Decriminalize cultivation for personal use UK

Should cannabis be Decriminalized allowing cultivation of plants for personal use in the UK

  • Yes

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • No

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    0
  • Poll closed .

bladebeam

Member
United Kingdom legislation, Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Cannabis and cannabis resin are currently a class B substance, it was reclassified in 2009 from class C reverting to class B
Is it Scaremongering tactics, trying to prove links to cannabis supposed mental health risks psychosis/schizophrenia. to sway public opinion into thinking weed is a highly dangerous drug.
people predisposed to psychosis can be exacerbated by use of cannabis although alcohol could have the same affect. Mental disorder statistics have not changed whilst, cannabis use has greatly increased.

Some pros/cons Is there anything else

PROS

Less burden on police services, having to shut down another cannabis farm. no demand no supply

curb on dealing which could bring young people into contact with hard drugs. saving one is better than none


CONS

There may be an increase in drug driving.


I wanted to know whether applied pressure for law reform would work inciting people across networks to grow a cannabis plant to physically strain resources for change
considering seeds are legal for genetic conservation. If tens of thousands of people who support decriminilization to grow for personal recreational use.
get a cheap 20w cfl germinate then contact there local police station, using a non emergency number.

To discuss how well there little weed plant is doing. If people are persistent even against multiple cautions/prison sentences.
what would the government do in such a situation?, I quit smoking weed years ago but would still support the cause.
 
What is your view on it becoming legal in the uk? do you think you maybe have a idea when it might legal? any views or have you read anything about it never becoming legal?
 

0ffice

New Member
What is your view on it becoming legal in the uk? do you think you maybe have a idea when it might legal? any views or have you read anything about it never becoming legal?
In my opinion it majorly depends on the party in power. The conservatives (as per their election manifesto) seem to want to go tougher on drug laws.
With labour, it really depends on whom the new leader is - and if they decide to revert to a 'New labour' Blair style party or continue with Milibands more traditional labour party.
Lib Dems are the glow of hope in regards to marijuana. Their policy includes decriminalisation and to end imprisonment for possession. They also want to push for medical.

I can't see this current conservative government decriminalising or legalising, but a labour/lib dem coalition in 2020 could be promising.
Either way, I can't see it happening for a while, but the USA seems to be making great progress, who knows, we might follow suit.
 

Thor_

Well-Known Member
First off it's Durham police and not Northumbria police. So the only area effected is Durham and not the North East. Easy mistake to make though, as everyone associates North East with Newcastle.

I'd also like to say the war on drugs is costing too much money, leader of the black police said if he was in charge he would make weed legal and get the government to control it and tax it. Great idea imo, well over 10 years ago Portugal made drugs legal and it's made the country better and drugs use has dropped.

I'm sure if it went to a public vote more than 85% would vote to make drugs legal if the money saved went to a good cause. Tax reduction ect. I don't know real life numbers but I bet the war on drugs cost billions per year.

My stance has always been the same, make them legal. If people really want something then they will get it no matter what.
 

skunkd0c

Well-Known Member
everyone associates North East with Newcastle.
Is that like, near Yorkshire or something
i have never conceived of the idea of there being a north east , its just the "north" and i always think of Yorkshire maybe its the Yorkshire tea

what happened in Durham ?
 

Thor_

Well-Known Member
Is that like, near Yorkshire or something
i have never conceived of the idea of there being a north east , its just the "north" and i always think of Yorkshire maybe its the Yorkshire tea

what happened in Durham ?
Yes it's nearish, I live in Yorkshire and it's not far, starts from Darlington which is about 30mins away. Durham is maybe an hour away.

Anyways the police chief says they won't arrest people growing weed as long as they don't make it obvious. Hopefully others follow if it saves the force money.
 

skunkd0c

Well-Known Member
Yes it's nearish, I live in Yorkshire and it's not far, starts from Darlington which is about 30mins away. Durham is maybe an hour away.

