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Will weed be legal in the UK ever?
Petition: Allow the British public to vote on the legalisation of cannabis We use cookies to make this service simpler. During the covid19 lockdown, up to 90% of the British public followed the UK governments instructions to self isolate and to practise social distancing.
We did as you asked, so now allow the people to vote on the full legalisation of cannabis, medicinally and recreationally. It should be our choice. More details The British public has followed the UK governments instructions during the covid19 outbreak with outstanding results. We have pulled together in an unimaginable way during these challenging times.
We believe the British public has proven themselves to be some what responsible enough to make decisions for ourselves. Therefore we are asking that the British government allows the British public to hold a national vote on the full legislation of cannabis, medicinally and recreationally.
- 18,246 signatures
- 100,000
This response was given on 29 September 2020 The Government has no plans to change cannabis policy or allow a public vote on the issue of legalisation. Read the response in full The Government has no intention of legalising cannabis. Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as there is clear scientific and medical evidence that cannabis is a harmful drug which can damage people’s mental and physical health, and harms individuals and communities.
The legalisation of drugs in the UK would not eliminate the crime committed by the illicit trade, nor would it address the harms associated with drug dependence and the misery that this can cause to families and communities. Legalisation would send the wrong message to the vast majority of people who do not take drugs, especially young and vulnerable people.
As such, the Government would not establish a system for the production and distribution of cannabis for recreational use. There is an established legal provision for the production of cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPM) under a Home Office licence and a licence from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
- In relation to low level cannabis offences and associated convictions, the police have a range of powers at their disposal to deal with drug-related offences in a way that is proportionate to the circumstances of the offender and the public interest.
- We have confidence in our police officers to assess as appropriate any necessary enforcement action, whether it is a public order or protection or local drug issue that needs addressing.
- Home Office
This is a revised response. The Petitions Committee requested a response which more directly addressed the request of the petition. You can find the original response towards the bottom of the petition page () Original Government response The Government has no plans to change cannabis policy or allow a public vote on the issue of legalisation.
- The Government has no intention of legalising cannabis or to allow a public vote on the issue.
- Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as there is clear scientific and medical evidence that cannabis is a harmful drug which can damage people’s mental and physical health, and harms individuals and communities.
Home Office This response was given on 16 September 2020. The Petitions Committee then requested a revised response, that more directly addressed the request of the petition. : Petition: Allow the British public to vote on the legalisation of cannabis
Is Germany Legalising weed?
Germany’s Cabinet approves a plan to liberalize rules on cannabis possession and sale BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s Cabinet on Wednesday approved a plan to liberalize rules on cannabis, setting the scene for the European Union’s most populous nation to decriminalize possession of limited amounts and allow members of “cannabis clubs” to buy the substance for recreational purposes.
- The legislation is billed as the first step in a two-part plan and still needs approval by parliament.
- But the government’s approval is a stride forward for a prominent reform project of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s socially liberal coalition, though of its original ambitions.
- The bill, which the government hopes will take effect at the end of this year, foresees legalizing possession of up to 25 grams (nearly 1 ounce) of cannabis for recreational purposes and allowing individuals to grow up to three plants on their own.
German residents who are 18 and older would be allowed to join nonprofit “cannabis clubs” with a maximum 500 members each. The clubs would be allowed to grow cannabis for members’ personal consumption. Individuals would be allowed to buy up to 25 grams per day, or a maximum 50 grams per month — a figure limited to 30 grams for under-21s.
- Membership in multiple clubs would not be allowed.
- The clubs’ costs would be covered by membership fees, which would be staggered according to how much cannabis members use.
- The government plans a ban on advertising or sponsoring cannabis, and the clubs and consumption won’t be allowed within 200 meters (656 feet) of schools, playgrounds and sports facilities, or near cannabis club premises.
Officials hope their plan will help protect consumers against contaminated products and reduce drug-related crime. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said he expects the system to produce “very competitive” prices, “so we think that we can push back the black market well with these rules.” At present, “we have rising consumption, problematic consumption,” Lauterbach told reporters.
- It simply couldn’t have carried on like this.” The center-right opposition argues the government is pressing ahead with legalizing a risky drug despite European legal obstacles and expert opinion.
- An organization representing German judges says the plan is likely to increase rather than decrease the burden on the judicial system and could even increase demand for black-market cannabis.
Some advocates of legalization aren’t happy either. “What we’re getting from the health minister is overregulation, a continued stigmatization of cannabis users and a much too tight regulatory corset, which simply makes it impossible for many, many (cannabis clubs) to work,” said Oliver Waack-Jürgensen, who heads the Berlin-based High Ground “cannabis social club” founded last year.
