Latest news with #decriminalization
Forbes
20 hours ago
- Health
- Forbes
Czech Republic To Decriminalize Cannabis As Legalization Plan Stalls
The lower house of the Czech Republic has approved an amendment that would decriminalize cannabis for personal use at a time when the process of full legalization is stalled. The Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic passed an amendment last week with an overwhelming majority of 142 out of 159 votes. The amendment would modify the Criminal Code to ease restrictions on cannabis possession and cultivation, and it is part of a broader series of changes aimed at introducing alternative punishments to reduce prison overcrowding. Adults over 21 will be allowed to legally grow up to three cannabis plants per person, with growing four to five plants considered a misdemeanor and more than five plants treated as a felony. Home possession will allow up to 100 grams of cannabis flower legally, while possession of 101 to 200 grams is considered a misdemeanor, and more than 200 grams constitutes a felony offense. Public possession would be limited to up to 25 grams, with possession of 26 to 50 grams considered a misdemeanor and possession of more than 50 grams regarded as a criminal offense. If approved by the Senate, the amendment is expected to be implemented next year. This would place the Czech Republic among the European countries that have regulated the possession and cultivation of cannabis for personal use. Germany, Luxembourg, and Malta have already done so through legalization rather than decriminalization. The Czech Republic already decriminalized the possession and cultivation of small amounts of cannabis in 2010. This was based on Government Regulation No. 467/2009, which allowed individuals to possess up to 15 grams of dried cannabis or cultivate up to five plants for personal use without facing criminal charges. However, in 2013, the Czech Constitutional Court annulled the 2010 government directive, ruling that only a law, not a government, could define criminal offenses. This led to legal ambiguity until the Czech Supreme Court established stricter guidelines regarding non-criminal amounts, reducing possession to 10 grams. Therefore, if this amendment is approved, it would officially decriminalize cannabis by law. The plan to formalize the decriminalization of cannabis for personal use is viewed as a more cautious approach compared to earlier attempts to regulate the substance in the Czech Republic. In 2022, the Czech Republic announced its plan to legalize cannabis, following Germany's example, which legalized recreational cannabis for personal use without sales in April 2024. However, while the Czech initiative initially aimed to create a legal market, by 2024, when it disclosed its plan for legalization, it became clear that there was no room to establish one, as it didn't include regulations for sales. Despite this more cautious approach, the Czech plan, which is part of a broader strategy to modernize drug policies, reduce the illicit market, and generate tax revenue, now results in a legislative stalemate due to political divisions over full legalization. Therefore, the amendment to decriminalize the possession and cultivation of cannabis appears to be a more conservative approach to regulating cannabis in the country, while leaving room for the full legalization process to unfold. In the last few years, the Czech Republic has also taken steps to regulate substances beyond cannabis. The Czech Republic Ministry of Agriculture has been planning since 2023 the restriction of the sale of products containing CBD and other hemp-based cannabinoids, saying that there is no scientific proof of their health result and pointing to the EU rules on novel foods. The plan, however, was never implemented. CBD products are legally available but have never been officially approved as food or medicine. In 2024, the Parliament of the Czech Republic adopted a draft law regulating synthetic cannabinoids and emerging psychoactive substances such as HHC and kratom. Growing health concerns on this issue, including some involving minors, led to the temporary banning of HHC at the beginning of 2024 and the drafting of new laws establishing a framework to control psychoactive substances, including age restrictions, sales restrictions to specialized stores, banning sale through vending machines, and online sales without verification. Instead of altogether banning kratom and HHC, the Czech Republic is, therefore, going to put them into a special regulatory category, neither food nor medicine, which indicates a shift toward regulated oversight and harm reduction measures.