Anyways the police chief says they won't arrest people growing weed as long as they don't make it obvious. Hopefully others follow if it saves the force money.
Thanks mate, that is good news ill read up on that, might not have to move to Spain after all, Yorkshire here i come ! lol
 

Rotweiller

Well-Known Member
Hi Guy's
I signed a Government Petition the other day thinking it would get swepted under the carpet as normal (Just 372 Had signed when i put my name to it) But in 4 Days this was in the Guardian Newspaper (Online today).
It's not a paper i read but as it was on the MSN News page i thought it was worth a look.
Lets keep our fingers crossed that we get an early Christmas Present so we can grow our own Legally ;):peace:
How do you my fellow UK Growers and smokers feel about this now it's in the News Again?
Do You think we can Win or will it be Another Whitewash?

UK Cannabis petition forces MPs to consider debating legalisation

A petition calling for the total legalisation of cannabis in the UK has been signed by more than 125,000 people in just four days.
The response to an appeal hosted on the government’s official e-petitions website means MPs must now consider debating the issue in parliament. All petitions that reach 100,000 signatures are given such consideration.

The petition’s success comes after a persistent campaign on social media, with activist-linked Twitter accounts around the world calling on UK-resident marijuana smokers to sign up.

The drive comes in the same week that three police commissioners said that, in light of budget constraints, they would not expect their officers to prioritise the pursuit of people growing cannabis plants for personal use.

The petition was posted to the parliament website on Tuesday. By 6.30pm on Saturday it had reached 125,000 signatures, well exceeding the 100,000 needed for the government to consider debating the issue in the Commons.

It calls for parliament to “make the production, sale and use of cannabis legal”.

According to its accompanying text: “Legalising cannabis could bring in £900m in taxes every year, save £400m on policing cannabis and create over 10,000 new jobs.”

The text describes the drug as “a substance that is safer than alcohol, and has many uses. It is believed to have been used by humans for over 4,000 years, being made illegal in the UK in 1925”.

The man who started the petition, James Owen, an economics student at Aberystwyth University, told the Guardian he felt people in the UK were ready for cannabis law reform.

“With Uruguay legalising, a lot of states in the US legalising, government cuts, people don’t want to spend the money on policing something they find is harmless,” the 25-year-old said.

“There’s roughly 3 million adult [cannabis] smokers in the UK and I don’t think it’s right for the government to be criminalising such a large section of society.”

Jason Reed, executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (Leap) UK, said the petition by Owen, who is not linked to any drug reform activist groups, had come at the right time.

“It’s definitely an issue that people are now taking seriously because before now people saw cannabis reform as something that was for a certain demographic,” he said.

“I think it’s broken into public consciousness. People realise that their loved ones, they are involved in this, so treating people as criminals is quite a barbaric idea now.”

Whether MPs will take heed of the petition is uncertain. It will now be considered by the Commons’ petitions committee, which comprises 11 backbenchers from all parties, who have the power to press for action from government or parliament.

Lady Meacher, chair of the all-party parliamentary group for drug policy reform, backed the petition’s aim.

She said: “If relatively harmless herbal cannabis were regulated and made available in licensed outlets, this would lead to a reduction in the use of dangerous drugs and would create a safer environment for young people.

“Clear labelling would warn against use by those with a mental health family history. And use by children under 18 would be forbidden. The losers would be the drug dealers.

“A parliamentary debate would enable the facts and sensible options for reform to be considered. The priority must be the safety of children and young people.”

The Conservative government has already set out a hardline position on drugs. One of its first moves after taking office in May was to introduce a bill that would automatically ban any new psychoactive substance not specifically exempted, regardless of any evidence of harm.

The most recent figures from the Crime Survey of England and Wales, published this week, showed the number of people using cannabis had risen to a five-year high. It also showed the number of young adults using cannabis rose past a million for the first time since 2010-11.

While the numbers reporting using cannabis remain well below the levels of the 1990s and 2000s, the cannabis lobby has never been more organised.

Groups such as Norml (National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) UK and the UK Cannabis Social Clubs have sought to replicate the success of cannabis legalisation and decriminalisation campaigns in the US and elsewhere.

They have had qualified success. On Tuesday, Durham’s elected police and crime commissioner, Ron Hogg, indicated that officers from his force would not seek to prosecute people using cannabis or growing it for their own use.

