{"id":3476,"date":"2022-01-06T00:17:36","date_gmt":"2022-01-06T00:17:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/wp-home\/?p=190268"},"modified":"2022-01-06T00:17:36","modified_gmt":"2022-01-06T00:17:36","slug":"is-london-really-going-to-decriminalize-cannabis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=3476","title":{"rendered":"Is London really going to decriminalize cannabis?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Is London really going to decriminalize cannabis? | Leafly<\/title> <!-- This is Index Exchange, a script\/\/3rd-party integration that interjects GAM. It needs to be 'ahead' of GTM in the DOM, which comes from Cephalopod. GTM loads GAM. 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You’re not old enough to use Leafly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"hidden age-gate__loading\">Redirecting you to<span class=\"redirect-domain\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-xs mt-auto\">By accessing this site, you accept<br \/>\nthe <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"tou-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/terms-of-use\">Terms of Use<\/a><br \/>\nand <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"pp-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"container my-xl\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col md:col-9\" id=\"article-content\">\n<p>Last spring, when London Mayor Sadiq Khan began to feel the heat in his re-election campaign, he realized he needed to differentiate himself from Conservative challenger Shaun Bailey. So <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en\/article\/akd5xb\/how-london-could-effectively-decriminalise-cannabis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Khan announced<\/a> that, if he were re-elected, he would examine the benefits of decriminalizing cannabis. <\/p>\n<p>On May 6, 2021, Khan handily defeated Bailey to win a second term. <\/p>\n<p>Nine months later, it has emerged that the second-term mayor, a high-profile Labour politician, is planning to divert young people caught with small amounts of marijuana in parts of London away from the criminal justice system and into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/society\/2019\/apr\/24\/cant-arrest-your-way-out-record-drug-related-deaths-say-police\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">traffic speeding course-style classes<\/a> and counseling.<\/p>\n<p>A leak of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/politics\/2022\/01\/03\/sadiq-khan-begin-decriminalising-drugs-london\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a report<\/a> captured the news cycle in the UK on Tuesday; The Telegraph headlined a story claiming that Khan\u2019s plan would effectively decriminalize cannabis in London. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Sadiq Khan is to begin decriminalising drugs in London and plans to end the prosecution of young people caught with cannabis, The Telegraph has learned <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/4zExfMn2mf\">https:\/\/t.co\/4zExfMn2mf<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 The Telegraph (@Telegraph) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Telegraph\/status\/1478120327691620365?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 3, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Khan\u2019s team scrambled <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mylondon.news\/news\/sadiq-khan-denies-plans-decriminalise-22638146\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">to clarify<\/a> the mayor\u2019s intentions. The plan, they said, was to roll out a limited three-district trial program for 18- to 24-year-olds. Such a program has yet to be approved by city hall and would be \u201crobustly evaluated\u201d before any capital-wide rollout. <\/p>\n<p>Under the early outlines of the proposal, the classroom-and-counseling outcome would be offered to those caught with less than 14 grams of cannabis (roughly half an ounce). It could be implemented as soon as May 2022 in the south east London boroughs of Lewisham, Bexley and Greenwich\u2014which host some of the poorest neighborhoods in the capital.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReducing crime is the mayor\u2019s top priority and he will continue to explore and implement the most effective solutions to help to divert young people away from drug use and crime for good,\u201d a spokesperson for the mayor of London said, adding that Khan did not have the power to decriminalize. <\/p>\n<p>They added that the scheme\u2014set in motion by the mayor of Lewisham, Damien Egan, who commissioned a report by the nonprofit drug reform organization Volteface\u2014would provide help and support rather than punishment, and has been shown to reduce recidivism. Egan\u2019s spokesperson told local media: \u201cWe know that we\u2019ll never be able to simply arrest our way out of the problem.\u201d <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-what-s-the-problem-exactly\">What\u2019s the problem, exactly?<\/h2>\n<p>But many people in the UK do not believe cannabis use is a serious problem. \u201cCannabis is seriously misunderstood in the UK, and this scheme doesn\u2019t achieve anything and simply delays the inevitable legalisation process,\u201d said Marwan Elgamal, founder of THC, a leading cannabis lifestyle brand, who has organized events at annual 4\/20 celebrations in London\u2019s Hyde Park, attended by tens of thousands. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe UK has the opportunity to introduce a process of labeling cannabis potency to help adults make informed choices, take billions out of the hands of criminals, and stop tarnishing people\u2019s life opportunities while freeing up police resources,\u201d Elgamal added. \u201cNow is the time for our government to place trust in adults to make their own decisions, rather than condescendingly offering to counsel us.