Telegraph
7 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Police let class A drug users walk free
Half of class A drug users are let off by police without punishment, official figures show. Some 48.1 per cent of people caught in possession of hard drugs, such as cocaine and heroin, were let off without any criminal sanction, Home Office data analysed by The Telegraph reveals. It represents a six-fold increase in drug users escaping prosecution since 2016, when the proportion was only 7.5 per cent. In some forces, more than 80 per cent caught with cocaine, heroin or other class A drugs escaped any criminal punishment. They were instead handed community resolutions, which do not result in a criminal record and only require an offender to accept 'responsibility' for their crime, or were let off 'in the public interest'. Only a third of class A drug possession offences resulted in a charge. The data reflects a shift by police to treat drug possession of any type as a health issue rather than criminal one and comes days after Sir Sadiq Khan, the Labour Mayor of London, called for possession of small amounts of natural cannabis to be decriminalised. But critics have warned police against 'decriminalising drugs via the back door by ignoring tens of thousands of offences'. At least a quarter of the 43 police forces in England and Wales have adopted 'diversion' schemes where users caught with small amounts of drugs like cannabis are 'diverted' to treatment or education programmes rather than prosecuted, particularly for first-time offences. Nearly three-quarters (72.1 per cent) of those caught in possession of cannabis were let off without any criminal sanctions. Thames Valley, West Midlands and Durham are among the dozen forces to have adopted diversion schemes, which could be rolled out nationally if successful. The Treasury and Cabinet Office have put £1.9 million into evaluating the approach in partnership with five universities, the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) and the College of Policing, the standards body for forces in England and Wales. The College said the aim of the diversion scheme was to 'reduce re-offending and wider harms by approaching substance use as a health issue rather than a criminal justice issue'. The research will compare re-offending rates, hospital and treatment admissions with the aim of establishing 'whether and how drug diversion works, for whom, when and why'. 'Devastated by soft policy' But Chris Philp, the Tory shadow home secretary, warned the move amounted to decriminalisation by stealth. 'Parliament has rightly legislated that certain drugs are illegal because they cause serious harm to health, lead to antisocial behaviour and fuel acquisitive crime like theft, burglary and shoplifting as addicts steal to fund buying drugs,' he said. 'Police should not be decriminalising drugs via the back door by ignoring tens of thousands of offences. People who break the law should be prosecuted, and a magistrate or judge can decide what to do. 'Options a magistrate has available include fines, community service and addiction treatment requirements as well as prison. 'We have seen many US and Canadian cities devastated by soft drugs policies. These have allowed ghettos to develop where zombified addicts loiter unpunished and law abiding members of the public fear to go. We can't allow the UK to go the same way through weak policing. 'We need a zero tolerance approach to crime, including a zero tolerance approach to drug taking.' But the College of Policing defended approach and pointed to research, based on 16 different studies, that showed drug diversion had resulted in a 'small but significant' reduction in drug use, particularly among young people. The Telegraph analysis showed that Warwickshire had the lowest proportion of offenders caught with class A drugs who were let off, at just 9.2 per cent, while Dyfed Powys had the highest at 88.6 per cent.
The Sun
28-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Sadiq Khan is off his head – cannabis plan isn't progress, it's surrender to addiction and violence and will ruin London
MAYOR of London Sir Sadiq Khan has backed a dopey proposal – by his own Drugs Commission for the capital – to decriminalise cannabis use in the city. With London already blighted by crime, gangs and sky-high drug deaths, this is nothing short of lunacy. I'd love to know what they've all been smoking. 5 5 There's plenty to love about London as a young person — the buzz, the bustle and, most importantly, the bars. But I won't lie — every evening when my train pulls out of Euston then later into the leafier parts where I live, I breathe a sigh of relief. Finally, a lungful of air that doesn't smell like an Amsterdam coffee shop. In some places in the capital, you'd be lucky to walk a hundred steps without getting hit in the face every 20 seconds by a cloud of skunk smoke. It has become part of daily life in a city that was once THE place to be. But London is on the slide. Drug deaths have hit a 25-year high, kids are being constantly swept up by county-line gangs, and teenagers slash each other in broad daylight. In the relentless chaos of the city, what young people there need is structure, and safer streets. So what is Khan offering? A spliff. Under the proposals he has backed, people caught with a small amount of 'natural' cannabis would not be charged. Selling it would technically still be illegal — but come on, we're not stupid, this is a clear step towards full-blown legalisation. Drug-smuggling pals caught with 35kg of cannabis at airport - after saying they'd been on New York 'shopping trip' It's a cowardly, half-baked approach to the drugs-and-crime epidemic. Fine, weed isn't exactly crack cocaine. But it ain't exactly 'just a herb', either. I know that more people die of alcohol and cigarettes but weed does ruin lives, too. A study from King's College London in 2018 found that 94 per cent of cannabis seized in the UK was high-strength skunk — and daily users were five times more likely to develop psychotic disorders. I've seen with my own eyes where it leads, when I visited New York for my daughter's birthday last year. Once the concrete jungle where dreams were made — as per that annoyingly catchy Alicia Keys hit — the city that never sleeps is now a playground for the walking dead. Moral burden Studies have found that since legalising cannabis in 2021, New York has seen a rise in psychosis, antisocial behaviour, and cannabis-fuelled violence. Traffic deaths in New York have spiked since marijuana became legal. Over the border in Canada, where weed has been legal for six years, cannabis- related car crashes have also increased. But it's also the message this sends: 'Drugs are fine, crack on.' And that message sticks. Especially with young lads already at greater risk of mental-health problems, of falling into crime, and of being involved in violence. 