A longtime proponent of drug decriminalisation, Hogg said scarce police resources were better deployed tackling dealers and organised crime. Small-time growers and users would benefit more from treatment to help them live drug-free, he said.

A day later, Hogg’s counterpart in Derbyshire, Alan Charles, made a similar statement to the Guardian. He said the force would always target organised criminals producing large quantities of drugs.

Charles said: “If you are talking about people growing a couple of cannabis plants at home on the window sill, I would not expect Derbyshire police to prioritise that.”

Meanwhile, the Dorset commissioner, Martyn Underhill, who declined to comment on his force’s strategy on cannabis without first consulting its police chief who was on holiday, sent a statement in support of Hogg.

“I really admire the work that Durham PCC Ron Hogg is doing in raising this debate about the decriminalisation of cannabis in various forms, such as personal or medicinal use,” the statement said.

“I am discussing both issues currently with local MPs and Dorset police. It is for this reason that I am holding a drugs conference in January 2016.”

On Friday, Kevin Hurley, Surrey commissioner, was asked on Twitter if enforcing the law against small-scale cannabis growers was a priority for his force.

He said: “Against terrorism, child abuse, sexual assault, assaults, burglary, heroin trafficking, road deaths, fraud, domestic violence, cuts ... No.”

Steve Rolles, a senior analyst with Transform Drug Policy Foundation, told the Guardian that the statements from commissioners made explicit views that have been long held by some police.

“What’s different now with these guys is that they are speaking out,” he said. “They are making a public platform of views and policing practices that have been around for a long time.”

But it would be a mistake to think that all police share that view, said Rolles. Some still believe that, given enough resources, they can win the drug war. That split was also evident within the internal politics of the Conservative party, he said.

“There does seem to be a split between the more moral authoritarian figures, like Theresa May, and the small-state, freedom-of-the-individual Conservatives,” Rolles said.

“If you look at people like Boris Johnson, George Osborne and David Cameron, they are clearly more liberal in regards to the drug laws. But they are beholden to their little-England core voters and the whole Daily Mail agenda.”
 

Thor_

Well-Known Member
That's a real interesting read indeed. i am all in favour for it. Said it for years that the government should cash in and make it. It's the most popular illegal drug available. It's also a medical need for some.

This could also be a ploy to get more government funding.
 

Rotweiller

Well-Known Member
That's a real interesting read indeed. i am all in favour for it. Said it for years that the government should cash in and make it. It's the most popular illegal drug available. It's also a medical need for some.

This could also be a ploy to get more government funding.

I have to take a Class A. Drug (pain killers) Twice a day for the rest of my life (along with other medication costing Over £1000 a Month) which cost the NHS god knows how much more on top but i bet it's not cheap....
If the Government were to let me grow MJ for medical use then i could Cut my Medical Bill in Half saving the NHS money for other more needy patients.
I'm willing to bet that theres a Lot more Patients like myself that could also do the same thing...
And not only that, with the reduced pain that MJ Helps me cope with i could probobly come down to a lower Disability payment as i Might even be able to work for a few hours each week. (Once i've tended to my Ladies of course :weed:)
How's that Not a WIN WIN for the Government and the NHS? Yet they Can't see it for themselves?
OR to put it into words that they understand.... They Could afford to Give Themselves ANOTHER BIG PAYRISE!!! with the Money they make:cuss::o:o:finger:
 

Thor_

Well-Known Member
how long will it go on for before it becomes legal? maybe 2020..
It will never become legal. Anything that has a possible cause of mental health. Even if it has multiple medical needs.

Mental health is something that people are scared to go near. Yet the government are unwilling to give good amounts of funding. Anyone who is against it being legal will bring up mental health, and the weed is super strength these days.

if someone could prove that it doesn't cause mental issues and does loads of good then that's the only way to win. Even then I don't see it happening in the current government. These idiots even took away the only good rule change which was to extend the motorway speed limit.
 

Rotweiller

Well-Known Member
Well we have some more good news today (28/07/2015) Well sort of if you live in these areas...Derbyshire, Dorset and Surrey and you only have a Small Grow that you keep to yourself.