He is also on the board of a national association representing such clubs. Lauterbach rejected the objections. “The fact that it’s being attacked from both sides is a good sign,” the minister said. He added that “approval with much more liberalization, like for example in Holland or some American states, would have led to consumption expanding,” and that those who oppose any legalization “have no answer” to rising consumption and crime, and a burgeoning black market.
The legislation is to be accompanied by a campaign meant to sensitize young people to the risks of consuming cannabis. The government says it plans to follow the new legislation by mapping out a second step — five-year tests of regulated commercial supply chains in select regions, which would then be scientifically evaluated.
- That’s far short of its original plan last year, which foresaw allowing the,
- It was scaled back following talks with the EU’s executive commission.
- Approaches elsewhere in Europe vary.
- The Netherlands combines decriminalization with little market regulation.
- Dutch authorities tolerate the sale and consumption of small amounts of the substance at so-called coffeeshops but producing and selling large amounts of it, necessary to keep the coffeeshops supplied, remains illegal.
Amsterdam, long a magnet for tourists wanting to smoke weed, has been cracking down on coffeeshops. The Dutch government, meanwhile, has launched an experiment it says aims to “determine whether and how controlled cannabis can be legally supplied to coffeeshops and what the effects of this would be.” In Switzerland, authorities last year for a pilot project allowing a few hundred people in Basel to buy cannabis from pharmacies for recreational purposes.
Is the UK the biggest exporter of weed?
However, we do know that the UK is the world’s biggest producer and exporter of legal cannabis for medical and scientific purposes.
Is CBD Legal in Germany?
Is CBD Oil Legal in Germany? – CBD oil is legal in Germany in 2023. In April 2017, the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) approved the sale of cannabis products with less than 0.2% THC content. This means that CBD oil containing less than 0.2% THC is legal to purchase and use in Germany, which is similar to the CBD laws in Croatia,
- However, it is important to note that there are some restrictions on the sale and possession of CBD oil in Germany.
- For example, it is not available for sale in gas stations or convenience stores, and it must be purchased from a specialised store.
- In addition, the sale of CBD oil is subject to the German Narcotics Act, which requires that all CBD oil products be labelled with their THC content,
Since the legalisation of CBD oil in Germany in 2017, the use of CBD oil has become increasingly popular in the country. As more people become aware of the potential benefits of CBD oil, the demand is destined to increase yearly.
Can you smoke weed in Sweden?
Is marijuana legal in Sweden? The marijuana laws in Sweden – If you were planning a holiday to Sweden solely for smoking weed, you will be disappointed. The drug is almost completely illegal in Sweden, and you cannot use it for recreational purposes. Moreover, unlike Christiania in Copenhagen, you have no enclaves where consuming the drug is really accepted.
- Even if you don’t intend to smoke weed, having the drug in your possession is similarly illegal — regardless of whether it’s for you or someone else.
- You could face severe punishments for any recreational association with the drug, as we’ll discuss in further detail later.
- In some countries, CBD products are acceptable for public consumption — even though they contain cannabis.
But if you were hoping that the rules would differ relating to that, we’re again afraid to tell you that they don’t. You cannot consume CBD products in Scandinavia’s largest country, and that has been the case since 2019.
Is weed legal in USA 2023?
Weed legalization: Here’s where states stand in 2023 Weed legalization has become increasingly common in the U.S., despite the fact that marijuana is still illegal on a federal level. As of April 20, 20 states and the District of Columbia have legalized weed for recreational use while 27 states allow it for varying medicinal purposes.
- Three states — Idaho, Kansas, and Nebraska — prohibit it entirely.
- Among the states that have legalized weed to any degree, “none of these states have ever repealed or even rolled back their laws, and public support for these policies has never been higher,” Paul Armentano, deputy director of Norml, a non-profit lobby for cannabis legalization, told Yahoo Finance.
“That is because these policies are largely working as politicians and voters intended, and they are preferable to prohibition.” A strong majority of Americans support the legalization of cannabis. An from Pew Research found that 59% of adults support legalizing marijuana for both medical and recreational use while 30% support it solely for medical use.
