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| Parliament to debate cannabis legalisation next month | Parliament to debate cannabis legalisation next month |
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| Parliament will debate the legalisation of cannabis next month, House of Commons authorities have announced. | Parliament will debate the legalisation of cannabis next month, House of Commons authorities have announced. |
| MPs will consider a proposal to make the “production, sale and use of cannabis legal” on Monday 12 October. | MPs will consider a proposal to make the “production, sale and use of cannabis legal” on Monday 12 October. |
| The debate will be held in response to an official petition on the Parliament website that has received over 211,000 signatures as of early September. | The debate will be held in response to an official petition on the Parliament website that has received over 211,000 signatures as of early September. |
| The debate, to be conducted in Westminster Hall, will be led by Labour MP Paul Flynn, a member of Parliament’s petitions committee. | |
| Paul Flynn is a longstanding advocate of medical cannabis | Paul Flynn is a longstanding advocate of medical cannabis |
| Mr Flynn has previously called for the legalisation of cannabis for medical use, introducing bills in 1999 and supporting another in concert with Lib Dem MP Tom Brake in 2008. | Mr Flynn has previously called for the legalisation of cannabis for medical use, introducing bills in 1999 and supporting another in concert with Lib Dem MP Tom Brake in 2008. |
| Next month’s debate is unlikely to lead to any change in the law, though it could put pressure on the Government to act. | Next month’s debate is unlikely to lead to any change in the law, though it could put pressure on the Government to act. |
| The Government’s official response to the petition was negative. It read: “Substantial scientific evidence shows cannabis is a harmful drug that can damage human health. There are no plans to legalise cannabis as it would not address the harm to individuals and communities.” | The Government’s official response to the petition was negative. It read: “Substantial scientific evidence shows cannabis is a harmful drug that can damage human health. There are no plans to legalise cannabis as it would not address the harm to individuals and communities.” |
| It said legalisation would “send the wrong message”, and told Independent.co.uk it had no comment on whether it believed cannabis is more harmful than alcohol. | It said legalisation would “send the wrong message”, and told Independent.co.uk it had no comment on whether it believed cannabis is more harmful than alcohol. |
| However a study published this summer in the US found that cannabis users were no more likely than normal to suffer mental health problems including depression, psychosis, or asthma. | However a study published this summer in the US found that cannabis users were no more likely than normal to suffer mental health problems including depression, psychosis, or asthma. |
| Jon Liebling, the political director of the United Patients alliance, which campaigns for medical cannabis, said: “We urge all of our MPs to participate in an informed, pragmatic, evidence-based, compassionate debate resulting at the very least in allowing sick people a legitimate, effective medicine that vastly improves their quality of life without fear of criminalisation.” | |
| While many countries across the developed world have moved to legalise or decriminalise cannabis use, the UK has moved to tighten restrictions on it in recent years. | While many countries across the developed world have moved to legalise or decriminalise cannabis use, the UK has moved to tighten restrictions on it in recent years. |
| In 2009 the last Labour government moved its classification back to a Class B drug, meaning anyone caught possessing it can be sent to prison for five years, while anyone who supplies it can be imprisoned for 14 years. | In 2009 the last Labour government moved its classification back to a Class B drug, meaning anyone caught possessing it can be sent to prison for five years, while anyone who supplies it can be imprisoned for 14 years. |