Cannabis is a hot political topic in many countries around the world.
Even in the UK, where Brexit has been dominating the headlines, medical cannabis has been recently legalised – even if it is costing patients £40,000 a year and is only available privately as it’s not being prescribed by ignorant NHS doctors.With that is mind, we decided to have a look at the current cannabis policies of the major UK political parties. We found quite a range of views, many with little scientific basis.
Green Party
Under the official green party policy, cannabis would be removed from the 1971 Misuse of drugs act.
The possession, trade and cultivation of cannabis would be immediately decriminalised following something close to the Dutch model.
The trade in cannabis would be the subject of a Royal Commission, with a view to establishing a fully legalised, controlled and regulated industry. Small-scale possession of drugs for personal use would be decriminalised.
Liberal Democrats
Vince Cable says the Liberal Democrats will keep pushing for the legalisation of cannabis.
The party’s leader believes it makes sense to “regulate and control the market” rather than let criminals “control the mixing of substances”.
In the past, he has said: “By turning over the marijuana trade to the underworld, is just creating opportunities for them and making problems worse.”
The Lib Dems actually have a campaign to legalise cannabis that you can join here.
Conservative Party
The Conservatives believe that cannabis is very dangerous, even though some of their members have linksto Government-approved cannabis farms in the UK.
They don’t want you to have access to it, even if you are really sick, however, they have no problem profiting from it.
They’ll also keep sending you to prison for something that they have approved their friends to do legally.
Labour Party
Labour is not quite as backward-thinking as the old farts in the conservative party, but they’re not far off.
Despite the increasing worldwide relaxation of cannabis and the embrace of it for medical use by numerous countries (including Thailand), they’re not actually as progressive as they like to think they are and are opposed to legalization.
They were also the party to increase the classification to Class B. Although Corbyn has shown some support for decriminalising medical use, his view is unlikely to affect the party policy.
Interestingly, Jeremy Corbyn’s son has a shop that sells CBD and hemp-derived products.
UKIP
You might have thought that the UK Independence Party would have a modern, educated view of cannabis, but they have absolutely no intention of changing cannabis laws.
By Andy – High & Polite
