London Mayor Backs Cannabis Decriminalization

London Mayor Sadiq Khan is backing decriminalizing personal possession of
cannabis, following a report by the London Drugs Commission that recommends
removing natural cannabis from the Misuse of Drugs Act, the BBC reports. In
an interview with the BBC, Kahn said that the current cannabis rules
“cannot be justified” and that the report provides “a compelling,
evidence-based case” for decriminalization.

Lord Falconer, a former Labour cabinet minister and chair of the
commission, told BBC Radio Four’s Today that “continuing to have possession
as a crime meant continuing to have problems between the police and ethnic
communities.” He added that the current law “doesn’t work, is
disproportionate” and that “stop and search in London … is most commonly
based on ‘the smell of cannabis’ and … disproportionately used against
young Black men.”

“The law treats cannabis the same as a whole range of much more serious
drugs. The right course now, we think, is keep dealing criminal but make
sure that possession is not a crime.” — Falconer to the BBC

Mark Rowley, Metropolitan Police commissioner, told the BBC that changing
the law on cannabis is “a matter for parliament” and that drugs are “at the
center of a lot of crime.”

“Drug dealing is so linked to violence. We see a lot of communities
complaining about public drug use and that’s a big issue in terms of
antisocial behavior,” he told the BBC. “If the law changes, we’ll change
around that, but it’s not something we’re calling for.”

The report also recommends improved public health services for
cannabis-related harm, including better treatment access and coordination;
enhanced cannabis education with earlier, age-appropriate, and credible
content in schools; support for fair medical cannabis access, including
addressing cost barriers and expanding research; and monitoring
international developments and reassess the case for broader legalization
in five years.



The mayor convened a commission in 2022 to investigate potential benefits
and drawbacks of decriminalizing cannabis possession.