\u201d <\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/politics\/how-close-is-the-uk-to-legalizing-cannabis\" class=\"wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-single-inline-block leafly-inline-related-story\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"border border-deep-green-alt border-l-0 border-r-0 my-xl p-md font-bold\">\n<p>Related<\/p>\n<p>How Close is the United Kingdom to Legalizing Cannabis?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-commonly-consumed-but-still-illegal\">Commonly consumed, but still illegal<\/h2>\n<p>Cannabis is commonly smoked on the streets of London and is easily obtainable in parts of Camden, Hackney, Notting Hill, and elsewhere. Consumption is so common that it sometimes can feel like the plant is legal. Clandestine cannabis clubs, in fact, have been increasingly popping up in recent years. But regular police searches over suspected cannabis possession can swiftly deliver a dose of reality even while the number of recorded cannabis offenses in London has been declining year on year.<\/p>\n<p>In September of 2020, the Independent Office for Police Conduct told the Metropolitan police, which covers London, that they desist stopping and searching people because of an alleged smell of cannabis in the vicinity. However, the justification is still used, leading to skepticism over whether the Met would enthusiastically adopt any diversion scheme. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-young-black-men-targeted-by-police\">Young Black men targeted by police<\/h2>\n<p>Almost half of all stop-and-search episodes in England and Wales are meted out by the Met, with young Black men in London <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/law\/2020\/dec\/03\/young-black-males-in-london-19-times-more-likely-to-be-stopped-and-searched\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">19 times<\/a> more likely to be stopped than the rest of the population. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/law\/2021\/mar\/18\/met-may-change-stop-and-search-tactics-on-cannabis-possession\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">report<\/a> published recently by the Inspectorate of Constabulary found that in four of five stops, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/law\/2021\/mar\/18\/met-may-change-stop-and-search-tactics-on-cannabis-possession\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">nothing was found<\/a>, and the practice contributes significantly to friction between ethnic minority communities and the police.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYoung black men that the authors spoke to feel targeted, which leads to disenfranchisement and distrust in the police,\u201d said the report, commissioned to investigate the negative impacts of low-level drug offenses. \u201cPutting young black men through the criminal justice system does not address root causes of why someone might be in possession of drugs, and a criminal justice footprint could blight future prospects, potentially leading to a cycle of criminality.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It recommended piloting a diversion scheme, variations of which are already in use across 10 police forces in the UK and are considered de facto decriminalization for certain offenses due to there being no change in law. <\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/politics\/inside-the-uks-about-face-on-medical-marijuana-legalization\" class=\"wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-single-inline-block leafly-inline-related-story\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"border border-deep-green-alt border-l-0 border-r-0 my-xl p-md font-bold\">\n<p>Related<\/p>\n<p>From Stalemate to Stampede: Inside the UK\u2019s About-Face on Medical Marijuana<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-needless-possession-cases-still-prosecuted\">Needless possession cases still prosecuted<\/h2>\n<p>More than 1,800 criminal proceedings were brought against young people for cannabis possession in Lewisham between 2016 and 2020, according to Volteface. Roughly 90% of these were for cannabis possession. <\/p>\n<p>Ant Lehane, head of communications at <a href=\"https:\/\/volteface.me\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Volteface<\/a>, said Khan announced the drug commission when main opponent Shaun Bailey, a law-and-order candidate, was creeping up on him in the polls in April 2021, ahead of the next month\u2019s election, which Khan won in a run-off vote.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe couldn\u2019t deliver any of the promises,\u201d Lehane said of Mayor Khan. \u201cHe had no idea what he was going to do. We came at him with this diversion project which needed funding and behind the scenes he bit our arms off for it. It\u2019s going to tackle racial disproportionality, which should underpin any Labour mayoralty.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s been really bureaucratic and difficult to get it to this phase,\u201d Lehane added. This week\u2019s Telegraph story \u201cseems to have come out when we were very close to getting it finalized. So there is quite a big frustration there.