Lib Dems want to legalize cannabis to cash in on the £7bn market

Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom are supporting the legalisation of cannabis, in an effort to regulate a market that, according to them, is becoming increasingly dangerous especially for young adults.

Lib Dems have characterised the current approach to cannabis as “catastrophic failure”.  The party members argue that the lack of regulation puts the citizens at risk

“Unregulated cannabis is freely available and widely used, generating significant mental and psychical health problems – especially for young people – who are being harmed by increasingly potent products”, the LibDems say on their website.”And because organised criminals are making huge profits at the expense of people’s health, in an illegal industry with no age checks, and no controls on quality or strength.”

One advantage to legalisation would be the taxation of a market that is estimated at £7 billion in the United Kingdom. According to the Lib Dems, the regulations put in place will generate enough income to fund drug education and drug treatment initiatives. Moreover, the new approach will allow for safer consumption and limits to the psychoactive chemical content.

“We propose a series of strict regulations, such as limiting sales of cannabis to over-18s, making cannabis safer by limiting its psychoactive chemical content, and taxing all cannabis sales (generating up to £1bn for investment in drug education and treatment,” the party says.

The Lib Dem plan, containing the actual proposals is to be released sometime this week and according to some members, legalisation will include limits on chemical substances and cannabis will only be legal for those over 18 and in specially licensed shops.

Countries around the world have taken different approaches to cannabis. Some have made it legal while other have decriminalised it for personal, medical or scientific use. In other states, while still considered illegal, it is a tolerated offence, like in Bangladesh.

While all EU member states treat possession of cannabis for personal use as an offence, over one-third do not allow prison as a penalty for minor offences. In many of the countries where the law allows imprisonment for such cannabis possession, national guidelines advise against it.

In 2011 and 2014, young people living in Europe were asked for their opinions on drugs. More than half of the respondents were in favour of banning the sale of cannabis, rather than regulating it, but that proportion has declined in 2014, from 59 % to 53 %.

In the US there is an ongoing public discussion about marijuana legalisation or decriminalisation. Several states have already allowed cannabis for medicinal use while others have also approved legalisation for recreational use. While different states have different provisions for the statue of marijuana, legal matters are complicated by the Attorney General’s view on drugs.

Several times, Jeff Sessions has spoken out against legalisation and has promised to enforce federal laws making it harder to sell or buy cannabis products.

In the UK, Cannabis is a Class B Drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. If caught in possession of cannabis, citizens over 18 years old are likely to have their substances confiscated together with a warning for first offenders or a penalty notice for disorder, which comes with an on-the-spot fine of £90 for a second offence.

According to the European Union data, lifetime cannabis usage among adults in the United Kingdom is at almost 30%. Highest rates are recorded in United States, Canada and New Zealand.