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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Most Britons want medicinal cannabis legalised: Sky Data poll
Sky News Tuesday 19 Jun 2018 There has been a substantial rise in the number of Britons who think cannabis use for medicinal purposes should be made legal, according to a Sky Data poll. Some 82% of those questioned believe it should be legalised - an increase of 10% compared with a similar Sky survey in November 2016. Only 8% of those questioned thought it should still be illegal, a fall from 15% last time. Meanwhile, there has been a smaller increase in the number who back legalising cannabis for recreational use. Some 41% think it should be allowed (up 4% compared to 2016), and 40% think it should not (down 6% from two years ago). The results come after the high-profile case of a severely epileptic boy whose mother went to Canada to get cannabis oil for him only to have it confiscated on her return to the UK. Charlotte Caldwell said the oil helps her son Billy's condition and she flew to the north American country after his treatment was stopped in the UK. Last week, after the oil was taken away by British authorities, his symptoms worsened and he had more seizures and ended up in hospital. Mrs Caldwell was subsequently told that 12-year-old Billy would be allowed cannabis treatment after the Home Office backed down on banning it. A family spokesman said a 20-day supply has been made available. The Home Office said Home Secretary Sajid Javid had used an "exceptional power" to issue the licence for the family. Mr Javid has now declared it is "time to review" the medicinal status of cannabis, but promised it is "not a first step" to legalising the drug for recreational use. He said current laws were "not acceptable to me", as he announced details of the panel being set up to advise ministers on the changes. Former Tory leader and foreign secretary Lord William Hague also called for the Class-B drug to be legalised for recreational use, and blasted current laws as "inappropriate, ineffective and utterly out of date". Mr Javid ruled out Lord Hague's proposal, but said he would consider changing the law for cannabis where there was "evidence of medical benefits". Genevieve Edwards, director of external affairs at the MS Society, said: "It's a huge step forward that the government is now saying there will be a review into the use of medicinal cannabis - existing evidence of the benefit for MS must be included. "We already know that cannabis for medicinal use could help with pain and muscle spasms for around 10,000 people with MS. These symptoms can be relentless and exhausting and make it impossible to manage daily life. "It's simply wrong that many people are being driven to break the law under current regulations." https://news.sky.com/story/most-britons-want-medicinal-cannabis-legalised-sky-data-poll-11410060
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