\u201d Lehane said he remains optimistic, though. \u201cWe don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to scupper the report,\u201d he said. \u201cThe response has been really good and has driven a good conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-mayor-khan-s-proposal-a-brave-move\">Mayor Khan\u2019s proposal \u2018a brave move\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>StopWatch, which campaigns for fair and effective policing, welcomed the mayor\u2019s effort to remove the issue of low-level drug possession from police control but said \u201cpunitive policing measures\u201d still had a wide scope due to the law leaving much discretion in the hands of individual officers. <\/p>\n<p>Mayor Khan\u2019s pilot project \u201crepresents a brave move politically, as it casts the mayor of London as a figure who is prepared to run against the headwinds set by the two major parties of the day, who lack the political will to act on the evidence,\u201d said Habib Kadiri, research and policy manager for StopWatch. <\/p>\n<p>Kadiri said cannabis consumers remained at risk of criminalization\u2014with more than 80,000 people imprisoned across England and Wales between 2016 and 2020 for possession of a class B or C drug, according to Ministry of Justice figures. The UK has maintained a very narrow framework for legal access to medical marijuana since 2019. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-majority-of-londoners-support-reform\">Majority of Londoners support reform<\/h2>\n<p>Steve Rolles, senior policy analyst at Transform Drug Policy Foundation, said the pilot, due to be officially announced later this month, was long overdue. A majority of Londoners, Rolles said, have supported cannabis reforms <a href=\"https:\/\/www.standard.co.uk\/news\/uk\/the-cannabis-debate-63-per-cent-of-londoners-think-uk-should-follow-canada-and-make-cannabis-legal-a4179291.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">for a number of years<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe reforms are far from revolutionary though,\u201d he said. \u201cTen police authorities across the UK already have similar diversion programs that actually cover all drugs, not just cannabis, so this is only one step on a longer reform journey. We are obviously some way from legalization and regulation.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-national-politicians-won-t-stand-up-for-their-own-policies\">National politicians won\u2019t stand up for their own policies<\/h2>\n<p>Rolles said the hostile reaction from the national Conservative government and Labour opposition was confusing. Prime Minister Boris Johnson\u2019s spokesman said illegal drugs \u201cdestroy lives and fuel violence,\u201d while the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, said the party did not endorse any further decriminalization of drugs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey have both supported diversion programs previously, most obviously in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-59533858?at_campaign=KARANGA&at_medium=RSS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the new government drug strategy<\/a>,\u201d Rolles added. \u201cThere appears to be a reflexive push back on anything presented as decriminalization, even when it is really just another word for policies they\u2019ve already endorsed. Khan shows that reform is no longer a liability, it has become a political asset.\u201d <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-police-leaders-still-resist-any-change\">Police leaders still resist any change<\/h2>\n<p>Growing resistance towards the merry-go-round of prosecuting low-level drug offenses within the police has seen senior officers in the UK increasingly agitate for further changes, but London\u2019s Metropolitan police force leadership is notoriously conservative.<\/p>\n<p>A Met spokesperson told Leafly: \u201cThe Met is committed to working with its partners to explore ways to reduce the harm drugs cause to both individuals and communities. However, at this stage and contrary to media reporting, no agreement has been reached regarding any changes to our enforcement approach for cannabis or other class B drugs.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-xxl wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-related-articles\">\n<p><h2>Cannabis in the UK<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"author-box\" class=\"p-lg my-xxl bg-white rounded border border-light-grey elevation-low\">\n<div class=\"mb-lg\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/is-london-really-going-to-decriminalize-cannabis.jpg\" alt=\"Mattha Busby's Bio Image\" class=\"lazyload inline-block mr-md rounded-full border border-light-grey\"> <\/p>\n<p>Mattha Busby<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"text-sm\">Mattha Busby is a freelance writer based in Mexico. His work has appeared in the Guardian, the Observer, Vice, GQ, and other publications.<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"text-sm font-bold underline text-green\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/author\/mattha-busby\">View Mattha Busby’s articles<\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"leafly-sailthru-signup p-lg my-xl bg-white rounded elevation-low border border-light-grey\">\n<p class=\"text-xs pt-lg\">By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\">Leafly<\/a> and you agree to Leafly’s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/tos\">Terms of Service<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat --> <!--\nPerformance optimized by W3 Total Cache. 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So Khan announced that, if he were re-elected, he would examine… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3477,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marijuana_information"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/is-london-really-going-to-decriminalize-cannabis.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3476"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3476\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}