There is clear bipartisan support for legalization: A January 2023 poll conducted by the found that 68% of likely Republican voters support federal cannabis reform.”It is time for lawmakers, and federal lawmakers in particular, to set aside their ‘canna-bigotry’ and comport the law in a manner that is consistent the available science, majority public opinion, and the plant’s rapidly changing cultural status,” Armentano said.Armentano added that it is important for cannabis policy to “legalize, regulate, and educate,” which helps reduce the risks associated with cannabis abuse and an unregulated market.
What city smokes the most weed in the UK?
The South West smokes more weed than anywhere else in the country, and Bristol – the region’s biggest city – has a unique relationship with the plant. Cannabis has a happy home in Bristol.
Is CBD legal in Amsterdam?
So how does the law in the Netherlands treat CBD? – Currently in the Netherlands, you can buy CBD products with a THC content of no more than 0.05% without a prescription. This is far less than the amount allowed for hemp production, and this causes problems for CBD oil producers, who must abide by legal rules.
Is CBD legal in Prague?
CBD regulation – As explained in the beginning, the European Union (EU) harmonized the regulation of CBD products in its member states. This means that all of them have a common base of drug laws, but you can still find some differences. Let’s take a look at the situation in the Czech Republic.
- CBD is legal in the Czech Republic as long as it contains less than 0.3% THC (psychoactive substances), or in other words – if it is manufactured from hemp.
- In that is the case, it is legal to use, buy, and sell hemp in the Czech Republic.
- You can purchase it freely all across the country, but stores with bigger supply are usually situated in bigger cities such as Prague.
If the product contains psychoactive substances it can only be purchased from a pharmacy with a special electronic prescription as a treatment for patients – this is the medical use of cannabis that we talked about above.
Is CBD legal in Switzerland?
Is CBD legal in Switzerland? – CBD products are completely legal in Switzerland. CBD products are freely sold there and can be bought anywhere you can buy tobacco products. The restrictions on buying CBD products are similar to those that apply to alcohol and tobacco products. This means:
the legal age to buy CBD products applies; you must be 18 years old it is forbidden to label and/or advertise CBD products as medicines and to claim their health effects the Swiss Authorities advise people not to drive after consuming CBD products.
If in the EU there are only certain types of CBD products available in stores; in Switzerland this is not the case. You can find basically any CBD product there, from CBD oils, pastes, foodstuffs, cosmetics and flowers for smoking (as long as they contain < 1% of THC).
Is recreational weed legal in the Netherlands?
Cannabis in the Netherlands is illegal, but is decriminalised for personal use. Recreational consumption of the drug is tolerated, and it is available in coffeeshops.
Is it legal to smoke weed in Finland?
No, cannabis is not legal for recreational use in Finland. It is classified as a controlled substance, and the possession, sale, and use of cannabis are illegal. Finland has strict drug laws, and penalties for cannabis-related offenses can range from fines to imprisonment, depending on the severity of the offense.
Is it legal to smoke weed in Denmark?
Is recreational weed going to become legal in Denmark in the future? – While weed in Denmark is illegal for recreational use, it’s pretty clear that some people haven’t been deterred. Some countries have decriminalized drugs, with Portugal perhaps being the best-known example.
The Netherlands is also well-known for its relaxed approach to recreational marijuana use. So, could recreational weed become legal in Denmark in years to come? Marijuana use in Denmark is a hot topic among the locals. You’ll find large levels of support for it, but at the same time, that enthusiasm is by no means universal.
In 2016, Berlingske — one of the leading papers in the country — published research from Gallup, In that survey, it was revealed that 45% of Danes asked said that they believe marijuana should become legal for recreational use. At the same time, 41% voiced opinions against this happening.
- What do the politicians think, though? In parliament, cannabis has received support in recent years.
- For example, The Local reported in 2018 that five of the country’s parties argued that the drug should be decriminalized.
- Those political groups came from both ends of the spectrum.
- Bearing in mind how much it affects the general population, the best route for legalizing recreational marijuana in Denmark would probably be through a referendum.
But at the time of writing, there has been no talk of such a thing happening. So, using weed for recreational purposes looks set to remain illegal for the foreseeable future.
Is Hawaii legal weed?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Cannabis in Hawaii is illegal for recreational use, but decriminalized for possession of three grams or less. Medical use was legalized through legislation passed in 2000, making Hawaii the first state to legalize medical use through state legislature rather than through ballot initiative.
Are edibles legal in Florida?
Page 2 – Individuals who are caught in possession of edible marijuana may be arrested and face serious penalties. In this blog post, we explore edibles and the criminal charges associated with their unauthorized use. Edibles are becoming an increasingly popular method of ingesting cannabis in Florida, especially for clinical use.