Three more police forces signal that they will turn blind eye to cannabis use.
Three more police forces have signalled that those who grow cannabis for their own consumption will not be targeted, it has emerged.
Those caught smoking or cultivating the drug on a small scale in Derbyshire, Dorset and Surrey, can expect to escape with little more than a caution, according to reports.
The development comes after Durham Constabulary declared it would only go after people using the drug if there was a complaint or if they were being "blatant".
The change in attitudes will be seen as a further step towards decriminalisation and follows claims by drug experts that police forces across Britain are quietly turning a blind eye to cannabis use in order to focus their attentions on more pressing priorities.
While the Government has insisted it has no intention of relaxing the laws on Class B narcotic, police chiefs have increasingly been taking a more lenient approach, with users more likely to receive a warning than face prosecution.
Police and crime commissioners (PCCs) are understood to be coming under pressure to outline their priorities to chief constables.
Alan Charles, Derbyshire's PCC, said he did not support legalisation but no longer expects officers to chase people growing cannabis for personal use. The former Labour councillor told the Daily Mail: "When we are faced with significant budget cuts we cannot keep turning out to every single thing reported to us."
Kevin Hurley, Surrey's PCC, branded the row a "pointless debate", adding that answering 999 calls and catching dangerous criminals must come first.
He said: "On the list of priorities cannabis moves a long way down the chain." The third PCC, Martyn Underhill of Dorset, said he supported Durham's stance and was keen to investigate.
Steve Rolles, senior policy analyst with the drug reform campaigners, Transform, acknowledged last week that the situation varied widely across the country.
He said: "There are other police authorities that are doing similar things but they are not shouting about it. As police forces face increasing cuts they will have to make these decisions.
"I do not see this as an ideological position but a resource issue, directing their limited resources towards where they are needed."A POLICE force criticised for "going soft" on smallscale cannabis growers is using public funds to send of-ficers for meditation lessons.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that Durham Constabulary is receiving public health funding from Durham county council to give officers and civilian staff the chance to take part in a five-week mindfulness pilot scheme.
The aim of the course is to help prevent stress and anxiety in those taking part and to give them a greater sense of "wellbeing".
The pilot is led by Det Sgt Hannah Bell, who said: "At first I thought 'are people going to really want this?' But people are really on board. Staff are more engaged and are enjoying their roles more."
 

Rotweiller

Well-Known Member
It will never become legal. Anything that has a possible cause of mental health. Even if it has multiple medical needs.

Mental health is something that people are scared to go near. Yet the government are unwilling to give good amounts of funding. Anyone who is against it being legal will bring up mental health, and the weed is super strength these days.

if someone could prove that it doesn't cause mental issues and does loads of good then that's the only way to win. Even then I don't see it happening in the current government. These idiots even took away the only good rule change which was to extend the motorway speed limit.

With all the other Countrys around the world slowly giving in to our way of thinking that MJ in the right hands is Good for Medical Use,
Our Government will end up giving in to the Huge preasure put on to them. Or Look bloody Stupid and Petty to the rest of the worlds Governments. (They do a pretty good job of that anyway but what the hell).
They will have Already made a study on How Much Money they could make from this so it's just a matter of time But...
Don't you think it a little Suspicious that in Less than a Week 5 Police Forces in the UK have given up chasing after small grows just as a Petition was handed into the Government asking for it to be made Legal?
They Know that We know it's nowhere as near as Dangerous as Alcohol which is the Mother of all Killers and Mental Health Problems in the UK and Should Not even try and compare it to it.

I was going to write a lot more about this but the Class A. Medication i have to take has now fried my brain for the moment. (Another reason to make it Legal as if proof was needed).
If those Dumb Fucks in Parliament had to go through what i go through on a Daily Basis then we Wouldn't be having this problem at all...
 

Liam4689

Member
I wish!

Although on the whole possession of cannabis in the UK will land you in trouble, there are some police who are beginning to follow a policy of not prosecuting offenders. Durham Police have publicly said that small drug farms or joint smokers will not be pursued.
 
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