And yet more good news! :horns up
Progressive cannabis policy is sprouting up in the United Kingdom, as Liberal Democrats are calling for the wholesale decriminalization of all drugs for personal use including heroin and cocaine in addition to the legalization of medicinal cannabis when prescribed by a physician.
Party spokesmen and pro-legalization advocate Brian Paddick is calling for substantial revisions to the psychoactive substances bill, which currently criminalizes usage of several drugs under a hierarchy of classes corresponding to the perceived strength of the substance. Liberal Democrats are calling for cocaine and heroin users to have the freedom to consume said substances without fear of police intervention. Another point of contestation for the party is the ability for those with debilitating illnesses to access medicinal cannabis, as prescribed by a licensed doctor. Liberal Democrats suggest that status quo policies force patients seeking marijuana to smuggle cannabis in through regular trips to the Netherlands – a location known for its lax drug policies. Party leaders are illuminating a situation wherein some patients are stuck having to travel over 200 miles on a semi-regular basis just to acquire their medicine. While many opponents of medicinal marijuana cite potentially negative side effects, David Hibbitt,33, of Silverdale points out that there are always side effects that come alongside pharmaceutical drugs as well, making these concerns not unique to cannabis. Hibbitt was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2012 and daringly decided to forgo further chemotherapy in favor of using cannabis oil. As of today, Hibbitt is cancer free and one of the biggest proponents of creating streamlined processes by which patients in need can use cannabis oil without fear of the law. Paddick, a former police officer, says that locking up drug users is never the answer to high levels of drug usage and cites his experiences as an officer where he saw countless individuals placed in a cell to rot instead of receiving genuine assistance. Lord Paddick is couching this proposition as a general good for society at-large, arguing that decriminalization of personal possession would alleviate already overstretched police forces, allow for addiction to be treated as a public health crisis, and help increase the general awareness and knowledge regarding drug usage.
In light of these new potentially groundbreaking changes to U.K. drug laws, government officials have already been ahead of the curve on the issue of driving under the influence of drugs. Recently implementing technology known as DrugWipe, police officers are now equipped with kits capable of testing drivers for cocaine and marijuana within ten minutes via a swab from the inside of the drivers cheek. This technology is a game-changer when it comes to Road Safety Minister Robert Goodwill’s goal of decreasing what is termed as ‘drug-driving’. So far, the kits have proven to be rather effective. Just over two drug driving arrest per day were made in the first nine days after the kits were rolled out. Of the 19 arrests, 17 cases were cannabis related with the remaining two cases being cocaine related.
With such an ambitious piece of legislation being debated in the House of Lords, all eyes are on the U.K. to see how it will deal with the Liberal Democrats and their goal of liberalizing drug legislation. Will the U.K. learn from the past and fully realize Lord Paddick’s dream, or will they continue to blow hot air as patients suffer?
:weedspin :weedspin :weedspin