- Although the use of edibles is technically permitted by Florida state law for individuals with a valid medical marijuana card, edible marijuana is nevertheless illegal for recreational use.
- The term edible is used to describe food or drinks that contain marijuana in a form that can be ingested.
- In many cases, edibles are cooked or manufactured in the form of baked goods, such as cookies, or sweets, like gummies and chocolate bars.
While marijuana is commonly smoked or vaporized, some marijuana users prefer to consume cannabis in edible form. Edibles are helpful for medical marijuana patients, especially the elderly and children, who want to avoid harmful effects of inhaling smoke.
- In order for edibles to actually be edible, marijuana must be in a form that can be used for baking or cooking.
- To do this, marijuana is ground up into a flour that can be infused with oil or butter used during cooking.
- Once the marijuana has been ground, it can be added to liquids such as coffee, as well as baked goods, sweets and meat.
While some people may use recipes to make their own edibles, legally licensed medical marijuana dispensaries in Florida have started to sell commercially manufactured edibles. Unlike smoking marijuana or vaporizing it, the effects of an edible will only take place after digestion.
- The process could take anywhere up to an hour before any effects of the drug are experienced.
- Edible medical marijuana is technically permitted by Florida state law.
- However, the state’s department of health has not yet finalized regulations regarding commercially manufactured edibles.
- Florida is one of 29 states to legalize the use of medical marijuana.
Since medical marijuana laws were enacted in 2016, Florida’s medical marijuana program has grown to over 200,000 registered medical marijuana patients who are treated by more than 2,000 licensed physicians. Still, marijuana is listed as a Schedule I drug by federal law, and recreational use of marijuana is still illegal in the state of Florida.
- Those caught in possession of marijuana without a valid medical marijuana card will be arrested and charged with drug possession.
- This also includes the possession of edibles – even those purchased legally in another state.
- In Florida, a number of drug arrests have been made for the possession of edible marijuana.
However, charges for possession of edibles may be heftier than possession of the marijuana flower. For example, some individuals caught with edibles have been charged with possession of a “synthetic cannabinoid,” which is a third degree felony. The criminal penalties for possession of edibles depends on the total weight of the substance.
280 – 500 grams : Mandatory minimum prison sentence of 3 years, and a fine of $50,000 500 – 1000 grams : Mandatory minimum prison sentence of 7 years, and a fine of $100,000 1,000 – 30 kilograms : Mandatory prison sentence of 15 years, and a fine of $200,000 30+ kilograms : Mandatory minimum prison sentence of 25 years, and a fine of $750,000
The penalties for possessing edible marijuana can be severe, which is why hiring the right drug lawyer to handle your case is so important. A good criminal defense attorney will be able to look at the facts of your case, and develop a legal strategy to protect your constitutional rights.
If you have been arrested for possessing edible marijuana, you may be able to raise the following defenses: In many cases, law enforcement may go beyond their authority to search a vehicle, house, or person for drugs. In other instances, law enforcement may use their position of authority to coerce someone into consenting to a search.
In either case, the results of illegal searches may lead to the suppression of evidence obtained during the search. You may also be able to raise a defense that you did not know the food or drink in your possession was an edible. To raise this defense, you would have to testify to demonstrate your lack of knowledge about the true nature of the food or beverage you possessed.
If you take temporary possession of an edible, you may be able to raise a temporary possession defense. This defense strategy may be raised in situations in which a person has only momentary possession of an edible. In order to have legal “possession,” a person needs to have complete dominion and control over the edible.
Because drug charges and penalties vary based on the specific facts, you should not attempt to navigate your case without the help of an experienced criminal defense attorney who can craft a defense on your behalf and potentially reduce your penalty for edible possession. : Is It Legal To Eat Edible Marijuana In Florida? | Salnick Law, P.A.
Is weed legal West Virginia?
Cannabis in West Virginia is illegal for recreational use, but partially decriminalized in the city of Morgantown. Possession of small amounts is a misdemeanor crime. Medical use was legalized in 2017 through legislation signed by Governor Jim Justice.
What is Britain’s biggest export?
List of exports of the United Kingdom
# | Product | Value (in millions of USD) |
---|---|---|
1 | Cars | 38,574 |
2 | Gas turbines | 26,385 |
3 | Crude petroleum | 23,673 |
4 | Gold | 23,316 |
What country produces the most weed?
Largest producer of cannabis (country) What 3,500 tonnes (3,850 tons) tonne(s)/metric ton(s) According to a report entitled the Afghanistan Cannabis Survey published on 31 March 2010 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Afghanistan is now the world’s main supplier of cannabis.
