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UK NI: Omagh native to contest Westminster election on cannabis ticket
Ulster Herald Monday 02 Mar 2015 Shane is hoping to win a seat in the north London constituency of Holborne-St Pancras. He will be running against Green Party leader Natalie Bennett and high profile Labour candidate Keir Starmar. Shane, a former Conservative Party member, defected from the party two weeks ago to join CISTA (Cannabis is Safer than Alcohol) and contest the Westminster Elections. The party’s manifesto focuses upon the legalisation and regulation of cannabis within the UK. Shane explained, “I was very happy with the Conservatives, but the reason I left was because they would never pick up on the legalisation of cannabis – they are too afraid to tackle it.” CISTA is fighting for a Royal Commission on the legalisation of cannabis and wants the government to take part in a full reform of the ‘war on drugs’ crusade in the UK. The former CBS pupil and Queen’s University politics student, moved to London two and a half years ago. Speaking to the Tyrone Herald Shane divulged that he is a “recreational” cannabis user and can’t understand why the government are criminalising users. “I don’t drink and it frustrates me that my friends can go to a pub or a gig and order a whole plethora of alcohol, which is much more harmful than taking cannabis. “For a social consumer of cannabis, I don’t think it is fair that I am victimised.” A Royal Commission is very rare in the UK as there have only been ten in the past 50 years and Shane believes this is the only way that the government will act upon this issue. “It holds the government to account and it means they have to act on it.” CISTA believe that legalising cannabis and regulating its sale would have unequivocal economic, health and social benefits. Shane believes that through de-criminalising cannabis the government will benefit from £900million in tax, which he feels could be pumped into educating children against drugs. The Omagh man has already received support from the community of Camden, where he lives and works, as well as on social media and the borough were he is standing for election. He said, “It has been a crazy few days. I have received quite a bit of support in the last two weeks and since it was announced on Wednesday that I was running for election. “The message of CISTA is starting to spread and we are seeing a support for what we are doing.” Polls conducted in the UK show that Shane is not alone in his views 84 per-cent of the population believe the government’s drug policy is failing. CISTA are aiming to have 100 candidates throughout the UK and are hoping to hold an event in Belfast in the future. http://ulsterherald.com/2015/03/02/omagh-native-to-contest-westminster-election-on-cannabis-ticket/
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