UK reviews

[Rob_OG]

In today's Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013 ... ernational

"A Home Office study of international drug laws is to get under way this week with a visit to Portugal to look at the long-term impact of its policy of limited decriminalisation.

The Liberal Democrat minister Jeremy Browne, who is leading the review, is to look at drug policy in about 10 countries and will later this month go to Denmark.

...

The study – ordered by the home secretary, Theresa May, in response to the Commons home affairs select committee's call for a royal commission to report on how to reform Britain's 40-year-old drug laws – is likely to be completed by the end of the year."

All very promising, but:

"May ruled out decriminalisation, saying there was no need for a fundamental rethink of Britain's approach to drugs. "

So possibly an element of government prejudice there.

[Amarsbar]

A step in the right direction - still a long way off from the American system, let alone the Dutch tolerance policy. I believe the biggest issue in the UK is that no one wants to be seen as the government to 'make drugs legal'. Dr David Nutt (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Nutt) got sacked from his government advisory role for publicly stating how stupid the policy toward recreational drugs are. Sadly, it's just one of those things that will have to wait a while for in my opinion, the current generation of politicians are too scared of tabloid repercussion; government advisers and well thought out policy based off evidence doesn't matter to them.

[spidergawd]

In today's Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013 ... ernational

"May ruled out decriminalisation, saying there was no need for a fundamental rethink of Britain's approach to drugs. "

So possibly an element of government prejudice there.

I'm afraid I cant be anything but cynical about this, they wont change any drug laws any time soon. They're too crapped on all the other stuff thats blowing up in their faces like the EU, and I think for the policy makers it's well down if not even on the list.

I hope I'm wrong

[Cisco]

With all the economic problems going on in the word all Governments should be looking at legislation of all drugs imo (peeps are gonna take stuff either way) so why shouldn't communities benefit from the sale/taxes , rather that crime/terrorissm ?

[treetop]

A step in the right direction - still a long way off from the American system, let alone the Dutch tolerance policy. I believe the biggest issue in the UK is that no one wants to be seen as the government to 'make drugs legal'. Dr David Nutt (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Nutt) got sacked from his government advisory role for publicly stating how stupid the policy toward recreational drugs are. Sadly, it's just one of those things that will have to wait a while for in my opinion, the current generation of politicians are too scared of tabloid repercussion; government advisers and well thought out policy based off evidence doesn't matter to them.

If there was a referendum on the subject I'd like to think we'd end up with a relaxation of the laws. However that is not going to happen soon Spider points out it is well down the list of priorities for that kind of thing.

However Amarsbar hit the nail right on the head IMHO Politicians are scared of the media and the print media in particular are very reactionary in the UK.

Lots and lots of vested interests are against weed. Breaking their lies down will take a lot of time.

If I had lots of money I'd like to fund a study into the positive financial implications for the government that legalizes, regulates and taxes MJ.
Just the savings on people being sent through the criminal justice system and ultimately to prison for MJ would save an enormous amount alone. In these days of austerity can these savings and revenue streams be ignored by any sane government?

Maybe a new era of pragmatism awaits..... (not holding my breath though)

[Amarsbar]

In today's Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013 ... ernational

"May ruled out decriminalisation, saying there was no need for a fundamental rethink of Britain's approach to drugs. "

So possibly an element of government prejudice there.

I'm afraid I cant be anything but cynical about this, they wont change any drug laws any time soon. They're too crapped on all the other stuff thats blowing up in their faces like the EU, and I think for the policy makers it's well down if not even on the list.

I hope I'm wrong

I second this, in the grand scheme of things this is a very low profile topic. Amending drug laws is something that would probably lead to a net loss in financial support/voters for a party in power. This would mean they couldn't implement their more important policies and therefore they won't touch it with a barge pole. I guarantee you they personally could care less but it's all about maintaining their public image.

[spidergawd]

It's one of the reasons I'm so interested developments in the US as States are now creating a legal and commercial framework. I predict there will be change here but not this year or next, but we do have the ball rolling slowly. The most right wing Daily Mail is not so rabidly anti as some of it's readers and columnists would suggest and polling confirms that a majority of people are pretty agnostic about cannabis so a way to go yet.

