Robert Celt
New Member
Legalising the sale of cannabis in the UK could raise £1bn a year in taxes and minimise the health risks to those who use it, a report by the Liberal Democrats has claimed.
The party has described current drug laws as "outdated and harmful" - as they generate billions of pounds in funding for organised crime, waste police time, and harm the employment prospects of those who are convicted for possessing personal amounts of cannabis.
An independent panel of scientists, academics and police chiefs - asked by the Lib Dems to develop a framework for regulating the market - concluded Britons should be able to grow small quantities of cannabis, or buy licensed products from approved retailers.
Their report adds the use of marijuana in public places should still be strictly controlled and restricted to those aged 18 or over.
Norman Lamb, the Lib Dem health spokesman, said: "The UK is spending billions fighting a losing battle on drug use. Both the financial and human cost is vast. This desperately needs to change.
"It is often suggested that attempts to move away from total prohibition of drugs sends the message that these substances are harmless.
"To the contrary, I believe we need to regulate drugs precisely because of the harms they pose. Nothing is made safer when it is left in the hands of criminals."
He also warned that cannabis users are currently being exposed to dealers "who have every incentive to encourage them to try other more risky drugs".
The report frequently referenced the policies currently enforced in the US states of Colorado, Washington DC and Alaska, where laws surrounding cannabis use have been relaxed.
It recommended that retail cannabis should be sold in plain packaging with health warning labels, and the cost should initially be set "at or near" the current prices on the black market.
Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said the report will be debated during the party's spring conference in York, which begins on Friday.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Legalising Cannabis 'Could Raise £1B In Tax' For UK
Author: Staff
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: Sky News
The party has described current drug laws as "outdated and harmful" - as they generate billions of pounds in funding for organised crime, waste police time, and harm the employment prospects of those who are convicted for possessing personal amounts of cannabis.
An independent panel of scientists, academics and police chiefs - asked by the Lib Dems to develop a framework for regulating the market - concluded Britons should be able to grow small quantities of cannabis, or buy licensed products from approved retailers.
Their report adds the use of marijuana in public places should still be strictly controlled and restricted to those aged 18 or over.
Norman Lamb, the Lib Dem health spokesman, said: "The UK is spending billions fighting a losing battle on drug use. Both the financial and human cost is vast. This desperately needs to change.
"It is often suggested that attempts to move away from total prohibition of drugs sends the message that these substances are harmless.
"To the contrary, I believe we need to regulate drugs precisely because of the harms they pose. Nothing is made safer when it is left in the hands of criminals."
He also warned that cannabis users are currently being exposed to dealers "who have every incentive to encourage them to try other more risky drugs".
The report frequently referenced the policies currently enforced in the US states of Colorado, Washington DC and Alaska, where laws surrounding cannabis use have been relaxed.
It recommended that retail cannabis should be sold in plain packaging with health warning labels, and the cost should initially be set "at or near" the current prices on the black market.
Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said the report will be debated during the party's spring conference in York, which begins on Friday.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Legalising Cannabis 'Could Raise £1B In Tax' For UK
Author: Staff
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: Sky News
