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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Govt rejects call to liberalise cannabis laws
The Christian Institute Friday 28 Mar 2025 Responding to a request by Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy to look at the impact of “cannabis legalisation” on reducing crime and police expenditure connected to the dangerous Class B drug, the Home Office said it “has no plans to legalise cannabis”. According to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), almost ten per cent of adults aged 16-59 in England and Wales reported taking illegal drugs in the past year, although the think tank noted that this is likely to underestimate the scale of the problem. Liberalisation failure Home Office Minister Dame Diana Johnson reminded the MP for Clapham and Brixton that cannabis is “controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971”. no plans to legalise cannabis Possessing cannabis can carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or unlimited fine, while supplying the drug can result in a 14-year prison term alongside a hefty fine. The CSJ recently called on the Westminster Government to strengthen law enforcement’s role to address illegal drug addiction. According to the think tank, a record 5,448 people died from drug poisoning in England and Wales in 2023, an 84 per cent increase since 2013. Sophia Worringer, the CSJ’s Deputy Policy Director, said: “Pretending liberalisation is the answer is plainly wrong. Everywhere you look, it has not stamped out the illegal drug market or acted as a silver bullet to reduce drug deaths or drug use.” Enforcement works In contrast, a multi-agency initiative to tackle organised crime in North Wales is helping people get off drugs. North Wales Police reports that targeting drug gangs in a deprived area of Rhyl has hit supply. Addicts are now struggling to get hold of drugs and asking for help to kick the habit. Since April 2024, police have conducted at least 35 raids, made 180 arrests and seen crime fall by 14 per cent in Rhyl West. Commenting on the initiative’s success, Chief Superintendent Owain Llewellyn observed: “I’m under no illusions – we need to continue that pressure, and we need to continue to target those who cause real harm to the community.” https://www.christian.org.uk/news/govt-rejects-call-to-liberalise-cannabis-laws/
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