Tag: london

London Mayor Supports Commission’s Recommendation To Decriminalize Cannabis

Written by Johnny Green on May 28, 2025. Posted in Policy.

In 2022, London Mayor Sadiq Khan established the independent London Drugs Commission (LDC), tasking the Commission with examining cannabis policies in England’s capital city and other jurisdictions. The commission recently published its findings and recommended that personal cannabis possession be decriminalized, a recommendation that Mayor Khan reportedly supports.

“The report follows detailed analysis of written and oral evidence from over 200 experts and academics from London, the UK and around the world. Lord Falconer and his Deputies were assisted by leading experts from criminal justice, public health, community relations and drug policy and supported by academics from University College London (UCL).” The London Drugs Commission stated about its methodology.

“Inclusion of cannabis as a Class B drug in 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 Commission stated about its report.

“Sir Sadiq Khan said current rules “cannot be justified”, adding that the commission’s findings had provided “a compelling, evidence-based case” for decriminalisation.” reported BBC in its local coverage.

The outlet also pointed out that the Commission recommended supporting “fair access to medical cannabis, including addressing cost barriers and expanding research.” The cannabis policy modernization recommendations are not supported by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, who stated that cannabis reform is “a matter for parliament” and his officers would “keep working to our current law.”

Adult-use cannabis legalization in the United Kingdom could generate as much as £1.5 billion in revenue and savings, according to a previous report by the advocacy group Transform Drug Policy Foundation.

The report, which was posted on the organization’s social media account back in March, determined that over £1.2 billion would be generated from taxes and fees annually, and an additional £284 million would be saved annually by the nation’s criminal justice system no longer enforcing cannabis prohibition policies.

“There would be costs incurred for Govt by regulatory infrastructure – inspection, monitoring, compliance, trading standards etc – but largely covered by licensing/other fees.” the organization stated on social media.

🚨NEW REPORT🚨

*High Returns: The Economic Benefits of UK Cannabis Legalisation*

Legally regulating cannabis (for non-medical use) in the UK could generate £1.5 billion in annual net benefits for the Treasury

Here’s a breakdown of the key findings👇#legaliseUKcannabis
1/🧵 pic.twitter.com/pXkSXYcPLq

— Transform Drug Policy Foundation (@TransformDrugs) March 4, 2025

Transform Drug Policy Foundation also determined that “up to 15,500 full-time jobs could be created in cultivation, manufacturing, retail & related services, (depending on the model implemented).”

The report also found that “a regulated market could displace 80% of the illegal trade in five years (based on trends in Canada).” The organization’s proposed legalization model involves permitting home cultivation, cultivation associations, and a government retail monopoly.

A separate analysis published last year by UK-based advocacy group CLEAR determined that legalizing cannabis for adult use in the United Kingdom and taxing and regulating sales could generate as much as £9.5 billion per year based on their proposed model.

According to a poll conducted by YouGov UK, the level of support for cannabis legalization among adults in the United Kingdom is greater than the level of support for adult-use legalization among lawmakers.

“The results show that 50% of MPs are opposed to cannabis legalisation when asked in a support/oppose format, compared to 39% who would be in support.” YouGov UK stated about their poll’s results. “The large majority of MPs do, however, believe that doctors should be allowed to prescribe cannabis for medical use (83%). Only 7% are opposed.”

“On the binary question of legalising cannabis, the British public are split, with 45% in favour and 42% opposed, making the public slightly more pro-legalisation than MPs.” YouGov UK also stated about the poll results.

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Attend Cannabis Europa 2024 In London In June

Written by Johnny Green on May 20, 2024. Posted in Business, Policy.

The emerging legal cannabis industry in Europe continues to experience exponential growth as more nations modernize their cannabis policies and regulations. Germany recently enacted the first provisions of its adult-use legalization measure and more European countries are expected to do the same in the coming years.

In addition to adult-use reform, the legal medical cannabis industry is also continuing to expand across the European continent. The rise of adult-use legalization will obviously impact Europe’s medical cannabis industry to some extent, however, much is still unclear regarding how both sectors of the industry will operate alongside each other in the future.

The remaining years of this decade in Europe will be pivotal for the emerging legal cannabis industry. Now is the time for entrepreneurs and investors to work to gain a meaningful footprint in Europe’s cannabis space.

