Regulate Cannabis rather than prohibit it say Medway Lib Dems

Following our National Party press statement Medway Liberal democrats have issued they own release regarding the issue.

Independent Report into a UK Cannabis Market

The national party commissioned an independent panel of experts to produce a report showing how a legalised cannabis market could work in the UK.

The report sets out:

1. Allowing the sale of cannabis to over 18s
2. Sales to be from specialist, single purpose retailers, with regulation over the potency of cannabis sold
3. Allowing home-cultivation for personal use and small scale licensed cannabis social clubs
4. Cannabis would be sold in plain packaging, over the counter by trained and licensed vendors
5. A new regulator to oversee the market
6. Taxation could raise as much as £1 billion per year

The full report forned by a panel of experts from Law Enforcement and Public Health is available for download.

Medway Liberal Democrats believe this will go a long way to reducing police time in dealing with Cannabis related offences. However we look forward to constructive debate on the issue and any comment should sent to John Castle.

Comments from our national members so far are.

• "Prohibition of cannabis has failed. We need a new, smarter approach and I welcome this report" - Tim Farron MP, Party Leader
• "We have to be ambitious. It is not good enough to continue pretending that everything is ok, or that the current system is working." - Norman Lamb MP
• "Regulation means safer products, restrictions on sales to minors, and an end to the pointless criminalisation of millions of otherwise law-abiding people." - Nick Clegg MP
• "Legal regulation in parts of the US is now working well, despite the fear mongering, in Colorado and Washington and will roll out across the US over the coming years." - Steve Rolles, Panel Chairperson.