Mayor of London creates group to consider decriminalising cannabis
Sadiq Khan has praised legalised cannabis farms in the US, and urges legalisation conversations in the UK
Last updated 29th May 2022
The Mayor of London has announced that a new group is being formed to consider decriminalising the drug in Britain, it will be the first ever London Drugs Commission.
He has praised the "high standards" of legalised cannabis farms in the US, and says there needs to be an honest and open conversation about its legalisation in the UK.
Sadiq Khan has said former justice secretary Lord Charlie Falconer QC will be the chair of the commission and it will access the effectiveness of UK drug laws.
Sadiq Khan visits a cannabis farm in LA
The announcement comes on Mr Khan’s four-day tour of the US.
On Wednesday Sadiq Khan met with LA mayor Eric Garcetti, and visited a cannabis dispensary and farm in the city to see what lessons could be learnt in the UK in responding to the challenges of drugs.
He tweeted, “The illegal drugs trade causes huge damage to our society and we need to further the debate around our current drug laws.
“As part of my time in LA, I'll be meeting with experts and seeing first-hand the approach they have taken to cannabis here."
‘Honest and open conversation about UK cannabis laws’
Speaking at the Traditional cannabis dispensary and cultivation centre in downtown LA, Mr Khan said that an "honest, open" conversation was needed about UK cannabis laws, adding that visiting the facility had been "fascinating".
"We need to have an honest, open conversation about the evidence in relation to the history of cannabis and our laws in the UK and our experience of the health consequences in relation to crime and the community," he said.
"The best way to do that will be with the drugs commission we've now set up.
"You can hear from the experts, that's one thing, but seeing it for yourself ... hearing from those who cultivate and grow this plant has been fascinating."
On his opinion of the facility, he continued: "(It) is quite clearly heavily regulated, there are really high standards, no corners are being cut, they're readily inspected by the city, by the experts.
"It's important to see for ourselves what the parallel world of legalised cannabis looks like as a compare and contrast.
"What I hope the London Drugs Commission will do is look at what happens elsewhere in the world where the laws have been changed."
‘It would help London’s black community’
Mr Khan later visited Gorrila RX Wellness shop in the Crenshaw area of the city, which stocks 1,900 brands of cannabis-related products including beverages, edibles, and coffee beans.
Kika Keith, owner of the shop, said the decriminalisation of cannabis in the UK would "tremendously help" London's black community.
"The people of colour in London should have opportunities to learn about the workforce opportunities, the entrepreneurship ... it should really be a diversified industry," she said.
Ms Keith, who is the first black female owner of a cannabis shop in LA, added: "The cannabis industry is the fastest-growing workforce, it gives us the opportunity to get into new jobs, new careers that were never established.
"It gives us opportunities for ownership and ... it's a real opportunity to build communities if we do it in the right way."
London Mayor examines UK drugs laws
The mayor's visits form part of a "fact-finding mission" to investigate an international evidence-based approach to reducing drug-related harm in the capital.
The commission being launched by Mr Khan will examine the effectiveness of UK drugs laws, with a particular focus on cannabis, but will not consider class A drugs.
LA decriminalised cannabis in 2016 after which arrests related to the drug in California dropped by 56%.
In the UK, cannabis is currently classed as a class B drug, with a maximum sentence of five years in prison for possession.
University College London has been appointed to provide world-class evidence-based research and assessment to the Commission on the criminal justice, health, and economic implications for any potential change in policy.
What has Priti Patel said in response to Sadiq Khan?
Priti Patel has hit back at the London mayor’s plan to consider decriminalising cannabis, saying he has "no powers to legalise drugs".
The Home Secretary tweeted: "Sadiq Khan's time would be better spent focusing on knife and drug crime in London. The Mayor has no powers to legalise drugs. They ruin communities, tear apart families and destroy lives."
Labour distanced itself from the plans, with a spokesman saying the party "does not support changing the law on drugs".
He added: "Drugs policy is not devolved to mayors and under Labour would continue to be set by national government."
Lord Falconer: Chair of London Drugs Commission
Mr Khan said Lord Falconer would bring "decades of experience" to the role as head of the body and that more needed to be done to tackle the "epidemic" caused by the illegal drug trade.
Lord Falconer said: "I'm honoured to have been appointed chair of the London Drugs Commission.
"It is a real opportunity for there to be a thorough look at the effectiveness of our drugs laws and policy on cannabis.
"We need rigorously to identify what is the best approach to reduce harm to our communities. A national debate is long overdue.
"We aim to make recommendations to bring about effective and lasting change."
The mayor’s tour of the US has also included visits to New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles and saw him chat with late-night TV host James Corden and Love Actually director Richard Curtis on Wednesday evening.