recreational drug. Two MSPs, Scottish Socialist Party leader Tommy Sheridan and Kate MacLean, the Dundee West Labour backbencher, admitted to having taken the drug. Eleven other MSPs were unwilling to comment. The indication that a majority of MSPs may favour a change in the law will bolster moves by Nationalist Margo MacDonald who has called for a commission of experts and lay people to examine the medical factors surrounding its use. Fifteen MSPs from all parties except Labour back her motion. MacDonald, although saying that she has never taken cannabis, has told The Big Issue that decriminalisation of the drug for medical use would "take innocent people out of the criminal justice system". "It's just such a sensible step," she said. "I would like to see the effects of cannabis evaluated alongside those of alcohol and nicotine." Although drugs legislation is a matter reserved to Westminster, it is possible that changes to Scots law, for which the Scottish Parliament has responsibility, may allow for new legislation. MSPs now admit there is an urgent need for research to establish whether cannabis should be available as a painkiller, or given the same status as tobacco or alcohol. Our questionnaire, which also asked for a brief explanation of the MSPs' views on reform of the cannabis laws, highlights a range of opinions on an issue which is widely regarded as a vote loser. Four Labour MSPs, Cathy Peattie, Margaret Curran, Margaret Jamieson and Kate MacLean, whose party "have no intention of legalising or decriminalising" cannabis, all said they favour reform for cannabis to be used medicinally. Two, Peattie and MacLean, said they back its use for recreational purposes. "Cannabis does seem to give relief to some patients," said Cathy Peattie, Falkirk East MSP. "There's a real irony in the fact that such people cannot access it." Kate MacLean said she had a "very strong medical opinion in favour" of reform for medicinal purposes. She added: "Cannabis doesn't seem to cause problems in other countries [when available recreationally]. We should at least have a debate in this country." Cannabis comes from the plant Cannabis sativa, grown since time immemorial, chiefly for its fibrous stem. It was twisted or woven to make clothes or rope. The leaves and flowers of the marijuana plant contain up to 20 per cent THC - delta-9 tetrahydracannabinol - the part of the plant which delivers the high. Cannabis seeds contain no THC - only the stem and leaves are potent. Eight Conservative MSPs supported reform for medicinal purposes, seven LibDems and 15 SNP MSPs. Independent MSP Dennis Canavan, Scottish Socialist leader Tommy Sheridan and Green Party leader Robin Harper also backed reform to make cannabis available for medicinal use. Dennis Canavan said: "If a doctor prescribes it for a particular patient, then we should trust the doctor's clinical judgement." He maintained that he had never taken cannabis, but added: "I would prefer to see an independent commission of experts report on the matter before making up my mind [on whether it should be made available for recreational use]."
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