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UK: SPECIAL REPORT: Should cannabis be legalised? The Adver revisits the debate with Phil Monk WTU Elly Roberts Swindon Advertiser Thursday 25 Jul 2019 But a YouGov poll this month showed that half of all British adults now support legalisation of the drug, almost twice as many as those who oppose it. Just under half (48 per cent) of voters think the recreational use of marijuana should be legal, with only 24 per cent objecting, according to the survey commissioned by the Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group (CDPRG). Yet the drug’s legal status remains a contentious issue. According to the advice service Frank, cannabis is the most widely-used illegal drug in Britain. It comes from the cannabis plant and contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which affects the brain and mood. It is normally smoked but can be eaten. Cannabis also contains cannabidiol (CBD), which is being investigated for it’s medicinal properties. Last November, the government legalised some cannabis-based medicines, which can be prescribed by specialist doctors. But virtually no NHS prescriptions have been issued and private prescriptions are often expensive. Phil Monk, from Purton, founded the group We the Undersigned Have a Sovereign Right to Cannabis in March 2018. Since then he has been campaigning, along with 4,800 members, for the government to change the law. He is currently preparing a legal challenge to the government’s policy on cannabis. Phil said: “Everyone has the fundamental human right to freedom of consciousness. “I believe it is everyone’s human right to be able to choose to consume cannabis or alcohol or pharmaceutical drugs. “The Human Rights Act gives us the right, but prohibition denies us this right on the principle of protecting us from harm. But how does that work when cannabis is less dangerous the alcohol?” Phil considers it hypercritical for the government to allow the sale of tobacco and alcohol but not cannabis. “The only way for people to legally de-stress is through alcohol which causes depression, cancer and anxiety. The government are denying people their freedom of consciousness by directing people to a poisonous substance,” he said. “I want the government to go further then other countries. I advocate complete decriminalisation, because if it becomes legal, I could still be prosecuted if I have more than any legal amount of cannabis in my pocket. I want the laws to be the same in effect as alcohol laws.” Phil argues the market should be legally regulated for two reasons. He said “Firstly this it to reduce harm and juvenile access to cannabis, though that won’t prevent them completely but it will make it harder for teenagers to access the drug. “Secondly it is a safer recreational drug than alcohol. Consumers should have the option between what is essentially flavoured poison and cannabis which to the extent of my knowledge hasn’t caused me any harm.” But many of the concerns around the legalisation the drug come from its link to mental health problems, due to the high levels of THC in it. Ben Judd, senior operations manager at IMPACT Swindon and Wiltshire Active Recovery Service, said: “Research has suggested that there is a link between the regular use of high strength cannabis and psychosis.” The NHS advises that the habitual use of cannabis recreationally increases the risk of developing a psychotic illness, such as schizophrenia. Mr Judd added “Increased access to the drug could make it available to more people, which could have problematic consequences for their mental health. The flip side is that regulation could potentially remove the drug from criminal gangs and create a regulated product. It is very much an unknown outcome.” Phil argued the research shows only people with a predisposition to these illnesses are affected. “A regulated industry would mean I could go into a shop and if my family has a history of psychosis, I could choose a ratio of CBD and THC that isn’t likely to induce an episode,” said Phil. While cannabis remains unregulated people who choose to consume it don’t know what levels of CBD and THC are in it. Canadian city could be blueprint for our town Canada legalised the recreational use of cannabis for anyone over 19 years old in October 2018. Barrie is a small city in Ontario, south east of Canada, with a population size and demographic not too different from Swindon’s. If cannabis is ever legalised in the UK, the city could provide a blueprint for how Swindon might approach the issue. In Barrie it is still illegal for someone to provide or sell cannabis to someone under 19, and for them to possess it. For anyone older, consuming the drug in private places is legal, however the city’s smoking bylaws prohibit smoking and vaping in public places and workspaces. Anyone over 19 can purchase cannabis online through the Ontario Cannabis Store. Cannabis stores are granted licences to sell the drug by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, which regulates the industry. All stores are required to be stand-alone venues, operating between 9am-11pm any day of the week. They cannot be within 150 metres of schools, and the city of Barrie has requested that this distance be doubled. The city has also requested stores are 150 meters from facilities such as day-cares, treatment centres for addictions, recreational facilities, libraries and youth facilities. Following legalisation, the consumption of cannabis across Canada is reportedly on the rise. A study from Insights West, a western Canadian research company, showed nearly a quarter of adults consumed cannabis in the last few months of 2018 as reported in the Vancouver Sun. In addition, there are reports the black market in cannabis is thriving through lower prices. Government figures from January show roughly $5bn of illegal sales were made, compared to $2bn in legal sales. https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/17794010.special-report-cannabis-legalised-adver-revisits-debate/?fbclid=IwAR29eo2yLxQeVqwwGce13qoTpdz_cZfIW2FV_5dE7K74ElgzYlHMaNLTggk
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