Poll of the week: Should cannabis possession be legal?
Sir Sadiq Khan has called for cannabis possession to be decriminalised.
The Mayor of London backed calls for decriminalisation this week because of concerns that drug laws were having a negative impact on relationships between the police and ethnic communities.
We asked Telegraph readers: Should cannabis possession be legal? A staggering 71 per cent of over 79,000 respondents voted it should remain illegal.
Your reasons ranged from health concerns to its adverse effect on the community and anti-social behaviour.
Sir Sadiq, who oversees the Metropolitan Police, Britain's biggest force, came out in favour of decriminalisation following an independent commission led by Lord Falconer, the former Labour justice secretary, which found current cannabis laws were 'disproportionate to the harms it can pose'.
One reader, a retired police officer, has seen the impact of cannabis abuse first hand. Mark Kelly said: 'It should never be legalised. The paranoia and schizophrenic episodes caused by it are devastating to families.'
Malcolm Fannon, a fellow retired officer, said: 'If I had a pound for every minute I spent rolling around on the ground with people supposedly mellow on cannabis, I'd be a very rich man.
'There is no such thing as a soft drug – the laws around all illegal substances should be strengthened, not diluted.'
Many of you agreed, highlighting the adverse health impacts. Sue Procter noted: 'It is highly addictive and can cause depression, anxiety and in some cases extreme psychosis. These effects are permanent, and our liberal attitude to this drug is why our younger generation are all out of work because of their mental health.'
A number of readers also pointed out that cannabis can be seen as a gateway drug leading to other substances.
Janet McHugh said: 'Drug addiction often starts with this drug in young people who think it's safe.'
Robert le Gaillard added: 'Having worked with drug addicts for 20 years, I can confirm that Khan is a fool. Cannabis is the gateway drug to hard drugs.'
Others drew attention to the smell associated with the drug. Edward Thomas said: 'I'm sick of the smell of cannabis wafting from benches occupied by derelicts in my local park when I grab a moment in a very busy week to walk the dogs with the kids in the evening.'
Some readers, who have tried cannabis themselves, agree that it should remain illegal. Sean Seekins shared an experience of having a 'space cake' in Amsterdam. Seekins said: 'Any substance that affects the brain in such a way will do damage in the long run.'
One of our readers recently visited Portland, Oregon, where drug possession had been decriminalised. Peter Cumpson said: 'On the airport train, a couple got on and started snorting cocaine. Everywhere in the centre of town, you'd see dishevelled broken people looking a bit dangerous. I vowed never to go back.'
Amid the uproar surrounding Sir Sadiq's proposal to decriminalise the drug, several Telegraph readers voiced support for his position. Some highlighted the potential for regulated sales to deliver a significant economic boost, while others emphasised the drug's medicinal benefits.
Reader Donald Morris said: 'There is a simple solution here. Cannabis production should be regulated, and only consumption of regulated cannabis allowed.'
In agreement, Cassandra Blackley commented: 'We should legalise natural cannabis. A well-regulated and well-taxed market for pre-rolled spliffs would mean that users could lawfully enjoy the recreational and relaxation benefits of cannabis in the privacy of their own homes.
'This would raise millions of pounds for the Exchequer, reducing the millions spent on pointless enforcement and gutting the black market for criminal gangs.'
While Adrian Rainer said: 'I personally don't think anything natural should be illegal in the first place. But I do disagree with Sadiq Khan turning this into a race thing.'
Reader John Crawley lives in Canada, where recreational cannabis use has been legal since 2018. He said there have been 'no problems with anti-social behaviour'.
He continued: 'We can buy it in all forms and use it to help with sleeping, instead of using prescribed sleeping tablets. Cannabis has so many therapeutic benefits, including controlling epilepsy, insomnia and other medical issues.'
Angela Smith, a UK citizen, has lived in California for the last 16 years. She said: 'There is overwhelming evidence demonstrating the incredible medicinal benefits of cannabis. Forcing people underground who benefit from it for various medical conditions serves no one but drug dealers.
'I believe it saved the life of my son, who had cancer at the age of 11 and was able to be given cannabis oil with the blessing of his oncologist.
'It dismays me that attitudes in my home country are so far behind the US when it comes to cannabis. We need to stop framing this as a dangerous recreational drug and start integrating it into medical treatment modalities. It's shameful that the UK is so slow to respond to science.
'Please wake up people — we have a very valuable medicine here that is being overlooked.'
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