It’s encouraging to see Sadiq Khan call for an evidence-based review of our drug laws while on his visit to LA. He won’t have the power to change the rules himself, but having an advocate for change who acknowledges the benefits that legalising cannabis can bring is a step in the right direction — towards facts and away from fearmongering.
Legal for recreational and medicinal use in California since 2016 and in New York since 2021, the cannabis story in the US provides solid evidence that we should do the same in the UK.
The arguments for legalisation of recreational cannabis are evidence-based and clear: it takes power and funds away from criminal gangs, creates a safer and regulated product for consumers, and generates a reliable stream of tax revenue for the Treasury.
First, we know that legalisation can kneecap gang activity. You won’t find many consumers risking black market goods when they can access a product legally in a shop. By taking the market out of the hands of gangs, the associated crime and exploitation of young Londoners will start to dry up. It also ceases to make criminals of average people who occasionally choose to use a substance with no more relative danger than alcohol.
By bringing the cannabis market out of the shadows you can create appropriate regulations. In fact, two of the main arguments against legalisation — concerns about the strength of street “skunk” and youth access — would be rendered moot. If it’s mandated that the strength of a product and its composition be clearly marked and that buyers must be over 18, we’re all safer.
Beyond the benefits to consumers and the wider community, there is the opportunity for the Treasury to generate a steady income stream by taxing revenues on sale of legal cannabis, instead of those profits lining the pockets of professional drug cartels. I’m sure Khan will hear how California raked in nearly $1 billion in cannabis tax revenue in just the first three-quarters of 2021.
Reducing crime, safeguarding consumers, and generating revenue are all top priorities for London and the UK at large. Legalising cannabis is a moral and economic path towards achieving all of these goals in one fell swoop.
