Sadiq Khan backs calls to decriminalise cannabis possession
A report commissioned by Sadiq Khan has called for decriminalising the possession of cannabis in small quantities, in a major policy pivot for City Hall.
The London Drugs Commission, which was set up by the Mayor of London two years ago, argues that while the production and supply of cannabis should continue to “be policed and remain criminal…possession of small quantities for personal use would not be penalised.”
The report said cannabis policing “continues to focus on particular ethnic communities” which creates “damaging, long-lasting consequences for individuals, wider society, and police-community relations.”
Khan said the case being made is “compelling,” and “evidenced-based,” and suggested that the government consider it.
Classing cannabis as a Class B drug is “disproportionate to the harms it can pose relative to other drugs,” the report says.
Citing the report, Khan added that “the current sentencing for those caught in possession of natural cannabis cannot be justified given its relative harm and people’s experience of the justice system.”
‘Fresh thinking needed’
“I’ve long been clear that we need fresh thinking on how to reduce the substantial harms associated with drug-related crime in our communities.”
The proposals draw on precedents such as the widespread decriminalisation of the drug in certain states in the US and Canada, though the Commission stops short of calling for full legalisation.
The Commission is chaired by Lord Charlie Falconer, who served as Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary in the last Labour government.
Falconer said: “This is the most extensive consideration of what is the correct public policy response to cannabis in recent times.
“It is clear that a fundamental reset is required. Legalisation is not the answer. The criminal justice system response needs to focus only on the dealers and not the users.”
Tories mobilise against the cause
Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Philp, responded to the report with a vehement repudiation of Khan’s case, stating: “I completely oppose these plans.”
Philp denied that the US and Canada constitute positive case studies in the loosening of drug policing. “US and Canadian cities which tried this approach have ended up as crime-ridden ghettos with stupefied addicts on the streets and law-abiding citizens frightened to go there,” Philp said.
Philp then accused Khan of “politically correct posturing for the benefit of his left-wing friends.”