I've told my (Conservative) MP that all most of us want from legalisation of weed is the freedom to grow a couple of plants and have a nice well run local cafe where tokers can socialise and have access to well produced cannabis, some neat bongs and it must have a verdamper, by law.

The last bit I was dreaming . The first bits true though, I have had a conversation with him about it, and got the response I expected which was quite neutral:D.

I'm going to NORML's AGM in Bristol this weekend to get an idea whats happening in the struggle.

The trouble with these groups like NORML is that all the interaction between members seems to take place on facebook and twitter and the website forum becomes a ghost town, but I find the FB and Twitter are too cluttered and too fast for me

[treetop]

I've told my (Conservative) MP that all most of us want from legalisation of weed is the freedom to grow a couple of plants and have a nice well run local cafe where tokers can socialise and have access to well produced cannabis, some neat bongs and it must have a verdamper, by law.

The last bit I was dreaming . The first bits true though, I have had a conversation with him about it, and got the response I expected which was quite neutral:D.

I'm going to NORML's AGM in Bristol this weekend to get an idea whats happening in the struggle.

Excellent thing to do writing to your M.P.

Your idea about verdampner/vapes/ etc is excellent. I'd go an extra step and make shops no smoking only. People can smoke at home if they so choose of course.

Everyone seems to be in a tizz about strong weed in the UK as if it is a dangerous hard drug. I see that being a problem as there is very little real info out there about this and a whole lot of negative propaganda.

Hope some of the above is mentioned at the AGM and some good ideas like yours are proposed.

Is online attendance at this AGM possible? As a NORML member I'd love to get involved but I'm a long long way away till mid summer.

[spidergawd]

I've told my (Conservative) MP that all most of us want from legalisation of weed is the freedom to grow a couple of plants and have a nice well run local cafe where tokers can socialise and have access to well produced cannabis, some neat bongs and it must have a verdamper, by law.

The last bit I was dreaming . The first bits true though, I have had a conversation with him about it, and got the response I expected which was quite neutral:D.

I'm going to NORML's AGM in Bristol this weekend to get an idea whats happening in the struggle.

Excellent thing to do writing to your M.P.

Your idea about verdampner/vapes/ etc is excellent. I'd go an extra step and make shops no smoking only. People can smoke at home if they so choose of course.

Everyone seems to be in a tizz about strong weed in the UK as if it is a dangerous hard drug. I see that being a problem as there is very little real info out there about this and a whole lot of negative propaganda.

Hope some of the above is mentioned at the AGM and some good ideas like yours are proposed.

Is online attendance at this AGM possible? As a NORML member I'd love to get involved but I'm a long long way away till mid summer.

Hi TT, I actually sat down and had a conversation with him about the situation , quite interesting, I didn't get the impression he would need much persuasion if the wind was blowing in the right direction, and I think thats where we are right now so we have to persue the right narrative with these politicians.

I wouldn't like complete no smoking mate, as long as there are smoke free areas.

And yes you can vote online as a member elections@norml-uk.org. but I dont know if it will be webcast, but I'll post on here if anything worthwhile comes up.

Happy trails

[spidergawd]

I didn't want to start a new thread so I dug this one out; but I thought I would look at whatevers been happening in our own little corner and make an occasional post. Please also contribute so we can all become better informed and able to make a difference towards legalisation. Theres some way to go yet.

Heres a brave Conservative MP sticking his head out a bit. Wonder if he gets it bitten off, I dont read the right wing press so I dont know, maybe they haven't sniffed it yet.

Tory wants cannabis legalised 'for medicinal purposes'
By Alex Stevenson Friday, 1 November 2013 9:16 AM




A Conservative MP is calling on the government to do more to make cannabis available for those suffering intense pain.

Oliver Colvile has written to health secretary Jeremy Hunt asking whether the government's ban on cannabis - which is classified as a class B drug - can be relaxed when it is used for medical reasons.

"I think we need to have a much better understanding as to what cannabis can do," he said.

