Sadiq Khan open to decriminalisation of cannabis: ‘Drugs trade causes huge damage,’ says Mayor of London
SADIQ Khan is open to supporting a campaign to make cannabis legal in the UK as he visited a marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles yesterday.
The Mayor met with members of the Los Angeles police force, public health officials and licensed sellers as he announced the beginning of a fact finding commission into decriminalisation during a trip to the US.
Speaking in LA yesterday, Khan said: “The illegal drugs trade causes huge damage to our society and we need to do more to tackle this epidemic and further the debate around our drugs laws.”
He said the UK’s drug policy wasn’t work and politicians needed to “learn from others” in how to tackle it.
Khan has appointed Lord Charlie Falconer, a close ally of Sir Keir Starmer, as the chair of the commission looking into the impact of dropping criminal sanctions for marijuana.
Cannabis arrests in California dropped 56 per cent after it became legal to use, possess and grow the drug.
Sir Keir, the leader of the Labour Party and the former boss of the UK’s prosecutor, has previously spoken out against dropping criminalisation of drugs including cannabis.
The Mayor also met film industry chiefs as London seeks to play host to studio productions.