Legalising Cannabis And Selling It Over The Counter Could Raise £1bn A Year, Lib Dem Review Group Says

Cannabis should be legalised and sold over the counter in specially-licenced shops, a radical review of Britain’s drug laws has recommended.
The independent study, staffed by a sitting police chief and former Government drugs adviser, also calls for decriminalisation of home-cultivation of the drug for personal use and claims upto £1bn could be raised in taxes. The ground-breaking review, set up by the Liberal Democrats, sets out the most comprehensive framework to date on how a regulated cannabis market could work in the UK. Set up by former health minister Norman Lamb, the expert panel was chaired by Steve Rolles, of the Transform Drug Policy Foundation.

Its members included Mike Barton, Chief Constable of Durham Police, and Professor David Nutt, the former Chair of the Advisory Committee on the Misuse of Drugs that advised the Home Office. Cannabis is currently classified as a Class B drug, with possession carrying a maximum sentence of five years in jail or an unlimited fine. Those supplying or producing cannabis face tougher penalties, with up to a maximum of 14 years in jail.

But the new report proposes:

* allowing the sale of cannabis to over 18s from specialist, licensed retail stores

* allowing home-cultivation for personal use and small scale licensed cannabis social clubs

* a new regulator to oversee the market

* laws on the price, potency and packaging of cannabis available from retailers, in line with tobacco and alcohol regulation

* single purpose outlets to sell cannabis modelled on pharmacies

* over-the-counter sales of cannabis in plain packs with clear health warnings, by trained and licensed vendors

The report states there is potential for significant government revenue from taxation,with credible estimates suggesting up to £1 billion per year could be raised. The panel recommends cannabis should be taxed in line with its potency. The review found that health risks associated with the use of cannabis are more effectively managed and minimised through a responsibly regulated market and public health interventions rather than an unregulated criminal market and punitive criminal justice response.

The Lib Dems are the only major political party in the UK to back drug decriminalisation.


http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/03/07/legalise-cannabis-liberal-democrats-tim-farron-mike-barton-david-nutt_n_9404346.html?1457421495&utm_hp_ref=uk

Gotta say I agree with them

better a pot head than a hop head anyday

wonder if they will do an extract to put in "vape" sticks???

Its a no brainer to me Victor
With of course money to be made from this

I am sure they could accommodate your request lol

Lord Foul wrote:Gotta say I agree with them

better a pot head than a hop head anyday

wonder if they will do an extract to put in "vape" sticks???

They kind of do its called a dry herb vaporiser

It's absurd. Look at what they're suggesting - single outlets with trained staff to train people how to use a mind-altering substance.

Its not absurd, people smoke this anyway and its a waste of Police resources to tackle something they will never ever control or stop. On top of that money can be made and smoking does chill the fuck out of peoplle

Didge wrote:Its not absurd, people smoke this anyway and its a waste of Police resources to tackle something they will never ever control or stop. On top of that money can be made and smoking does chill the fuck out of peoplle

So leave the law as it is. Cannabis can be harmful, and if it's legalised, it would be difficult to make it illegal again. I don't think money should be made out of this kind of thing. Making money from drugs is something that people usually disapprove of!

Raggamuffin wrote:

Didge wrote:Its not absurd, people smoke this anyway and its a waste of Police resources to tackle something they will never ever control or stop. On top of that money can be made and smoking does chill the fuck out of peoplle

So leave the law as it is. Cannabis can be harmful, and if it's legalised, it would be difficult to make it illegal again. I don't think money should be made out of this kind of thing. Making money from drugs is something that people usually disapprove of!

Its up to people what they do with their bodies and its far less lethal than tobacco
Its absurd that it is illegal and never should have been
Yes money should be made out of something countless people buy and use already
Again why fight something you will never ever control or stop people using?

Didge wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

So leave the law as it is. Cannabis can be harmful, and if it's legalised, it would be difficult to make it illegal again. I don't think money should be made out of this kind of thing. Making money from drugs is something that people usually disapprove of!

Its up to people what they do with their bodies and its far less lethal than tobacco
Its absurd that it is illegal and never should have been
Yes money should be made out of something countless people buy and use already
Again why fight something you will never ever control or stop people using?

Oh well, shall we legalise LDS then? What about cocaine or ecstacy? Perhaps we should just sell prescription drugs over the counter.

The law is fine as it is. The fact that those in favour are proposing all these safeguards shows that they know it's not a harmless substance.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Didge wrote:


Its up to people what they do with their bodies and its far less lethal than tobacco
Its absurd that it is illegal and never should have been
Yes money should be made out of something countless people buy and use already
Again why fight something you will never ever control or stop people using?

