Downing Street has expressed concern over moves to end the prosecution of young people caught with cannabis in some London boroughs, under a pilot scheme being developed by Sadiq Khan. The mayor of London is understood to be developing a plan based on a successful model from Thames Valley police that would offer classes or counselling, rather than arrest, to under-25s caught with small quantities of cannabis. Khan’s office said the plans for three boroughs to trial the approach were still in development and that they did not have the powers to fully decriminalise any drugs. The pilot is yet to receive approval from the mayor’s office for policing and crime. (See also: Young people won’t be arrested for carrying weed in parts of London)

London Mayor Sadiq Khan called for a rethink on cannabis laws and policing amid concern about the links between drugs and violent crime. The Mayor softened his stance on the class B drug by calling for an “evidence-based conversation” about legislation and enforcement. He said the Evening Standard’s investigation into reforming the laws on cannabis had shown how attitudes were changing. It found that 63 per cent of Londoners back its legalisation for adult recreational use. Mr Khan, who last year said he was opposed to relaxing the rules on recreational use, told the Standard: “The time is right for our society to have an evidence-based conversation about cannabis — about the law, how it is enforced, and how we support those struggling with addiction."

The new chair of the SNP’s drug deaths taskforce is confident legal barriers to setting up drug consumption rooms can be overcome as he insisted the facilities would not be a “free-for-all" or be a magnet for drug dealers after fears raised by a UK minister. David Strang was speaking in response to UK Government Home Office and Justice Minister, Kit Malthouse, who told MSPs to stop focusing on drug consumption rooms being set up, appealing for a focus on better treatment options instead of “wrestling with these legal and practical difficulties”. The Scottish Government is determined to allow safe consumption facilities to operate, despite the UK Government holding the legal powers to allow the policy to be implemented.

The SNP has backed decriminalising the possession and consumption of drugs. At its conference in Aberdeen, a resolution was unanimously passed by delegates branding current drug control legislation "not fit for purpose". And they called for powers to be devolved to Holyrood to enable the "decriminalisation of possession and consumption of controlled drugs". The Scottish government has set up a taskforce to tackle drug deaths, which hit a record high in 2018. There were 1,187 drug-related deaths in Scotland in 2018, by far the highest death rate in the European Union and three times that of the UK as a whole. Existing drugs legislation - covered by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 - is reserved to Westminster. (See also: SNP conference votes to decriminalise possession and consumption of drugs)

Police stops of black people are still at an “eye-watering” level compared with white people, the official police watchdog said and promised a fresh inquiry into every force’s use of the controversial powers. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, which oversees the police in England and Wales, said that stop and search was still of concern as it published a report into 13 police forces found previously to have been the worst offenders in breaking rules designed to prevent abuse of their powers. (See also: Mass stop and search by police doesn't reduce crime, says study)

The Beckley report, Licensing and Regulation of the Cannabis Market in England and Wales: Towards a Cost-Benefit Analysis, grasps of the economic consequences of a regulated market, as opposed to the current prohibitionist model. This is essential for evaluating the impacts of possible drug policy reform. The report outlines the factors which must be included in further cost-benefit analyses. The report costed 60.000 pounds and 3 years to create. Reliable data was often lacking and more evidence is needed.

One of the key advantages to a cost-benefit analysis is its complete elimination of subjective and emotive processes, which have become an unfortunate mainstay in the drug policy debate - this gives the results an objective credibility.

It is very important to note that by excluding 'internal costs and benefits' the report specifically excludes the reasons why people use cannabis, such as medication, enjoyment and creativity - instead this report takes the perspective of a concerned tax payer, or a budget-focused politician.

An often-used argument surrounding cannabis reform is the concept of the 'gateway effect'; the idea that cannabis use leads to the use of 'harder drugs'. This report not only rejects the idea of a demand side gateway effect (through a thorough assessment of the available data), but also introduces the idea that a regulated market would virtually eliminate another sort of damaging gateway effect, namely the supply-side gateway. This is where social dealers of cannabis come into contact with professional dealers of a larger variety of drugs and thus are more likely to progress to dealing harder drugs.

Another element which has gained much attention in recent history is the mental health costs of cannabis brought about by the increased ratio of THC to CBD. One of the many advantages of a regulated market is that through health-education, labelling and variable tax rates, strains of cannabis with a high CBD ratio can be encouraged, particularly for vulnerable users.

The main conclusion is that there would be a net social benefit to reform of some­where between 280 and 460 million pounds. This means that even when we ignore the experiential benefits claimed by cannabis users and just focus on the financial effects on society at large, the argument for reform remains robust, compelling and increasingly difficult for policy makers to ignore.

On top of the financial benefit there are of course many other advantages. These include increased respect of human rights, the avoidance of discrimination in the enforcement of prohibition, the minimisation of the blighting effect of a criminal record on a person’s life and the increased accessibility to health information and treatment. The current criminalization of cannabis users sacrifices the credibility of health campaigns. Moreover, based on US evidence it is expected that access to cannabis for teenagers would probably decrease.