Industry policies, rules, regulations, and other framework components that are being created and implemented during this crucial period will largely determine what the future of Europe’s cannabis industry looks like for decades to follow.

That is why it is so important for cannabis entrepreneurs, policymakers, and other leaders to network and learn from each other as much as they can right now. A great opportunity to do exactly that is coming to London on June 25-26, 2024, when Cannabis Europa’s flagship event comes back to London.

“We are ultimately trying to change society by bringing about acceptance and accessibility to cannabis in Europe,” stated Stephen Murphy, Co-Founder and CEO of Prohibition Partners at last year’s Cannabis Europa event. It’s a mission that remains true for this year’s event as well.

The venue for the event, the Barbican Centre, is a return to Cannabis Europa’s roots, with the location previously serving as the venue for the first-ever Cannabis Europa conference back in 2018 and the 2023 installment of the conference. The event’s two-day agenda will cover a range of topics. Below is a sampling of the event’s speakers:

Boris Jordan – Executive Chairman, Curaleaf
Pat Cash – Former Wimbledon Champion
Adonis Georgiadis – Minister of Health, Hellenic Republic (Greece)
Paul Depla – Mayor of Breda
Nikos Beis – CEO & Vice President of the Board, Tikun Olam Europe
Katrina Ffrench – Founder & Director, Unjust C.I.C.
Dr. Dylan Said – Senior Head, Malta Medicines Authority

Join 1,500+ influential leaders from thriving cannabis companies, investors actively deploying capital into the market, plus key politicians — the crucial combination needed to drive the European cannabis industry and your business forward.

The event will once again be holding a boutique industry expo, showcasing more than 50 leading businesses as the cream of the European cannabis crop, acting as a jumping off point for growing your business in Europe and beyond.

You can find more information about Cannabis Europa, including how to register for the event, at: www.cannabis-europa.com.

Attend Cannabis Europa 2023 In London In May

Written by Johnny Green on April 17, 2023. Posted in Business, Policy.

The emerging legal cannabis industry in Europe is set for exponential growth in the coming years. Germany recently announced its adult-use cannabis legalization plan and several countries in Europe are expected to do the same soon.

In addition to adult-use reform, the legal medical cannabis industry is continuing to expand across Europe. The rise of adult-use legalization will obviously impact Europe’s medical cannabis industry to some extent, however, much is still unclear regarding how both sectors of the industry will operate alongside each other in the future.

The next three to five years in Europe will be pivotal for the emerging legal cannabis industry, and with it, the timing for entrepreneurs and investors trying to gain a meaningful footprint in the space.

That is why it is so important for cannabis entrepreneurs, policymakers, and other leaders to network and learn from each other as much as they can right now. A great opportunity to do exactly that is coming to London on May 2-3, 2023, when Cannabis Europa’s flagship event comes to the Barbican Centre.

“We are ultimately trying to change society by bringing about acceptance and accessibility to cannabis in Europe,” stated Stephen Murphy, Co-Founder and CEO of Prohibition Partners at last year’s Cannabis Europe event. It’s a mission that remains true for this year’s event as well.

The venue for the event, the Barbican Centre, is a return to Cannabis Europa’s roots, with the location previously serving as the venue for the first-ever Cannabis Europa conference back in 2018. The event’s two-day agenda covers a range of topics. Below is a sampling of the event’s speakers. For a full list click this link:

Alex Rogers – Founder & CEO, International Cannabis Business Conference
Dorien Rookmaker – MEP for the Netherlands, European Parliament
Bell Ribeiro-Addy – Member of UK Parliament, Labour Party
Ronnie Cowan, MP – Member of UK Parliament, Scottish National Party (SNP)
Christian Werz – Scientific Associate, Federal Office of Public Health Switzerland
Mitch Barchowitz – Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Merida Capital Holdings
Professor David Nutt – Head of Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London

Cannabis Europa will also offer a digital networking platform that will enhance the conference experience and help attendees get the most out of the two-day event. Features include viewing the attendee list, exploring partners’ virtual exhibition booths, learning and conversing via virtual ‘discussion rooms,’ and much more. You can find more information about Cannabis Europa, including how to register for the event, at: www.cannabis-europa.com

London Mayor Still To Pursue Cannabis Reform Despite Political Pushback

Written by Hazel Norman on October 6, 2022. Posted in Policy.