5 5 What's worse is that the race card is being waved, as a pathetic attempt to get sceptics on board. Lord Falconer, who chairs the panel that has come up with these recommendations, says that weed should be decriminalised because stop-and-search for cannabis disproportionately affects young black men. Do you know what else disproportionately affects young black men? Being stabbed to death in the street. Young black men in London are 24 times more likely to die of homicide than are their white counterparts. This is so often at the hands of other young black men, often over drugs, and usually involving gangs. They're more likely to grow up in broken homes, less likely to pass GCSEs and more likely to be groomed into criminality. And Khan thinks adding more drugs to the mix is the less racist thing to do? This isn't just scaremongering on my part. When the Centre for Social Justice polled young people about cannabis a few years ago, they found nearly a quarter of 18 to 34-year-olds who had never smoked cannabis would try it if it were legal. Drug-dealing is so linked to violence. Communities are complaining about public drug use and anti-social behaviour . . . It's not something we're calling for Sir Mark Rowley That's hundreds of thousands of potential new users — many of whom would eventually be dependent on the stuff, and some of whom would move on to taking harder drugs. And what of the cost to the public purse? Cannabis is the number one reason children go into drug treatment. Is Khan willing to foot that bill — and that moral burden? I doubt it. But if you think I'm being a miserable sod, listen to the guy in charge of keeping London's streets safe. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley says of Khan's plan: 'Drug-dealing is so linked to violence. Communities are complaining about public drug use and antisocial behaviour . . . It's not something we're calling for." Khan's plan is the last thing London needs. Our capital is crying out for safer streets, not limp gimmicks that play well at liberal dinner parties while kids on crime-ridden estates are left to suffer. What Khan is offering isn't progress, it's surrender — to drug culture, to disorder, to decline. If this is his idea of keeping young people safe, he's not just out of touch, he's completely out of his depth. 5
Forbes
28-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
London Mayor Backs Cannabis Decriminalization As New Report Calls For Reform
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is backing a new report that calls for cannabis decriminalization, renewing his vocal support to end the persecution of individuals possessing small amounts of cannabis. The London Drugs Commission today published a 320-page report on the implications of recreational cannabis use in London and the impact of current laws, presenting a detailed analysis of written and oral evidence from over 200 experts and academics. The report concludes that while cannabis can cause harm, the criminalization of possession is disproportionate and ineffective because current laws fail to prevent use and disproportionately impact Black and ethnic minority Londoners through racially skewed police practices like stop and search. At the same time, the report is cautious about full legalization, which is considered premature and potentially risky from a public health perspective. The findings of this report prompted Khan to renew his support for cannabis decriminalization for small quantities of the drug. In a statement published on X, he said, 'We need fresh thinking on how to reduce the substantial harms associated with drug-related crime in our communities,' endorsing the decriminalization of cannabis for small quantities and announcing that they will study the report's findings and share them with relevant parties, such as the government, local authorities, and the National Health Service (NHS). Khan, a member of the Labour Party, is no new to the idea of cannabis decriminalization for personal use. In 2022, he wanted to develop a program offering an alternative to arrest for those caught with small amounts of cannabis, providing classes and counseling to people aged 25 and under. This initiative received criticism, as some argued it would allow low-level cannabis users to avoid prosecution. A year earlier, when Khan announced his intention to launch a review on the benefits of decriminalizing cannabis in London, then Prime Minister Boris Johnson, leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022, condemned his plans. Despite occasional public spats, the political debate on cannabis in the United Kingdom has not gained significant traction in political terms, as both the Labour and Conservative parties seem aligned in their support for cannabis prohibition. In the UK, cannabis is classified as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, which means its recreational use is illegal. Cannabis possession can result in fines or even imprisonment. But when it comes to small amounts of cannabis, the law allows for diversion programs. These initiatives aim to steer people caught with small quantities away from the traditional criminal justice system. Basically, instead of prosecution, people may be offered alternatives like educational courses or health-focused support, treating drug use more as a public health matter than a crime. Medical cannabis, instead, tells a different story. Legalized in 2018, it can be prescribed by specialist doctors for specific conditions such as severe epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. Still, access is limited, and many patients struggle to obtain prescriptions through the NHS. Though the report recommends cannabis reform through decriminalization, such changes are unlikely to materialize without political will. For now, both Labour and the Conservatives appear to be on the same page, showing little inclination to shift their stance. When Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, was elected Prime Minister in 2024, he clarified that he had no intention of changing the UK's drug policy. Conservative governments that preceded him had taken an even stricter position on cannabis, often pursuing a more zero-tolerance approach. Meanwhile, the British public remains divided on the issue of potential cannabis legalization. A YouGov poll published in January this year, which surveyed 2,533 adults across Great Britain, found that 45% either strongly support or tend to support legalizing cannabis, while 42% either strongly oppose or tend to oppose the reform.
