Polling for think tank Volteface in conjunction with the Evening Standard has found that 61% of Brits with a view support legalising, taxing, and regulating the cannabis market. Supermajorities of the British public think that “taking an estimated £2.5 billion a year out of the hands of criminals”, “creating tax revenues of £1 billion”, and “allow[ing] authorities to strictly regulate and label the strength of cannabis sold and limit the potency” are compelling reasons to move to legalisation.
Including those with no view, the poll found that 47% of respondents support the legalisation of cannabis, 30% oppose legalisation, and 23% neither support or oppose or are undecided. The most compelling argument against legalisation concern that “concern that legalisation would increase the numbers of people driving whilst under the influence.” After almost every Tory leadership contender admitted to having ingested cannabis and harder substances, it’s probably time to have a rethink about the UK’s drug laws…
There was a respectable turnout for today’s launch of Crispin Blunt’s Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group. Guido spotted Dominic Raab and Andrew Mitchell in attendance, former Civil Society minister Rob Wilson is the CEO. The group got a front page pasting from the Daily Mail this morning for being funded by Canadian cannabis corporations. Nevertheless the fact is that prohibition has failed and the case for medical cannabis is a strong one, as this emotive video evidences:
The group plans to advance an evidence-based change to policy. Guido thinks that the main obstacles to a humane drugs policy are not the police or even most Conservative politicians. It is the outdated stance of the Daily Mail, and commentators like Peter Hitchens and Tim Montgomerie. Meanwhile we have a prison crisis, the needless criminalisation of untold people, with the profits of the illegal drug trade driving violent crime to horrific levels. Needless carnage…
A defendant, who has not been named, was found guilty at Inner London Crown Court of possession of a class A substance.
Judge Owen Davies set him free, allowing the cocaine user to walk free from court with a 12-month conditional discharge, after suggesting during legal argument with the defence that the defendant “should suffer no more for dabbling in cocaine than should a former Lord Chancellor.” Gove, who bases his leadership campaign on effectively driving policy change, has effectively decriminalised cocaine possession…
When asked at his campaign launch this morning if he had done anything illegal, Boris responded that he “cannot swear that I have always observed a top speed limit of 70mph.” This is a topic Boris has been remarkably consistent on over the years. The last time he wrote about the speed limit he confessed to the same crime…
“Who needs to bust out of the comfortable old corset of the 70mph restriction? Well, all I can say is get out on to a road near you, baby, and look around. It’s you. It’s me. It’s everyone. If you see anyone who is obeying the law, apart from the odd motorised rickshaw, please give me a ring.”
In the same column Boris came close to advocating legalising cannabis…
“The same point can be made, of course, about cannabis, which is now a subject of lively debate in the Tory party. Isn’t that, by the way, just one sign that the Tory party is the coolest, chic-est and most happening place to be right now?
I appeal to all members of our nation’s yoof who may be reading this article to get with it, join the Tory party, help lower the average age from 67.75, and come break dancing with Peter “Tosh” Lilley and Charles “Rastaman Vibrations” Moore, the apostles of liberty.”
Although David Cameron’s previous support for cannabis legalisation disappeared in office, maybe Boris’ won’t. It’s already happening in the US and Canada and would be a novel way to win back younger voters…
The hypocrisy charge is already hitting Gove hard over his writing of an article for The Times arguing it was hypocritical of journalists using cocaine to argue for drug liberalisation. An article written during the period he was using cocaine. The hypocrisy charge will be turbo-charged when it hits the headlines tomorrow that when he was Secretary of State for Education he enforced legislation that bans teachers for life from teaching if they are convicted of cocaine possession. Awkward doesn’t cover it…
UPDATE: Kathryn Thomas, 39, was an art teacher who used cocaine as a “pick-me-up” after a relationship ended. She was banned from the classroom for life in 2012.
The Tory leadership race’s resident gap yah kid opened up on his experience smoking opium in Iran this morning. He sad it was a “very stupid mistake” and he “shouldn’t have done it.” A delicious mistake, so easy to make….
The ASI’s Daniel Pryor has been quick out of the blocks with a response:
“Over 12,000 Brits are in prison for drug offences, but it’s one rule for politicians and another for the rest of us. Rory Stewart’s opium experience is nothing new – countless senior politicians have admitted to using illicit drugs, but this hasn’t translated into a sensible approach to drug policy… Politicians should spend less time apologising for taking drugs and more time sensibly regulating them.”
Quite.
