What Does a Labour Government Mean for Cannabis?

During the years when it was out of office, Labour had moved markedly to the left. If socialist Jeremy Corbyn had still been leader then there is a chance that he would have taken the UK down a similar route to what we have recently seen in Germany. However, currently, it looks like there is very little chance of any reform of UK drug policy. The new PM, Sir Kier Starmer has said he has ‘no intention’ of changing drug laws. 

However, when considering that over 200 of Labour’s 411 MPs in Parliament are new to the role there are bound to be many back-benchers stirring for change. Two of the political parties that are back in the UK drug reform have grown their presence in parliament. The Lib Dems now have 71 seats instead of eight and the Green party has four instead of one.

Senior Labour politicians including London Mayor Sadiq Khan are eager for cannabis reform. He has previously made the case for decriminalisation in London and helped in founding the London Drugs Commission.

Mike Morgan-Giles, CEO of the UK Cannabis Industry Council (CIC), says this significant shift in the make-up of Parliament is a chance to pinpoint like-minded advocates amongst the new MPs. Mr Morgan-giles thinks that the cannabis industry can support the Government in tackling its root priorities like building houses, cutting NHS waiting lists and attacking climate change.

“The government is inheriting bulging NHS waiting lists and one way to tackle this is through medical cannabis. If the industry can demonstrate how medical cannabis can bring down waiting lists they may well listen. Hemp can play a key role in delivering new houses, whilst decarbonising developments and ‘tackling climate change’.”

What Changes Could a New Government Make to Cannabis Laws?

Michael Barnes is One of the UK’s leading medical cannabis experts and he believes that there are two things that Labour could do

“First, allow GPs to initiate prescription of cannabis. This would help pave the way for better access through the NHS. Secondly, set up an NHS fund to pay for the children with resistant epilepsy, those already prescribed and preferably others who would benefit but cannot afford a private prescription. Children prescribed through the NHS may stimulate action from other consultants who want to prescribe but are prevented by their Trust or their peer body from doing so. Let’s hope that some Government changes will stimulate the prescription on the NHS of a valuable medicine that should be free. Am I hopeful? Yes – not expecting major change but forever hopeful.”

As a result of the current system, private medical patient numbers are predicted to hit 60,000 by the end of 2024. The CIC say the situation needs immediate attention and hopes to make progress via economic arguments.

“We will be presenting a case on the economics to show the positive economic impact on NHS and the economy if cannabis is prescribed for chronic pain on the NHS."

With the UK’s national debt currently standing at £2.7 trillion, Labour has vowed not to meddle with the primary taxes like income tax and VAT but is thought to be looking at additional stealth and wealth taxation possibilities.

Embracing a legal cannabis industry would boost the Chancellor’s pot to around £2bn, according to research by UK private clinic Mamedica.
Its research has shown that 54% of the population supports decriminalisation.  the illegal UK cannabis market is now thought to be worth over £3bn.

“To win the election Labour needed the support of prohibitionists…but, Labour will not legalise cannabis for recreational use, they will instead decriminalise its use by stealth:  we will see a reduction in investment in medical cannabis and the black market grow. Neither party has the stomach or desire for a proper discussion and assessment of a cogent drugs policy and the ‘same old, same old’ will continue, with no coherent approach from police forces meaning that the medical cannabis lottery of acceptance/prosecution will continue – in short, nothing will change.” -Stephen Oliver, Co-Director of The Canna Consultants.

Labour’s election slogan may have simply been ‘Change’, however, it’s very doubtful that we will see any big changes in UK cannabis laws in the next 4 years.

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