Earlier this year the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, launched a commission to explore London’s cannabis enforcement policies in addition to other drug enforcement policies. Taking a hard look at London’s cannabis policies was one of Mayor Khan’s campaign pledges during his re-election bid.

One of the things that Mayor Khan is essentially pushing for is cannabis decriminalization, which is not as good as outright legalization yet is obviously superior than arresting people caught with a personal amount of cannabis.

Khan’s desire to change London’s cannabis enforcement policies was condemned by other officials, including Steve Reed, the Labour’s Party’s shadow justice secretary. As we previously reported, Reed made the ridiculous claim that cannabis decriminalization would “turn London into a drug supermarket.”

It appears that London Mayor Sadiq Khan is undeterred, indicating that he will proceed with his his reform commission plans regardless of what others think. Per My London:

But Mr Khan told Labour conference there was a need to look again at the legislation. He said he meets young black Londoners every week who have a criminal record because of possession of cannabis: “That record affects them for their entire life. I meet experts who tell me the consequences of dangerous skunk being sold in an unregulated market and the psychosis it can cause.”

He added: “I’ve got a genuine open mind. I’m going to look at what the commission comes back with, follow the evidence, and decide what to do going forward…if it means going against public opinion like I did with air quality…I’ll do it.”

It wouldn’t be public opinion that Khan would be going against if/when he chooses to change London’s cannabis enforcement practices. As we previously reported, people in London support a change in cannabis enforcement practices in their city per a recent YouGov poll.

“New YouGov data finds that Londoners support decriminalising cannabis within the boundaries of the capital by 50% to 33%. However opinion is divided across party lines, with 64% of the capital’s Labour voters supporting such a move compared to only 34% of Conservative voters.” YouGov stated at the time.

london taxi england united kingdom britain london taxi england united kingdom britain

Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary Says London Cannot Decriminalize Cannabis

Written by Frank Schuler on October 2, 2022. Posted in Business, Policy.

Back in mid-May the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, launched a commission to explore London’s cannabis policies. The ‘London Drugs Commission,’ as it is referred to, is chaired by Lord Charlie Falconer QC, a former lord chancellor and justice secretary. Reviewing London’s cannabis policies was one of Mayor Khan’s pledges during his re-election campaign.

One of the specific public policy components that was heavily reported as being in Mayor Khan’s crosshairs is cannabis decriminalization. People in London support a change in cannabis enforcement in London per a YouGov poll that we previously reported on earlier this month.

Unfortunately, at least some leaders within the Labour Party seem to have failed to look at the polling data, or at the very least disregarded it, as they are pushing back against any changes in cannabis policy and enforcement in London. The latest example of that comes from Steve Reed, the Labour’s Party’s shadow justice secretary. Per Eastern Eye:

Steve Reed said that the party would not look to decriminalise or legalise any recreational drugs, and Khan will not be given powers to do so, reported The Telegraph. He added that Labour will not allow Khan to turn London into a ‘drug supermarket’.

“Khan is entitled to his view, but mayors will not be responsible under this government or under a Labour government for that policy. So he can express whatever he likes, but he’ll never have the opportunity to do it under a Labour government because we won’t be liberalising drugs laws,” Reed was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.

“He’s contributing to a debate, but he won’t have the power to do anything about it, however that comes about.”

According to media reports, Mayor Khan wants to implement a similar pilot program that was created by the Thames Valley police in which young adults caught with a personal amount of cannabis undergo classes or counseling instead of being arrested and prosecuted.

Forcing young people into classes or counseling for personal cannabis possession in itself is not ideal, however, it’s definitely not an enforcement approach that should be categorized as seeking to “turn London into a drug supermarket.”

As the potential government showdown continues to develop in the United Kingdom it is worth keeping an eye on the situation, as it could have ramifications for the national cannabis policy discussion in addition to the ongoing local discussion.

london england united kingdom big ben london england united kingdom big ben

People In London Support Cannabis Decriminalization By Wide Margin

Written by Frank Schuler on September 11, 2022. Posted in Policy.

Back in May we reported that London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced that a commission would be launched to explore, among other things, cannabis policy reform. Cannabis reform is spreading across the European continent at an ever-increasing rate in most countries, however, the United Kingdom is not one of them.

