Will London Major Sadiq Khan Decriminalize Cannabis In London?

Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announced in May 2022 a commission to examine the effectiveness of the UK’s drug laws, focusing on those governing cannabis1.

 

The Mayor’s office established the London drugs commission, one of Khan’s manifesto pledges in his re-election bid last year.

 

Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announced in May 2022 a commission to examine the effectiveness of the UK’s drug laws, focusing on those governing cannabis.The Mayor’s office established the London drugs commission, one of Khan’s manifesto pledges in his re-election bid last year.

 

The Mayor of the United Kingdom’s office said that academics, independent experts in criminal justice, public health, politics, and community relations would work together to study various drug policies worldwide.

 

The commission is expected to assess the best methods to prevent drug use, the most effective criminal justice responses, and the public health benefits of different approaches.However, Khan’s goal seems to decriminalize minor cannabis offenses in London.

 

In January 2022, local news media outlets reported Khan’s pilot program to offer an alternative to arrest those caught with a small amount of cannabis2.The diversion scheme would be based on providing classes and counseling to people 25 years old and younger caught with small quantities of cannabis and would involve three boroughs of the UK’s capital.

 

Although the Mayor of London has no power to decriminalize cannabis in the UK’s capital, he faced criticism from the UK government led by the previous Prime Minister Boris Johnson. In early 2021, Khan announced his intention to launch an examining review about the benefits of decriminalizing cannabis in the UK’s capital. In fact, for Khan, the illegality of cannabis has no science-based evidence. However, Johnson criticized Khan’s plans and highlighted that drug policy was a matter for the UK government.

 

The announcement to establish the London Drugs Commission came when Khan was on tour in the United States and visited a cannabis facility in Los Angeles, California. Khan tweeted3 that he was on a “fact-finding mission to understand how London might improve its approach to protecting Londoners’ health & tackling drug-related crime.”However, his effort to bring cannabis decriminalization into the public debate caused concern to UK’s Home Secretary Priti Patel, who rebuked Khan.She tweeted4: “Sadiq Khan’s time would be better spent focusing on knife and drug crime in London.

 

The Mayor has no powers to legalize drugs. They ruin communities, tear apart families, and destroy lives”.Even Labour’s party leader Keir Starmer has positioned himself officially against decriminalizing cannabis. However, he said he would be open to a debate and drug diversion schemes.The Labour distanced itself from Khan’s efforts to assess the feasibility of a form of cannabis decriminalization in London.As reported by iNews5, a spokesperson of the party said: “Labour does not support changing the law on drugs. Drugs policy is not devolved to mayors and under Labour would continue to be set by national Government.”Although widely consumed, cannabis is still illegal in the UK. Cannabis decriminalization hasn’t been on the political agenda for years.

 

However, police-led drug diversion schemes that divert people caught committing minor offenses away from the criminal justice system often work as decriminalization.Drug diversion schemes have several benefits, including preventing crime, reducing costs to police forces, improving those diverted physical and mental health, and potentially reducing racial disparities in the criminal justice system.Furthermore, police forces across the UK have developed different approaches.

 

For instance, Thames Valley Police’s diversion scheme model has become a case study for many experts because considered successful. It sees people between 18 and 24 years old found possessing a small amount of cannabis diverted away from the criminal justice system and provided with help and support.  Diversion schemes would leave room for maneuver for Khan to develop a pilot diversion scheme that could be similar to cannabis decriminalization. However, he has neither legal nor political power to decriminalize cannabis in London at this moment.

 

It is the UK government that addresses the kingdom’s drug policy. Downing Street announced in December 2021 the plan to enact measures to target both users and suppliers, reaffirming the “zero-tolerance” approach.Politically, Khan seems to be left alone from his party regarding this issue. According to some experts, Labours fear that any mention of cannabis decriminalization or even legalization could be used by Conservatives and part of more conservative news media outlets to inveigh against them6. From the Labour’s perspective, entering into a battle with Conservatives over cannabis may cause a loss of votes.

 

Britons are also divided on cannabis decriminalization or legalization. A poll conducted by the UK-based strategic research company Redfield & Wilton Strategies in early 2022 showed that 35% support cannabis for recreational use, 38% oppose such a change, 20% neither support nor oppose, and 7% don’t know7.Khan’s attempt to decriminalize cannabis in the UK’s capital may be seen as an attempt to mitigate the impact of the war on drugs on Londoners.The United States began its war on drugs in the 1970s. The UK has followed this approach through a strict drug policy to contain consumption and fight back illegal market, but without success.


Written and Published by Dario Sabaghi in Weed World Magazine Issue 159

Featured Image: Pexels