Forbes
28-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
London Mayor Calls For Decriminalizing Cannabis Possession
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called for the decriminalization of personal possession of natural ... More cannabis. London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Wednesday backed the decriminalization of cannabis possession, saying that the current rules governing the drug 'cannot be justified.' Khan made his comments following the release of a report from the independent London Drugs Commission that found that the criminalization of cannabis possession and associated policing do more harm than good. In particular, the commission determined that police stop-and-search policies disproportionately harm members of Black communities. 'I've long been clear that we need fresh thinking on how to reduce the substantial harms associated with drug-related crime in our communities,' Khan said on Wednesday, according to a report from The Guardian. He added that the commission's report found the 'current sentencing for those caught in possession of natural cannabis cannot be justified given its relative harm and people's experience of the justice system.' Khan argued that the report 'makes a compelling, evidenced-based case for the decriminalization of possession of small quantities of natural cannabis,' according to a report from Marijuana Moment. The commission, led by the former Labour justice secretary Lord Falconer KC, collaborated with researchers at University College London, collecting evidence from more than 200 policy experts and academics from around the world. The commission found that classifying cannabis a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act is 'disproportionate to the harms it can pose relative to other drugs controlled by the act.' 'The sentencing options currently available, especially for personal possession, cannot be justified when balanced against the longer-term impacts of experience of the justice system, including stop and search, or of serving a criminal sentence can have on a person,' the researchers wrote in the report. The report, titled 'The Cannabis Conundrum: A Way Forward For London,' noted that cannabis enforcement focuses on ethnic communities, the Black community in particular, 'creating damaging, long-lasting consequences for individuals, wider society, and police-community relations.' Lord Falconer told Radio Four that 'continuing to have possession as a crime meant continuing have problems between the police and ethnic communities,' according to a report from the BBC. 'Stop and search in London for example is most commonly based on 'the smell of cannabis' and it is disproportionately used against young black men,' he said. 'The law treats cannabis the same as a whole range of much more serious drugs,' he added. 'The right course now, we think, is keep dealing criminal but make sure that possession is not a crime.' Cannabis is currently classified as a Class B drug in the United Kingdom. The commission emphasized that it was not advocating for the complete legalization of cannabis. While finding potential benefits of legalization, including a possible increase in tax revenue, the report stressed that the 'extent of harms, particularly with respect to public health, as well as personal and societal costs, take longer to emerge and are not yet well understood.' The researchers said that cannabis policy should be redirected to focus on the harms associated with the drug for a minority of users. 'Those who suffer from the adverse effects of cannabis, which may be a small percentage of users but is a high number of people, need reliable, consistent medical and other support,' the report reads. Despite the London Drugs Commission report's findings and Khan's call for decriminalization, a change in U.K. cannabis policy is unlikely in the short term. A spokesperson from the Home Office said that the government has no plans to change the legal status of cannabis. 'We will continue to work with partners across health, policing and wider public services to drive down drug use, ensure more people receive timely treatment and support and make our streets and communities safer,' the spokesperson said. 'We have no intention of reclassifying cannabis from a Class B substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act.' Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said the report's recommendations were 'not the government position and we are not going to be changing our policy.'