"What I am not talking about is legalising cannabis, because I don't think that would be very clever. I'm told that if you are 16 or so, and you take cannabis, you can do an enormous amount of mental health problems to you.

"I am seeking to find out what the government's position is in relation to people who suffer from neurological conditions, as to whether they can use cannabis in order to stop their pain."

Colvile raised the case after one of his constituents, an MS-sufferer called Stuart Wyatt, said he would like to use cannabis to help with pain relief.

Cannabis is currently available in pill form, deputy leader of the Commons told Colvile in the Commons last month.

Sativex, a cannabis-derived mouth spray, was licensed in the UK in 2010 as an additional treatment for moderate to severe spasticity in multiple sclerosis.

"The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) is updating its clinical guideline on the management of MS in primary and secondary care," Brake told Colvile.

"Sativex is one of the new interventions that Nice has identified for inclusion in its updated guidelines, which it expects to publish in October 2014."

The concern now is that while GPs can prescribe the pill's use, commissioning boards up and down the country could take different views on whether or not to authorise it.

Hunt could be asked to explore issuing government guidance clarifying the issue.

"If people have got these conditions, we should be looking for every way possible to try and reduce the pain," Colvile added.

[spidergawd]

I'm going to hear Doug Fine later in the month. Should be entertaining and inspirational

Winning the Drug Peace Matters

By Doug Fine

It was while documenting the full cannabis legalization process in the U.S. state of Oregon this week for a magazine article that I had a wake-up call. Which is to day I finally conducted sufficient advance interviews for the forthcoming Too High to Fail Fall 2013 European Tour to recognize that you folks across the Pond are not just experiencing the same sea change in drug policy that we are in North America. You, too, are winning.

I’ve just researched such a model’s successful implementation for a year in Mendocino County, California. I wrote a book about it, in fact, called Too High to Fail: Cannabis and the New Green Economic Revolution. I hope y’all check it out — it’s intended to be a fun and informative read. It’s got pictures, too. And I’ve just completed a book about the hemp side of the plant, called Hemp Bound, which comes out March 1, 2014 (on ebook and — whoo hoo! — hemp paper).

I also, however, imagined that my secondary role on this upcoming and to me thrillingly exciting Euro-tour would be that of cheerleader. As in “If the U.S. can do it, the rest of the world can, too.”

But it’s clear that you Europeans clearly already got this. Nearly everywhere on the continent, the Drug Peace effort is moving forward. UK media are telling the truth about drug policy (this preceded legalization in two American states by about two years). Even bad, temporary policy changes in the Netherlands have allowed a social club movement to sprout in Belgium and have propped Copenhagen to consider becoming the (or at least a) 21st Century cannabis-friendly city. You know you’re winning when even supposed setbacks are sprockets in wider European positive momentum. I’m sure I’ll learn a dozen more examples of the march to Drug Peace triumph from you good folks in person in November.

The point is, you hardly need my cheerleading. We’re on our victory lap here. As in the U.S., what you need in your countries is final, actual legislative change that ends cannabis prohibition. Specifically, that allows for personal cannabis use without stigma and a sustainable green industry to supply those who don’t have a home garden. Plus the associated dissociation with wrong-minded and antiquated international “drug” treaties.

Stigma, planet-wide, is the drug war’s final front. To me that basically means reminding humanity of its 12,000 year relationship with the cannabis plant. The plant is a gift, in my view, from heaven. And not just in my view, but from the perspective of the medicinal cannabinoid receptors in all of our bodies.

It’s the insane policies of the last half-century that have been atypical. And, of course, the drug war’s policies have also been both illogical in their initiation and counter-productive in their execution. They create, in fact, nearly all the problems surrounding “drugs.” I use the quotes, most will recognize, because cannabis is in fact an herb. A plant which Chinese practitioners call “Ma” and use for labor pains, among many other things.

Too High To Fail: Cannabis and the New Green Economic Revolution, London, LSBIU, 13th November 2013.