Oh well, shall we legalise LDS then? What about cocaine or ecstacy? Perhaps we should just sell prescription drugs over the counter.

The law is fine as it is. The fact that those in favour are proposing all these safeguards shows that they know it's not a harmless substance.

Yes legalize them all and you will resolve loads of crime to boot

The law is not fine and many people needlessly go to jail

Didge wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Oh well, shall we legalise LDS then? What about cocaine or ecstacy? Perhaps we should just sell prescription drugs over the counter.

The law is fine as it is. The fact that those in favour are proposing all these safeguards shows that they know it's not a harmless substance.

Yes legalize them all and you will resolve loads of crime to boot

The law is not fine and many people needlessly go to jail

You think prescription drugs should be sold over the counter? FFS.

Those women who murdered Sharon Tate and others were taking LSD. Do you think that if they had got the drug legally, they would have been any less violent?

Do you also approve of mules who bring drugs from Thailand or whatever?

Raggamuffin wrote:

Didge wrote:

Yes legalize them all and you will resolve loads of crime to boot

The law is not fine and many people needlessly go to jail

You think prescription drugs should be sold over the counter? FFS.

Those women who murdered Sharon Tate and others were taking LSD. Do you think that if they had got the drug legally, they would have been any less violent?

Do you also approve of mules who bring drugs from Thailand or whatever?

Yes, if people are going to use them and buy them from dealers, what is the point in trying to stop them?

Oh do me a favour on the bollocks with crime as well, as I can show the vast majority of murders are not drug related

Again you have misconceived view of the world

The fact you failt o understand that where drugs have been decriminalized, crime has gone down and users have gone down also

Didge wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

You think prescription drugs should be sold over the counter? FFS.

Those women who murdered Sharon Tate and others were taking LSD. Do you think that if they had got the drug legally, they would have been any less violent?

Do you also approve of mules who bring drugs from Thailand or whatever?

Yes, if people are going to use them and buy them from dealers, what is the point in trying to stop them?

Oh do me a favour on the bollocks with crime as well, as I can show the vast majority of murders are not drug related

Again you have misconceived view of the world

The fact you failt o understand that where drugs have been decriminalized, crime has gone down and users have gone down also

You have a nerve when you're the one saying that people should be able to get prescription drugs over the counter. I've never read such nonsense.

The discussion is ended - you can't possibly be serious.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Didge wrote:


Yes, if people are going to use them and buy them from dealers, what is the point in trying to stop them?

Oh do me a favour on the bollocks with crime as well, as I can show the vast majority of murders are not drug related

Again you have misconceived view of the world

The fact you failt o understand that where drugs have been decriminalized, crime has gone down and users have gone down also

You have a nerve when you're the one saying that people should be able to get prescription drugs over the counter. I've never read such nonsense.

The discussion is ended - you can't possibly be serious.

And yet you cannot reason against this, where again people get them illegally

So are you stopping them obtaining them?

No

I would rather it was legal and that their doctors were made aware and then help offered around this because at present their doctors may not be made aware, or did you not think of that? You see if there is a legal system, then its going to help people also addicted to drugs. You need to get off the one train of thought pattern you have, because as seen its limited to an understanding of the many problems

Raggamuffin wrote:

Didge wrote:Its not absurd, people smoke this anyway and its a waste of Police resources to tackle something they will never ever control or stop. On top of that money can be made and smoking does chill the fuck out of peoplle

So leave the law as it is. Cannabis can be harmful, and if it's legalised, it would be difficult to make it illegal again. I don't think money should be made out of this kind of thing. Making money from drugs is something that people usually disapprove of!

Cannabis is o ly harmful if you have mental health issues rags.
It's far less harmful than tobacco, alcohol or sugar, yet we all happily allow people to go on doing those.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Didge wrote:Its not absurd, people smoke this anyway and its a waste of Police resources to tackle something they will never ever control or stop. On top of that money can be made and smoking does chill the fuck out of peoplle

So leave the law as it is. Cannabis can be harmful, and if it's legalised, it would be difficult to make it illegal again. I don't think money should be made out of this kind of thing. Making money from drugs is something that people usually disapprove of!