Because taxes are a transfer, rather than a net social gain, they are not included in the report’s cost benefit analysis. However, a conservative estimation is made of what the tax revenue might be following reform.

The authors aim to bring the price of cannabis to lower than the illicit price, whilst aiming to keep it high enough to deter the expansion of use due to low price, particularly by the young. This would be achieved by a tax rate of around 70%, which is lower than the 83% on cigarettes and closer to the 72% on high alcohol beer.

The report predicts a small increase in cannabis quantity [+15% - +40%] due to a decreased cannabis price. The price elasticity of cannabis is estimated between [-0.2, -0.7]. The cross-price elasticity is important to consider: will alcohol consumption decrease if the price of cannabis decreases and cannabis consumption increases? According to a study of Clements and Zhao (2005), a4% increase in cannabis consumption would lead to a decrease of alcohol consumption (-1% beer, -2% wine, -4% spirits).

The authors assumed a cap on THC levels of 10% for licensed cannabis. By creating this limitation it leaves higher THC strains of cannabis in the illicit market. It would probably be better to keep all strains of cannabis within the licit market, and use taxation intelligently to make more potentially risky or harmful strains of cannabis less financially attractive. Campaigns could move users away from combining tobacco and cannabis.

The authors estimate that the government would gain in budgetary terms by something around one billion pounds a year, roughly three quarters of which would come from tax revenues rather than expenditure savings. In these times of economic hardship cost-benefit analyses with positive results should surely begin to play a key role in government.

The report

Mark Bryan, Emilia Del Bono, Stephen Pudney, Licensing and Regulation of the Cannabis Market in England and Wales: Towards a Cost-Benefit Analysis, Institute for Social and Economic Research (Iser), University of Essex & Beckley Foundation, September 2013

Twice as many British adults now support the legalisation of cannabis than oppose it, according to a poll which reveals a “widening gulf” between public opinion and drug laws. Forty-eight per cent of voters favour legalising recreational use of marijuana, up five points in the past year, with only 24 per cent objecting, found the YouGov survey. Support for medicinal cannabis was even stronger, with 77 per cent of respondents saying it should be permitted. A similar proportion said they would consider using cannabis-based treatments if there was strong evidence it would benefit them. The Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group (CDPRG), which commissioned the poll, said the findings indicated “clear and growing appetite” for a new approach to drug policy in the UK.

An alarming rise in drug-related deaths at music festivals can be countered by testing illicit substances onsite, according to the first academic study of its kind, which has triggered calls for similar services to be rolled out at all major events. Testers found that one in five substances sold at the Secret Garden Party, a four-day festival in Cambridgeshire in July 2016, were not as described by dealers. Chemists from the non-profit social enterprise The Loop analysed 247 drug samples brought in anonymously by festivalgoers. Two-thirds of people who discovered they had had substances missold to them subsequently handed over further substances to the police, according to the study. (See also: Pill testing could save lives – so why are we letting people die?)

People found with "small quantities of illegal drugs" will not be arrested and instead urged to engage with support services, as part of a police pilot. Thames Valley Police (TVP) hopes the approach will reduce deaths, prevent reoffending and lower service demands. Assistant Chief Constable Jason Hogg has denied the scheme is a soft approach, saying there is "nothing soft about trying to save lives". Figures showed drug deaths nationally increased by 29% in 2017. ACC Hogg said people would not be prompted to attend appointments, but if they failed to engage with addiction services "they could find themselves being prosecuted" if found in possession in the future.

Londoners overwhelmingly support the legalisation of cannabis for adult recreational use, according to a poll commissioned by the Evening Standard and the independent think-tank Volteface. Sixty-three per cent of residents in the capital back legalisation and regulation of the class B drug, with just 19 per cent opposing the idea. In the country at large, 47 per cent back legalisation, with 30 per cent against and 23 per cent undecided. Cannabis is the UK’s most widely used illicit drug with an estimated 3 million users. Overall it is a market worth an estimated £2.5 billion, with potential tax revenues of £1 billion, according to the Institute of Economic Affairs. (See also: Legalisation could mean opportunities for investors but disruption for thousands of dealers on London estates)

Today, the contributions of drug suppliers towards harm reduction efforts remain mostly neglected by history, although some within the grassroots end of the movement still emphasise their critical role. The work of Van Dam in The Netherlands and Southwell in the United Kingdom is part of a mostly-forgotten history of drug dealers organising themselves and alongside drug-user activists to advance the health and wellbeing of people who use drugs. In 1996, as the City of Rotterdam was cracking down on the public presence of drug suppliers and consumers, or what they called “nuisances,” the City officially supported drug consumption rooms (DCR). But some drug-user activists were skeptical of these newly above-ground programs. “It is only concerned with regulating and monitoring users.”

