Drone saves marsh man
Mum’s joy over rethink on drug’s medicinal use
CAMPAIGNER Charlotte Caldwell is to join a Government advisory panel on medicinal cannabis following her review victory.
Tory MP Crispin Blunt, who co-chairs an all-parliamentary group on drug policy reform, proposed the mum. She said: “I’m delighted and I will be there with all the
What is the law on cannabis? It is illegal to possess, grow, sell and distribute cannabis, the most popular illegal drug in the UK.
The Home Office found 6.5% of 16 to 59-year-olds used it in 2015-16 – around 2.1 million people.
Cannabis is Class B. Supplying or producing it carries up to 14 years’ jail. Possession can mean five years. Guidance says anyone found in possession for the first time should get a warning or a penalty notice. What are the laws on medicinal cannabis? Use of cannabis oil for medical complaints falls under the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act. But a review of the law could see it legalised for medicinal purposes. What are the arguments for decriminalisation? Campaigners say it is pointless to try to uphold a law MAKING HISTORY Charlotte Caldwell yesterday
Parents have bust political process wide open
CHARLOTTE CALDWELL ON MOVE BY SAJID JAVID knowledge, experience and energy I have. I’m honoured Crispin saw fit to propose me. We can have no more inertia.”
Charlotte was last night expected to be granted a meeting with Sajid Javid and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt. She said: “I want them to know I still mean business.”
so widely flouted. Legalisation could save police time, raise revenue in taxation and end the black market.
Sold in licensed stores the cannabis available could be regulated and the supply of potent strains such as skunk, linked to mental problems, could be stopped.
A report commissioned by the Lib Dems found no link between decriminalisation and higher drug use. What do the police think? The National Police Chief Council says the current law should be upheld. But some police chiefs and former chief constables favour reform.
Former Sussex Police Chief Constable Paul Whitehouse has also called for cannabis to be legalised, saying there is “very clear evidence prohibition leads to violence and criminality”. Would there be economic benefits? Research by the University of Essex says legalising it would save £290million a year by cutting the cost of dealing with offenders. Other studies say legal sales would net up to £3.5billion in taxation and licence fees. The arguments against decriminalisation NHS chief Simon Stevens says it poses a danger to the lungs and raises risk of depression and psychosis.
The National Police Chief Council says cannabis is “a key driver “in serious crime. Opponents also fear it can be a gateway to more dangerous substances. What is happening in other countries? More are relaxing their laws on medicinal and recreational use. Uruguay is the only country where cannabis is legal for all purposes.