So you’ll hear me speaking a lot about how I’m a law-abiding father who wants a better world for my children. Without question, the Drug Peace, which to me means the acceptance of cannabis in society at a level at least equal to that of alcohol for responsible adult social use, all medicinal use, and all industrial use, is better for my region’s economy, my family’s health and safety, and the planet’s medium term inhabitability.

We’re almost there. I’m excited to the point jabbering to have the opportunity to hop across the Pond and invite you folks to come follow the journey (the one which I myself recently followed) of one organic cannabis flower from farm to patient in my talk and slide show based on Too High to Fail. Huge thanks to the organizers of this massive tour and media outreach effort – they are doing it as a labor (oh, wait, for you guys it’s labour) of love.

At the events themselves and on the street and train as I crisscross the northern part of the continent this autumn, I can’t wait to learn from those who are knowledgeable about cannabis policy in Europe. And anyone who’s seeing this: please invite folks you wouldn’t think are already on the bus: your grandmother, curmudgeonly firefighter uncle, your minister, your deacon. You know what I mean: when the truth is spoken, we win. In the U.S. the Drug Peace is a people driven victory that dragged politicians along with its (again that word) momentum.

I’d also love it if you’d please post these tour announcements and event links to all your social media sites, stick flyers on college pub and coffeehouse bulletin boards, talk about the coming events at work and at the at the football party, and invite someone who wishes he or she could be taking fewer pharmaceuticals. Invite entrepreneurs who will be interested in learning how much hemp is earning Canadian farmers today.

The reach of these benefits of Drug Peace are so broad that I’d invite my goat, who I’m about to milk here on my ranch, if I could get her passport renewed in time. See y’all starting in a little over a week.


Doug Fine is an American author, journalist, humorist, and goat herder.

He is a longtime mainstream and respected U.S. Journalist for the New York Times, National Public Radio, etc., who has simply researched the topic of a legal cannabis market during a time of major U.S. policy change.

He will be speaking at London Southbank University on Wednesday 13th 2013.
- See more at: http://norml-uk.org/2013/11/winning-dru ... 9eBFA.dpuf

[spidergawd]

Monday, November 4, 2013 - Max Fernandez
The Current State And Future Of Cannabis In The UK.

These past few months have indeed been active ones for the UK cannabis law reform movement. Hundreds of articles have been written by various media outlets that have reported on ‘cannabis busts’, both for personal use as well as for operations intended for distribution. Although on the surface this may appear to be a bad thing; one key positive of this mass reporting is that it maintains our struggle as part of the national conversation, and keeps the topic of cannabis legalisation relevant. Many of these articles have received the attention of the CLEAR Media Team, which attempts to correct misinformation regarding cannabis. This writer is extremely proud to be a part of the organisation.

The ever increasing number of cannabis ‘smoke out’ protests occurring up and down our country has also attracted the stare of many different media groups. Although our movement is somewhat divided as to the impact of these gatherings, it is impossible to deny that this type of exposure has given us a huge opportunity to effectively engage with members of the public, who would otherwise remain clueless as to our campaign, especially regarding medical cannabis. The Cannabis Hypocrisy Protest in October this year helped to highlight a key contradiction in our legal system, which allows for foreign citizens from the EU to use their medically prescribed cannabis in our country, whilst UK residents attempting to use the same medicine would likely be prosecuted.

According to the cannabis pressure group NORML UK, which organised the protest outside The Houses of Parliament, the gathering provided an opportunity for members of various cannabis legalisation factions, including CLEAR members, to directly lobby a large number of MPs from all parties. It also provided the opportunity to hand out dozens of leaflets informing the public as to the need to legally regulate medicinal cannabis.

The biggest news regarding the cannabis legalisation effort in the UK this year has been the cabinet reshuffle, which saw a Mr. Norman Baker take the position of Minister of State for Crime Prevention. This in itself is a potentially massive step forward for us, as Mr. Baker has previously spoken in a much more liberal manner regarding cannabis compared to his predecessor, Mr. Jeremy Browne. It would be impossible for any rational campaigner to assume massive changes will happen in the near future because of this, but nonetheless, this political change represents major progress. It will be up to all members of all cannabis groups to express their opinions to Mr. Baker, so that he realises support for our cause is at an all time high.

