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So finally we have had some sense emerging from the woodwork with suggestions for a royal commission into the possibility of decriminalising drugs, and what does our good ol’ conservative Prime Minister do? Reject it of course!
BBC News reports:
The idea of a royal commission to consider decriminalising illegal drugs – as suggested by a group of MPs – has been ruled out by the prime minister.
In response to the report by the home affairs select committee, David Cameron said the current policy was working in Britain.
The committee highlighted Portugal’s approach, where people found with drugs are not always prosecuted.
It also asked ministers to monitor cannabis legalisation elsewhere.
“These are the government’s priorities and I think we should continue with that rather than have some very, very long-term royal commission.”
It’s an absolute joke! Why can’t we have a royal commission into drug decriminalisation? What strain does it put on Mr Cameron?
Here’s a good comment from Greg, London (Also on the BBC Website):
I feel passionately about the subject of the legal status of cannabis in the UK.
I’m a nice guy but because I smoke at the weekend with friends I’m technically a criminal”
I use it once or twice times a week. I firmly believe the current laws are causing more harm than good. Current laws mean there is more funding for crime and they allow the substance to be regulated by criminals. They restrict my fundamental human right to make choices and stall worthwhilemedical research.
If cannabis was decriminalised then it could be regulated. That would mean I would actually know what I’m smoking. I would pay tax rather than the money going to criminal gangs.
I don’t think more people would start smoking it if it was legal – because I really don’t think its illegality has ever put anyone off. It’s currently readily available everywhere in the country – which is actually a problem because kids can get hold of it.
I’m a nice guy, but because I smoke at the weekend with friends I’m technically a criminal. It means that politicians don’t understand my type of person, so in return I don’t trust them.
We may still be staying backwards, but just look at what is happening across the globe:
Two states in America are decriminalising cannabis – this will create a snowball effect, with decriminalisation possible in many states in the next few years.
At the same time Ireland is going to have a medical cannabis system – this is ground-breaking, as with such a system right on our doorstep, one wonders just how long we can ignore the positive effects.
The future is looking bright for cannabis, but it seems likely that the UK will probably be one of the last places in the Western World to decriminalise its use.
At least it has got people talking about the issue though – Criminalising drug users is the wrong approach for society and causes more harm than good. Cannabis in particular is proven one of the safest drugs, and media propaganda aside can be used to do a lot of good for society – the revenue generated from a new industry could create jobs and help fix the deficit, not to mention a lower in alcohol-related crime and better pain relief for some seriously ill citizens of the UK.
