|
Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
|
|
UK: Should cannabis be legalised? West Midlands mayoral candidates have their say Tom Dare Birmingham Live Tuesday 13 Apr 2021 The UK needs to decriminalise and regulate cannabis, two West Midlands mayoral candidates have said - though another wants to see rules tightened. Mayoral candidates Jenny Wilkinson (Lib Dems) and Steve Caudwell (Green) have both declared their support for full legalisation, while Liam Byrne (Labour) wants to see a tougher approach. And current mayor Andy Street (Conservative) was non-commital on the subject. Last week it was revealed that the majority of Brits support the legalisation of cannabis, with a YouGov poll showing that 52 per cent of respondents were in favour of the drug being legalised in the UK. The poll followed an announcement by London Mayor Sadiq Khan stating that he would look to set up an independent London drugs commission to examine the potential health, economic and criminal justice benefits of decriminalising the class-B drug if re-elected in May. The black market in cannabis in the UK is worth approximately £2.6 billion annually, while in 2018 the UK was both the world's largest producer of legal cannabis and the largest exporter of medicinal cannabis. So, with estimates putting the amount that could be collected in tax from cannabis legalisation in the U.K. anywhere between £1 and £3.5 billion, what would be the approach of the West Midlands mayoral candidates? We put the question to each of them. Jenny Wilkinson (Liberal Democrats) "I'm fully in support of existing Liberal Democrat policy - in that we should legalise cannabis and create a regulated market for its production and sale. "I fully support an opportunity to trial such a market. "Unfortunately, this decision lies with a closed-minded Home Office (via both Conservative and Labour Home Secretaries) that refuse to accept the reality of the harm our government’s support of a black market causes. "So, as Mayor, I’ll lobby the government to take this matter seriously. "The legislation around drugs causes more harm than the substances themselves. "I support a regulated market, which would control the strength and quality of the supply of cannabis. This also would unlock the opportunity for proper research into the benefits of a controlled supply of cannabis. It’s generally known to have potential benefits in the area of pain relief, but also some possible breakthrough treatment for psychosis. "Safe packaging, with clear labelling and easy-to-obtain guidance and education, will all help to alleviate the harm that the current black market control of drugs causes. "We can then have proper, open discussions with young people in schools and colleges. "Not all young people take drugs. But we need to stop kidding ourselves that some people don’t experiment, and, like with discussions around sex, we want people to understand the inherent dangers in risky behaviour, and learn to manage them in a safer manner (whilst promoting the only risk-free way of drug-taking, is to not take them at all). "We need to treat people with drug abuse problems via our health system, not our prison system. But also to recognise not all drug users are drug abusers. A regulated market for cannabis also takes most of the money out of the black market that currently supplies drugs. As a percentage of the population will always want to try or use cannabis - the choice is simple: do we want money for cannabis going into clean, regulated pharmacies, or shall we carry on funding violent crime? "The choice to me is clear - we need a regulated market for cannabis, which will cut crime, lower the damage caused in our communities, and reduce harm to people - who may be our friends or family." Andy Street (Conservative) “The West Midlands is facing huge challenges as we plot our way out of the pandemic. "My focus is on the plans outlined in my manifesto to deliver on transport, housing and skills and generating 100,000 new jobs over the next two years to drive the renewal of the region. "These are my priorities right now, not drug reclassification, which in no way falls under the Mayor’s powers.” Steve Caudwell (Green) "The Green Party has a well-researched and comprehensive drug policy. "Cannabis decriminalisation isn't just popular - it's supported by evidence, it's the de facto position already (according to Cressida Dick), and it acknowledges the reality that cannabis is actually a far less harmful drug than alcohol. "I welcome Sadiq Khan's intention - although it's worth pointing out that Siân Berry has been calling for this for years - and would look at doing the same if elected in the West Midlands." Liam Byrne (Labour) “I’m a son of an alcoholic – I’m the son of someone who killed themselves with alcohol over a long, painful couple of decades. “That means I am not actually a big fan of making addictive substances more freely available. I think if anything we ought to be tightening it up.” https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/should-cannabis-legalised-west-midlands-20374802
After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back.
|
This page was created by the Cannabis Campaigners' Guide.
Feel free to link to this page!