The upcoming November vote in Portland, Oregon, will no doubt dominate much of the press associated with our global campaign over in the US until it is over. This vote follows the success of two initiatives in Colorado and Washington State back in November 2012. If Portland voters choose to see cannabis legalised for possession (but not distribution), then this will mark yet another step forward for our cause, not least because it gives us a stronger prediction as to national (and international) feelings on the subject. US opinion polls suggest that for the first time since prohibition began, cannabis legalisation is favoured by a clear majority of Americans. Because of this massive support, it is inevitable in this writer’s view that yet more States will choose to legalise cannabis for both medicinal and recreational uses. Maine, California and Rhode Island are just a few examples of the States that will legalise and regulate cannabis in the near future, for both recreation and medicine.

As I have previously mentioned, our campaign is a global and international one. This means that all victories across the world in regard to cannabis legalisation are interlinked; a victory for medical cannabis patients in Illinois for example, takes us one step closer to seeing our goals materialise. Success in these States is impossible for our politicians at home to ignore, and even harder for the general public and mainstream media to ignore. Where ever cannabis has been legalised, tax has been raised, police resources have been allowed to focus on real crime, such as murder and rape cases, and there have been far fewer people sent to prison, especially young black males.

Uruguay is also on the cusp of achieving greatness, by becoming the first country to officially legalise the growth, possession and sale of cannabis. The Uruguayan Lower House recently voted in favour of the policy, leaving the vote to the Uruguayan Senate. The Senate is expected to vote massively in favour of the legislation. In this writer’s opinion, this will unleash a wave of South and Central American countries choosing to do the same.

The upcoming 2015 UK General Election will no doubt occupy much time from all sides of the UK legalisation movement, as the election of yet more MPs who sympathise with our goals will mean it will become ever more likely and quickly our campaign will progress. All members of our various groups should take around 15 minutes to read up on the positions of the people they will be voting for in regards to cannabis. It must also be remembered that the power of writing an email or letter to our MPs must never be disregarded. This is the most effective type of lobbying in this writer’s view.

The most recent major opinion poll taken in the UK by Ipsos MORI, asking its citizens what they thought to the UK’s current cannabis laws, and what they would do to change them (if at all), found that 53% of the British public would like to see cannabis legalised and regulated. This statistic has proven to be a massive boost for our campaign in the last few months, with more official debates taking place up and down the country in a variety of universities, as well as an ever increasing number of cannabis documentaries being shown at peak times on popular television channels, including Colorado’s Stoned Kids.

In this writer’s view, the key to our victory is on the medical front; as once cannabis is able to be legally prescribed by doctors to their patients (many of whom are extremely sick, and some dying), the general public will quickly realise they have been lied to by the establishment regarding cannabis use. They will see the wonders cannabis has on their relatives with conditions such MS, Cancer and Crohn’s Disease, and understand that cannabis is not the poison they have been told it is. We should explain to the public that under EU law, a number of EU countries’ citizens can be prescribed medical cannabis. The Irish parliament is debating this issue on November the 5th.

In regards to the upcoming election, CLEAR merchandise will play a crucial role. Stickers have the ability to convey a message to hundreds of people if placed correctly (and legally). These stickers are extremely cheap, and incredibly easy to carry around. The raising of funds is critical for any lobbying group, including CLEAR, and so even a small purchase from members will mean yet more progress for our cause. The CLEAR leaflets also allow for information to be posted into potential voters’ doors, allowing us to spread our message to yet more people.

In conclusion, this writer believes that cannabis could be legalised and regulated in the UK by the end of 2015 if our advocates remain organised and disciplined, and our mainstream media acknowledges the inevitable. However, it is much more likely to happen around October-December of 2016. Our next key focus should be to strengthen our online presence. This will mean commenting on online cannabis related articles, to ensure that our pro legalisation voices are heard. The CLEAR Media Team is always looking to recruit keen, hardworking people who have the ability to express themselves effectively through the written word.

[spidergawd]

From the Derby Telegraph.