When cannabis reform cannot be achieved at a national level, it’s wise for cannabis activists to focus their efforts locally. If enough local victories are won it builds momentum for larger reform efforts at a higher level.

With that in mind, any changes in cannabis policy and/or enforcement in London would be a great thing, and that appears to be something that many Londoners support according to the results of a new poll. Per excerpts from YouGov:

New YouGov data finds that Londoners support decriminalising cannabis within the boundaries of the capital by 50% to 33%. However opinion is divided across party lines, with 64% of the capital’s Labour voters supporting such a move compared to only 34% of Conservative voters.

Younger Londoners are also notably more likely to support a change in the law, with 52% of 18-24s and 56% of 25-49-year-olds supporting decriminalisation, versus 45% of 50-64 year olds and 34% of those aged 65 and over.

Of course, 17% of poll participants indicated that they ‘didn’t know’ whether they support cannabis decriminalization or not. However, it’s a safe bet that many of them, if properly educated on the subject, would move from the ‘don’t know’ category to ‘support.’

It’s also likely a safe bet that many people that do support cannabis reform refrained from indicating so when asked for fear of being subjected to persecution and/or stigma. It’s a phenomenon that is regularly found in cannabis polling.

Polls consistently demonstrate a lower level of support than there actually is, as proven by comparing polling results and election results in places that vote on cannabis.

London Mayor Appoints Drug Commissioner To Explore Cannabis Legalization

Written by Johnny Green on May 19, 2022. Posted in Archives, Policy.

Sadiq Khan appoints a former member of Tony Blair’s cabinet and current Labour shadow cabinet member to examine decriminalization

Sadiq Khan has been on at least a cannabis decriminalization kick for the past couple of years. He announced last year in April that he wanted to set up a commission to examine the impact of at least cannabis decriminalization. In January, he announced that he wanted to set up a decriminalization scheme in three London boroughs. This month, after visiting a cannabis plant in Los Angeles, he is moving forward with setting up his commission.

While City Hall in London does not have the power to change criminal law on a federal basis in the UK, it can certainly influence the debate.

Khan is particularly interested in two issues – producing income in the form of taxes for the state – and reducing cannabis-related arrests. Arrests for cannabis dropped by 56% after California legalized the cultivation, production, and sale of the plant.

Could The UK Follow Switzerland and Germany?

Khan’s commission will take another year to study the issue – in part by conducting a global survey on the health impacts of decriminalizing the plant.

In the meantime, however, both Germany and Switzerland will be moving towards a full-blown recreational market. In Switzerland, it is clear that the first step will be a highly limited, canton-by-canton trial that must first gain the approval of the federal government. In Germany, the indications are that the government will launch a fully functional market immediately.

By next year, when Khan’s commission reports back, there will, in fact, be (at least) four recreational markets in Europe (counting Malta) and potentially five if Luxembourg also takes the opportunity of the changing environment to release their plans. Holland’s national plan will kick in as of next year.

This is powerful evidence indeed – beyond of course the history of both Canada and the legalizing U.S. states.

The UK’s CBD Market May Also Provide a Model

The UK has actually moved ahead of many European states (including Germany) by allowing several thousand pre-approved CBD products onto the market. This government-sanctioned commercialization of the CBD industry could also lead the UK to move forward with full legalization, particularly if other countries in Europe are also moving forward on legalizing recreational use.

However, no matter what happens, there will still be a period of consideration – no matter what Khan and his commission come back with. And in the meantime, the UK will watch several markets in Europe begin to establish themselves, and potentially the US as well.

One thing is for sure. The British are not leading this one.

London Mayor Launches Commission To Examine Cannabis Policy

Written by Johnny Green on May 16, 2022. Posted in Archives, Policy.

Cannabis reform is sweeping the European continent, with at least one country now a legal jurisdiction for adult use. Late last year Malta became the first country in Europe to pass an adult-use legalization measure.

Italy was on track to possibly legalize cannabis this year after activists gathered and submitted over 630,000 signatures in an attempt to put legalization in front of voters. Unfortunately, even though the effort proved to have gathered enough valid signatures Italy’s government stopped the effort in its tracks, claiming that it was unconstitutional to let it proceed.