It produces between 10,000 and 24,000 hectares every year producing an estimated 1,500 to 3,500 tons a year and production takes place in 17 of 34 provinces. Other countries have more land under cannabis cultivation, but yields are significantly higher in Afghanistan, enabling it to be the world’s most productive supplier of the drug.
It also provides high economic returns owing to lower harvesting and production costs compared to other drugs such as opium. Records change on a daily basis and are not immediately published online. For a full list of record titles, please use our Record Application Search.
Who produces the most weed in Europe?
Image source, AFP Albania has become the largest producer of outdoor-grown cannabis in Europe. The potent plant has been described as “green gold” for struggling farmers. In a poor nation, it’s a billion-euro industry. Off a dirt road, in a small village north of Tirana, there’s a half-built, tumble-down, brick house.
It stands alone and looks abandoned. It isn’t. The sweet, heady odour that seeps from one of the rooms reveals its current function: cannabis production. Inside, more than half the floor space is covered with buds of the drying drug. “There’s about 20kg here,” says the man who owns it. He is young – late 20s maybe – dressed in skinny jeans, a tight top and trainers.
And he is one of thousands making money from the cannabis boom. In Albania, a kilo of this illegal drug sells for between 100 and 200 euros (£85 to £170). In Italy it will fetch about 1,500 euros. And most of the country’s cannabis crop is trafficked out – north through Montenegro, south to Greece, or west across the Adriatic to Italy.
There is no significant home market. One source estimates the illicit industry may be worth five billion euros (£4.25bn) per year – about half of Albania’s GDP. The 20kg of stinking greenery slowly drying in the sunlight that streams through an open window does not represent this man’s entire crop. “I’ve produced 350kg,” he says.
“This year almost every single house in the village grew cannabis – tons and tons have been produced in this community alone.” This man employs 15 people to pick and process, and armed guards to defend his crop. He says he is in charge here, but he probably belongs to a wider network.
- So if everyone is growing it, and that seems to be common knowledge, why has there been no police raid? “I pay the police 20%.
- Everybody has to pay.
- If you don’t pay they will take you to jail,” he says.
- This is our curse – there are no jobs, no work here.
- There’s no money in growing anything else.
- I know it’s not a good thing I’m doing, but there’s no other way.” Image caption, Police vaults store thousands of bags of cannabis seized in raids For decades Albanians lived under a punishing, closed regime.
Then, after communism fell, came a period marked by civil unrest and the rapid growth of organised crime. Twenty-five years later, unemployment is still high and corruption rife – conditions that enable the cannabis trade to flourish. The government has had some success in its fight against the illegal industry.
It says more than two million cannabis plants have been destroyed this year, and now that the growing season is over, police are concentrating on confiscating the drug as it is prepared for trafficking out of Albania. Some of the hauls have been huge. In a vast warehouse in the town of Rreshen, tucked into the foothills of the mountains north of Tirana, tier after tier of drying cannabis is laid out on mesh shelves.
On the concrete floor, there are more waist-high mounds of the drug. Sacks of it lie around, and it spills out of the open back doors of a transit van. In the middle of this sea of weed – his woolly hat pulled low, his glasses on the end of his nose, and a gun at his hip – is the police officer in charge, Agron Cullhaj, who describes it as the largest ever find in this area.
In this one location there are more than four tonnes of cannabis, with a street value in Italy of some six million euros (£5m). “When I took office in 2013, I started to plan huge action against the illegal cultivation of cannabis,” says the Home Minister, Saimir Tahiri. In their mission to rid Albania of the cannabis scourge, the government has the support of the Italians.
The Guardia di Finanza pays for aerial surveillance to identify plantations, and it is their statistics that Albanian politicians quote. “From 2013 to 2016, the figures show more than a 30% decrease in the area of Albania cultivated with cannabis. That means we’re on the right path,” says Tahiri.
The 30% decrease came about largely because a mammoth police operation in 2014 destroyed the well-entrenched cannabis industry in Lazarat, a southern village once notorious as the drug capital of Europe. In the raid – employing firepower, special forces and armoured vehicles – many tonnes of cannabis were seized and thousands of plants destroyed.
But if you compare the Italians’ figures for 2015 and 2016, they reveal a five-fold increase in the area cultivated with cannabis. Sources within Albania suggest many communities have turned to drug production for the first time this year. Corruption is critical to the success of this illicit business – something the Home Minister recognises.