Sir Sadiq Khan has backed the “compelling, evidence-led” case for possessing small amounts of cannabis to be decriminalised because of the “damage” stop-and-search causes to police relations with ethnic communities.
The London mayor’s controversial three-year study into policing the Class B drug has concluded it is “disproportionate” for enforcement under the Misuse of Drugs Act to continue when compared to the harms of other illegal substances.
Labour peer Lord Charlie Falconer led the London Drugs Commission, which publishes its findings today.
He suggests sentencing options currently available for personal possession “cannot be justified” if balanced against the “intrusive and traumatic” impact of dragging young people through the criminal justice system, subjecting them to “multiple” searches or even a prison sentence.
Sir Sadiq does not have the power to legalise cannabis in London. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper are opposed. The Home Office said it had no intention of decriminalisng the drug.
The report reveals Londoners from a mixed ethnic background admitted being the highest users of weed in the past year (18 per cent), followed by black people (11 per cent) and whites (8.5 per cent). Asian and Arab groups are lowest at 7.7 per cent.
But blacks were 3.1 times more likely to be given a drug-related search than whites. The greatest disproportionality for this exists in Croydon, Brent, Hackney and Hammersmith and Fulham.
Lord Falconer makes 42 recommendations for City Hall and central government to “deliver a safer approach to managing cannabis use in London’s communities” following a study of how the drug is policed around the world.
These range from better education for youngsters to improvements in health and addiction services.
Another suggestion could see the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police no longer able to justify stopping and searching those solely suspected of having cannabis in public, although authors say banning the tactic is “no magic bullet”.
Sir Sadiq thanked Lord Falconer for leading the study which heard evidence from over 200 global and London-based experts, adding: “The London Drugs Commission report makes a compelling, evidenced-based case for the decriminalisation of possession of small quantities of natural cannabis, which the government should consider. It says that the current sentencing for those caught in possession of natural cannabis cannot be justified given its relative harm and people’s experience of the justice system.
“We must recognise that better education, improved healthcare and more effective, equitable policing of cannabis use are long overdue.
“This comprehensive report makes a number of recommendations for City Hall, the government and others.
“We will be studying these recommendations carefully and sharing the report’s findings with all the relevant parties, including local authorities, the government, the Met, NHS London and other health and education partners.”
The reports considers the link between drugs and violence. It found black Londoners are 70 per cent more likely than white people to be a victim of violent crime and nearly six times more likely to be murdered.
But it says: “In our view, the fact that both suspects and victims of knife, robbery and firearms offences are more likely to be black is therefore not an adequate explanation for racial disproportionality in drug-related stop-and-search.”
Janet Hills, a former Met detective sergeant, spoke about the detrimental impact of cannabis stop-and-searches within the black community.
LDC deputy chair Mrs Hills said the findings were “a driver for change” and called for “a more balanced and compassionate approach to policing in our city”.
The report claims: “Cannabis policing continues to focus on particular ethnic communities, creating damaging, long-lasting consequences for individuals, wider society, and police-community relations.
“In London, this is felt particularly by those of black heritage, who are more likely to be stopped-and-searched on suspicion of cannabis possession than white people despite little clear evidence of any parallel disparity in use of the drug.
“Criminalising those who choose to use cannabis neither makes communities safer nor, in our view, meaningfully discourages use.”
Lord Falconer’s team admit cannabis can be addictive but claim most users “suffer no adverse or life-limiting consequences”.
They found a need for services focused on problematic usage, affecting around 10 per cent of smokers.
Possible gains from legalisation of the drug – including tax revenues – could be “realised early” but the commission stopped short of calling for full decriminalisation with supply and production to remain serious offences. It suggests moving “natural” – as opposed to “synthetic” – cannabis to the newer Psychoactive Substances Act.
Under current laws, those found in possession of the drug face a fine or imprisonment.
However, the extent of cannabis’s harms “take longer to emerge and are not yet well understood”, the report says, particularly with respect to significant psychiatric issues and societal costs, including a failure to engage productively or at all with education, work or relationships.
Lord Falconer KC said: “This is the most extensive consideration of what is the correct public policy response to cannabis in recent times. It is clear that a fundamental reset is required. Legalisation is not the answer.
“The criminal justice system response needs to focus only on the dealers and not the users.
“Those who suffer from the adverse effects of cannabis - which may be a small percentage of users but it is a high number of people - need reliable, consistent medical and other support. And there needs to be much more education on the risks of cannabis use.”
What is the UK’s legal stance on cannabis?
At present, cannabis is deemed a Class B drug.
Under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, it is illegal to possess, produce, supply, import or export cannabis in the UK.
However, under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, the law does allow for the legitimate use of “some controlled drugs for medical, dental or veterinary purposes”.
The law states that any amount of cannabis can result in an unlimited fine and up to five years in prison, while the cultivation or supply of cannabis can lead to an unlimited fine and up to 14 years in prison.
Commander Paul Brogden, the Met’s head of Specialist Crime and National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for county lines and gangs, said: “The sale and supply of drugs is a key driver of serious crime across our communities.
“It underpins violent gang activity and contributes to the exploitation of vulnerable young people through county lines.
“We recognise that there are challenges and areas of debate, especially within the black community in London. However, our priority is to protect people from the very violence that is often driven by the sale of drugs.
“We acknowledge this report and will take time to consider its findings as part of our ongoing work to make London safer.”
In Tower Hamlets and Hackney over a two-year period, the Met’s analysis shows a third of homicides, nearly two-thirds of attempted murders and around half of shootings were drug-related.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: “Possession of cannabis should not be decriminalised like this. We have seen some US and Canadian cities devastated by soft policies on addictive and harmful drugs – now Sadiq Khan wants to send London the same way.
“Cannabis is illegal for a reason. Cannabis is associated with anti-social behaviour and heavy use can lead to serious psychosis and severed mental health problems.
“US and Canadian cities which tried this approach have ended up as crime-ridden ghettos with stupefied addicts on the streets and law-abiding citizens frightened to go there.
“Sadiq Khan is more interested in politically correct posturing for the benefit of his left-wing friends than he is making London a safe and nice place.
“I completely oppose these plans. But with a weak Labour Government in power, there’s no telling how they will react. We must stop soft Sadiq.”
In May 2022, Sir Sadiq visited a regulated cannabis factory in Los Angeles and praised the “high standards”. But Labour distanced itself from plans to consider whether cannabis should be decriminalised.
Last November, the Centre for Social Justice think tank issued a stark warning against following in the footsteps of some US states like New York, amid fears of an increase in addictions.
Sophia Worringer, the CSJ’s deputy policy director, said: “The last thing in London - or anywhere in the UK for that matter - [needs] is to import a similar chaos to NYC by liberalising drug laws.”