Alcohols a drug and drug company's make money of of drugs,cannabis is less harmful than alcohol by far if at all and the debate still out on that

jeeze  i could make quite a good living growing cannabis even if the price halved from its current level 180-250 an ounce round hear but it differs from place to place

a plant(one plant) could get you as much as 25 ounces that`s about every 9 weeks or less depending on how you do it  and that`s just one plant small scale

Also i don`t care what you have heard (the royal you ) cannabis is not biologically addictive like heroine or crack or all the other opiates ect
And as to psychoactive , guess that depends on the person like alcohol

you cant leave the law as it is as it criminalises people who do no more than enjoy a smoke like you may enjoy a drink

And it would take a revenue stream from criminal enterprises ,not that all cannabis revenue made in this country goes to criminal enterprises a lot have turned to growing weed just to make ends meet and money they make goes in to feeding and clothing and paying bills


ironically at one time  you had to grow one plant at least in this county by law as it has many many  uses not only medical

unfortunately most of the horror story's you see on the news and the papers miss out relevant details
things like high cannabis driver in accident ect  not mentioning all the other drugs the ass hole has taken including alcohol

or the obligatory TV interview with the spotty scruffy NED`s in hoodies  who says "man" and "like" and is obviously educationally challenged as the face of a typical cannabis smoker

its bull shit

not to say they are not some like that but out of all the smokers i know not one is like that we are normal family people with kids responsibility`s jobs well educated engaged members of society


who just like a smoke

I will say another thing; I'd rather a world of people who use Cannibis occasionally (everything in moderation) than a world of drinkers.

eddie wrote:I will say another thing; I'd rather a world of people who use Cannibis occasionally (everything in moderation) than a world of drinkers.

Me to eddie and i don`t drink for that very reason ...drunks are ass holes and more often than not generally violent

korban dallas wrote:

eddie wrote:I will say another thing; I'd rather a world of people who use Cannibis occasionally (everything in moderation) than a world of drinkers.

Me to eddie and i don`t drink for that very reason ...drunks are ass holes and more often than not generally violent  

Green KD

I've come across lots of problems when people have been drinking. Some people simply change when they've had a drink.

People say cannabis makes you lazy but I never had that problem as a youngster.
Now it's a little treat with a cup of tea when kids are in bed sometimes.

Id never mix drink and cannabis either! Two different buzzes - not good lol

Raggamuffin wrote:It's absurd. Look at what they're suggesting - single outlets with trained staff to train people how to use a mind-altering substance.

some folks could do with their mind altering

Lord Foul wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:It's absurd. Look at what they're suggesting - single outlets with trained staff to train people how to use a mind-altering substance.

some folks could do with their mind altering

you know raggs i have smoked cannabis for well over 20 year ,and i am not talking small amounts hear and i must say i have never in that time had my mind-altered in any significant way never had a hallucination or trip

the closest i came to anything like that was in my 30s  after several very large bongs and numerous joints i was absolutely bricked i was poured in to a taxi by sally and the street lights passing was like going warp speed but i knew they where the street lights and knew exactly where was
got home lay on the bed




was sick out the window unfortunately for the cat sleeping on the top of the access to the flats

laid back down

fell asleep


that was a great night dungeons and dragons bongs no violence

Hahahahahaha I pictured the whole of that!

I've never got like that from smoking.

Actually, weed makes you very introspective and creative. I used to write songs whilst having a joint or two.

Those were the days....

eddie wrote:Hahahahahaha I pictured the whole of that!

I've never got like that from smoking.

Actually, weed makes you very introspective and creative. I used to write songs whilst having a joint or two.

Those were the days....

fixing things is when i need a doobie so to speak

Yes KD there's an assumption almost, that weed smokers are unwashed lazy layabouts.
Now whilst that maybe true of me on a Sunday morning lol that is certainly not a true definition.

I think if you're lazy, you'll be lazy whether you smoke weed or not.

eddie wrote:Hahahahahaha I pictured the whole of that!

I've never got like that from smoking.

Actually, weed makes you very introspective and creative. I used to write songs whilst having a joint or two.

Those were the days....

hell i could tell you some story`s eddie like when i went half way down the Caledonia canal on top of a mast or the playing cards left in a forest carved out of felled tree stumps
when i was a  lumberjack ,or the haunted bothy ,nearly got hit by a train that week

its really surprising the power that comes to your legs when you turn round in the pouring rain and wind to see a electric diesel locomotive no more than say 80 feet away and your in the middle of the track ...........yea i know but "white man can jump" especially given the right motivation  

Hahahahahahahaha and

I got some stories of younger days but probably not suited for this forum lol

If the weed is legal in the USA... and production there is legal too... why not allow a controlled import of some Mexican stuff that also cuts out the cartels...?