Derbyshire's Police and Crime Commissioner says argument for drugs legalisation

By Derby Telegraph | Posted: November 13, 2013
Alan Charles said there were strong arguments for and against legalising drugs.

DERBYSHIRE'S Police and Crime Commissioner has told a meeting there is an argument for the legalisation of drugs.
But Alan Charles said he would never encourage anyone to take illegal substances. He spoke at a strategic governance board meeting held in Derby.
He was discussing a report which showed between April 1, 2012, and March 31, 2013, the force recorded 2,641 drugs offences
This was a slight drop on the 2,759 offences recorded during the same period from 2011 to 2012 and a slight rise from the 2,615 offences recorded the year before that.

The latest figures show 440 drug trafficking offences and 2,201 offences for drug possession.

Mr Charles said: "This is an extremely complex issue and the war on drugs has been going for more than 50 years. Do I think drugs should be legalised?
"There are very strong reasons why they should. They could be bought through licensed premises and dealing would be out of the hands of criminals.
"But there are very strong reasons not to legalise drugs and I would never encourage anyone to take drugs or even smoke a cigarette."

The report highlighted a crime survey that showed how 1.9% of people aged 16 to 59 and living in Derbyshire had admitted to using illegal drugs in 2012 to 2103 – a figure that is below the national average of 2.6%.
It also showed how production of cannabis offences would appear to be falling. A total of 142 offences have been recorded between April 1 and September 28 this year. In 2012, there were 202, 223 offences in 2011 and 254 in 2010.

Chief Constable Mick Creedon told the meeting, which was held at the Council House: "I think there needs to be a much bigger debate around this."

Read more: http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/cop-say ... z2kqhX8kFj

[montana85]

Interesting article I came across this morning:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... comed.html

[Kermit]

Drugs minister refuses to rule out legalisation of cannabis

Norman Baker tells MPs'weshould be prepared to follow the evidence' in first appearancebeforeparliamentary committee

Tuesday 26 November 2013 19.01 GMT

Norman Baker, Lib Dem MP for Lewes and recently appointed drugs minister, has been a controversial figure in parliament.

The new Liberal Democrat minister responsible for drugs policy, Norman Baker, has refused to rule out a policy of legalising cannabis but said that it is not his prime objective in the job. "I think it needs to be considered along with everything else. It is not my prime objective and I am not advocating it at the moment. We should be prepared to follow the evidence and see where it takes us," he said. The drugs minister has opposed a royal commission on drugs, saying that while superficially attractive it would be expensive and take a long time. He is currently completing a year-long Home Office comparison of international drug policies and is due to visit the Czech republic and Switzerland next week as part of his research. Baker was making his first appearance on Tuesday as drugs minister before the Commons home affairs committee. MPs were keen to press him over whether he still held to his previously expressed personal views on drugs and conspiracy theories now he had a job in the Home Office. At one point the radical drugs policy campaigner and Labour MP, Paul Flynn, asked him whether it was necessary to have a lobotomy before he could do his job given his previous views. Baker memorably replied: "Had I had had a lobotomy I wouldn't be able answer that question." His response was immediately nominated as quote of the day by Westminster blogger Paul Staines, aka Guido Fawkes. MPs were also keen to press Baker on his position on the recent ban on the drug, qat, which is widely used in the Somali and Yemeni communities against the advice of the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs. Baker confirmed that despite being the drugs minister, the home secretary, Theresa May, has ensured that the ban is being taken forward not by him but by the security minister, James Brokenshire. Baker explained that the decision to ban the mild stimulant had been taken in July before he joined the department and mainly on the grounds that there was a serious risk that Britain could become a regional hub for illegal trafficking as the majority of other northern European countries had already banned it. He said that it was therefore more a matter for the security minister than the drugs minister. Baker is in charge of the Home Office international study on drugs which was started by his Lib Dem predecessor, Jeremy Browne, in response to the Commons home affairs inquiry recommendation that it was time to set up a royal commission to consider all the alternatives to Britain's failing drug laws, including decriminalisation and legalisation.


http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... f-cannabis

You can thank UK420 for this, the home of the ACD refugees