- The decision would remove super-strength strains of the herb from the streets
- Weed users thus would be protected from dangerous ‘skunk’, Mr Clegg said
- Making the drug legal would capture £1 billion each year in taxes, he argued
Stephen Matthews For Mailonline
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The decision to sell cannabis legally in Britain would capture £1 billion each year in taxes, Nick Clegg said
Making cannabis legal in the UK would improve public health, Former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg claims.
The decision would stop weed smokers from getting their hands on dangerous super-strength strains of the herb.
This would protect them from the side effects of smoking ‘skunk’ such as schizophrenia and other mental health issues, he said.
Selling cannabis over-the-counter would also generate £1billion each year in taxes and stop criminals from profiting on the illegal trade.
Mr Clegg, of the Liberal Democrats, suggested plain packaging would even drive down the demand for Britain’s most popular recreational drug.
In a blog for the BMJ he said: ‘The opponents of regulation should ask themselves this: what other public health problem do we contract out entirely to organised criminals?
‘Instead of looking for real solutions, they expect us to believe that the criminal law will prevail, despite no evidence that this approach has ever worked anywhere in the world.’
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In recent years, many weed farmers have been growing stronger strains of cannabis by removing quantities of cannabidiol (CBD) from plants.
This pursuit of maximum tetrehydrocannabinol (THC) – the compound that produces the high – has resulted in an influx of skunk across Britain.
Mr Clegg, who has represented his Sheffield Hallam constituency since 2005, added that this has been done ‘with no consideration for the health of its customers’.
The decision would stop weed smokers from getting their hands on super-strength strains of the herb which are known to be dangerous (stock)
WHAT IS SKUNK?
Skunk is a super-strength form of cannabis that dominates Britain’s illegal market of the drug, figures suggest it makes up for 80 per cent of what is available.
It has been created by growers aiming to make the most potent strain of the drug possible in order to maximise their profits.
They remove high amounts of CBD from the plant, allowing the modified herb to contain only THC – the psychoactive compound that produces the high.
Over the years, a host of previous research has pointed to a link between the popular recreational drug and mental health conditions.
In October, University College London researchers found that skunk may be twice as addictive as normal strains of cannabis.
While the potent form of the drug is responsible for a quarter of new cases of psychotic mental illness, King’s College London experts said in 2015.
They found skunk to be so powerful that users are three times more likely to suffer a psychotic episode than those who have never tried it.
Many experts argue the biggest danger about smoking cannabis is the tobacco, a known cause of cancer, it is often mixed with.
He said: ‘Regulation would allow us to control the product, capping maximum strength and requiring that all varieties contain CBD.
‘Labelling requirements would end the lottery where cannabis users have no idea what they are buying.’
Users could even be nudged away from smoking, which is often done by mixing it with tobacco, and towards vaping a cannabis-based product.
His claims come after Lib Dem leader Tim Farron announced the party was backing the legalisation of cannabis when he announced their manifesto last month.
The Conservative and Labour parties have made no mention to address the cannabis ‘problem’, Mr Clegg added.
Ian Hamilton, a cannabis researcher based at York University, told MailOnline that there is no firm proof regulation would improve public health.
He said: ‘Nick Clegg is right to point to the failings of prohibiting cannabis and the consequences of politicians being reluctant to discuss openly alternative ways of regulating the nations favourite illicit drug.
‘But we need to be careful in assuming that the way some American states have regulated cannabis would be a suitable framework for the UK.
‘There is mixed evidence emerging from the United states about the impact that these changes in regulation are having on their populations health.
‘It will be some time before we know if there has been an increase in young people using cannabis and how this has affected their mental health.’
CANNABIS ON THE STREETS OF BRITAIN: THE FACTS
The latest figures available showed that more than two million people in England and Wales smoked cannabis in 2016.
For the previous year, Crime Survey figures showed a million of these were aged between 16 to 24.
The substance is currently a Class B drug in the UK, and anyone found in possession can face up to five years in prison.
Selling the drug can get someone 14 years in prison and an unlimited fine. The same punishment exists for giving it to friends for free.
It is illegal to be under the influence of cannabis while driving, and can result in a prison sentence and disqualification.
On the streets, the average price of an ounce of cannabis tends to be in the region of £200. This is often enough for 40 joints, depending on how strongly people roll them.
Reports suggest that around 270 tons of cannabis is consumed every year in Britain – which would equate to around £8.6 million at the aforementioned pricing. Some 80 per cent of this is grown here and not imported.
But during 2011/2012, in excess of 1.1 million plants were seized by police – with an estimated street value of £207 million.
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