Despite the lack of state support, more and more farmers in the UK are turning to hemp production for its economic and environmental benefits. It's legal for them to sell a variety of hemp-made products, like milk and seed powers, to supermarkets and other businesses. In the right conditions, hemp absorbs more CO2 than it takes to cultivate - sequestering nine to 15 tonnes of CO2 per hectare. That’s almost twice as much as a forest of the same size, according to a Cambridge University researcher. Could it be the next big carbon sucker? As well as absorbing carbon, “hemp regenerates the soil it grows in, cleaning it of heavy metals and toxins left behind from other crops,” explains Tommy Corbyn, co-founder of the National Hemp Service.

The latest data on ecstasy – taken from pills seized by police in England and Wales between July and October of last year – reveals that the average pinger contains 108mg of MDMA, making them the strongest they've ever been in the UK. For context, "back in the day" – i.e. during the Second Summer of Love, as rave took off here in the late-80s and early-90s – most pills were around the 80mg mark. Which is close to what's seen by ecstasy researchers as the "acceptable" dose (70-75mg) for an average-sized adult during one drug-taking session. (See also: Why are pills so strong at the moment?)

Tobacco firm Imperial Brands is investing in UK biotech company Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies (OCT). The move comes as campaigning to allow marijuana products for medicinal purposes gathers pace. A company subsidiary, Imperial Brands Ventures, is taking a stake in the UK firm, but its size is unknown. Tobacco companies are trying to diversify away from their core product. Imperial's website bears the motto: "From tobacco to something better." Imperial now sees itself as "a dynamic fast-moving consumer goods company borne out of a strong tobacco heritage".

There is no evidence that tough policies deter young people from using cannabis, a study has found. Analysing data about cannabis use among more than 100,000 teenagers in 38 countries, including the UK, USA, Russia, France, Germany and Canada, the University of Kent study found no association between more liberal policies on cannabis use and higher rates of teenage cannabis use. “My new study joins several others which show no evidence of a link between tougher penalties and lower cannabis use,” said Prof Alex Stevens, from the University of Kent’s school for social policy, sociology and social research.

The scale of the illicit drug trade in the UK is immense. Last year, the first part of an independent review of the drugs trade found the market in the UK was estimated to be worth £9.4 billion a year – with the health, social and criminal damage from this industry costing society an estimated £19 billion annually. The review was conducted by Dame Carol Black. Her first report revealed that around 3 million people used illicit drugs in England and Wales in 2020 and drug-related deaths have risen to record numbers for the past eight years. The second part of the review makes a number of recommendations for how the government can best tackle drug problems in the UK. (BMJ: The government must invest in treatment for people with drug problems, as new report shows stark consequences of cuts)

Former drug dealers should be recruited and trained to produce safe, legal cannabis if the UK decides to legalise marijuana, the head of an American programme overseeing the sale of the narcotic has urged.The Commissioner in charge of legal cannabis sales in Massachusetts has said Britain should follow her state’s example of recruiting ex-drug dealers and people from communities involved in what was once the underground market for marijuana. Shaleen Title, along with two other US experts on drug liberalisation, revealed that a project is under way in their state – which legalised the drug in 2016 – to retrain former cannabis dealers to enter the now legal marijuana industry.

Britain’s drug laws are racist and cause “high levels of mental health harm” among black people, a former No 10 race adviser has said. Simon Woolley said drugs legislation introduced 50 years ago had failed to cut the use, supply and harms associated with illegal drugs, and instead was used “as a tool of systemic racism”. Despite white people reporting higher rates of drug consumption, black people were more likely to be stopped and searched for suspected drug possession and were more likely to be arrested, charged and imprisoned for drug offences, he said. (See BMJ: Our drug laws are racist, and doctors must speak out—an essay by Simon Woolley)

Former Metropolitan Police chief Bernard Hogan-Howe has called for an urgent review of the evidence supporting cannabis legalisation. It marks a significant shift in the attitude of the ex-police commissioner, who backed tough laws against cannabis during his time leading Scotland Yard. Lord Hogan-Howe said the Home Office must now reconsider its position following the recent legalisation of cannabis in Canada and some US states. “If I was home secretary, I would have an urgent commission of experts to look at the evidence about what’s happening about cannabis in North America,” Mr Howe said.

The UK's first regular drug checking service is launching in Bristol this month, delivered by non-profit harm reduction specialists The Loop in a new partnership with the local authority. Funded by Bristol City Council, and delivered by the award-winning drug checking and evidence-based information organisation, the new scheme uses a multi-agency partnership model involving the Bristol Drugs Project (BDP) and People's Republic of Stokes Croft (PRSC). The overall goal is to reduce high-risk use of substances and build a fuller picture of the local illicit drug market. Members of the public can confidentially test illegal substances free of charge, engaging in a process that has been proven to significantly reduce risk and harm.