Cannabis legalization pilot programs are starting to spread across Europe. Copenhagen already has a program underway and the pilot program is set to expand across Denmark as more jurisdictions sign up. Switzerland is launching its first pilot program site in Basel this summer, and hopefully by 2023, the Netherlands will do the same.

Germany’s governing coalition previously announced plans to legalize cannabis in the near future, and last week Germany’s Health Minister announced that the timeline for legalization would be sped up with legalization possibly coming as soon as this summer.

In the midst of all of the momentum for cannabis reform on the continent one country that has moved almost as slow as any other nation is the United Kingdom. The UK’s medical cannabis program is extremely limited and has only helped a minor fraction of the number of suffering patients that exist in the UK. Recreational cannabis possession and use remain prohibited.

London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan, announced this week that a commission will be launched to explore, among other things, cannabis policy reform. Per The Guardian:

Sadiq Khan has announced a commission to examine the effectiveness of the UK’s drug laws, with a particular focus on those governing cannabis.

The London drugs commission, to be chaired by Lord Charlie Falconer QC, a former lord chancellor and justice secretary, was one of Khan’s manifesto pledges in his re-election bid last year.

The mayor of London’s office said a panel of independent experts in criminal justice, public health, politics, community relations and academia will be assembled to consider evidence from around the world on the outcomes of various drug policies.

The announcement was made while Khan was in Los Angeles where he toured a cannabis cultivation facility. The announcement of the commission yielded swift pushback from the Home Secretary of the United Kingdom Priti Patel. Per The Times:

The home secretary has criticised the mayor of London after he set up a commission to consider the decriminalisation of cannabis.

Priti Patel told Sadiq Kahn that he “has no powers to legalise drugs”.

“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,” Patel said in a tweet.

For starters, the War on Drugs ruins communities, tears apart families, and destroys lives. That is a fact. It is also a fact that the War on Drugs has failed, both in the United Kingdom and beyond. Patel’s tweet obviously disregards those facts.

Secondly, as I understand it, what Khan has proposed is essentially a fact-finding commission, not a commission that will actually seek to change policies. I suppose that it could evolve to a point where that is being pursued, however, that does not appear to be the case right now.

What does appear to be the case, at least in my opinion, is that Patel and other like-minded officials are probably scared of what the commission will potentially find and publish. It’s much easier for Patel and others to peddle reefer madness rhetoric without the existence of a commission like the one that Khan is launching.

Cannabis Stop And Searches To Be Examined In London

Written by Marguerite Arnold on March 24, 2021. Posted in Politics.

The UK may be having a Black Lives Matter moment on the issue of stop and search by the police looking for “illegal drugs” including cannabis.

Move over Meghan and Harry! The Mayor of London is doing his part to further race equality in the UK and even more, where the same intersects with cannabis. Namely, Sadik Khan has drawn up plans to eliminate the practice of the Metropolitan Police of stop and search on the suspicion of the same.

Much like the U.S., more attention is being paid to how minorities are treated by the police right now in the UK. This includes the fact that minorities are stopped and charged more often. And suspicion of drug possession is the most common reason given by British police officers for the search in the first place.

In addition, as broken by the Guardian newspaper, there is apparently at least one other major police force outside of London which is considering curbing the reason for a stop and search in the first place.

Time for A Change on Minorities and Cannabis Everywhere?

No matter how much times change, they still seem to stay the same. In the 1930s, cannabis use (including of the medical kind) was used to stigmatize both black people (in the United States) and Jews (in Germany). Ever since the association with race and cannabis use has blotted an issue that is again finally rising to public awareness.

The review by Khan follows a report by the police inspectorate that revealed that almost half of all stop and searches in England and Wales have been carried out by the Met police. The question now firmly in front of lawmakers in cash-strapped times is whether this is really an effective use of the police force’s time.

The Met is also setting a target to recruit 30% of its new officers from minority populations, rising to 40% as of next year. According to Khan, “It is crucial that our communities feel they are properly listened to and concerns about the disproportionate use of police powers acted upon if we are to improve the trust and confidence among all Londoners.”

Make sure you get your International Cannabis Business Conference tickets now for the upcoming investor conference in Austin and the return of the International Cannabis Business Conference to Berlin this summer!