A majority of the public want cannabis legalised or decriminalised, including a majority of Conservative and Labour voters.
Most British people want cannabis legalised or decriminalised and two thirds want a comprehensive review of drugs policy, according to a new poll by Ipsos MORI.
Over half the public (53%) support the legalisation or decriminalisation of the possession of cannabis, and only 1 in 7 believe in tougher penalties and more money being spent on enforcement for cannabis offences.
Interestingly the survey, which sampled 946 adults between January 25 and February 5, also looked at attitudes to drugs based on newspaper readership and found some surprising results.
It found that 45% of mid-market newspaper readers (including readers of the Daily Mail and the Express) support the legalisation of cannabis, and just one in five (17%) support heavier penalties and more money spent on enforcement.
Among tabloid readers the figures were 47% and 20% respectively.
According to the data, 61% of Daily Mail readers want a full review of drug policy.
Surprisingly perhaps, 70% of Conservative supporters compared to 69% of Labour supporters believe a full review of all the drug policy options is required.
A spokesperson from drugs think tank Transform said the results show how far ahead of politicians the public are.
“Politicians have repeated their ‘tough on drugs’ propaganda for so long that they assume the public are more fearful of change than they really are. In fact the world has changed, and the public are far more progressive than was thought, right across the political spectrum.
53 Responses to “Majority want cannabis legalised or decriminalised”
Mick
You said people wanted a review, which is quite different. Most want laws to stay the same and so, to be clear, illegal drugs are on the one side and booze and fags stay on the other.
Peter Reynolds
You fail to understand so completely. I’m a Tory and UKIP voter. Think liberty, pragmatism, individual choice and responsibility.
As for “catastrophic health risks”, what? Cannabis is less toxic than potatoes, about as addictive as coffee, it promotes neurogenesis and is neuroprotective against stroke and diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. For those who smoke it with tobacco it actually protects against some of the carcinogenic effects and for those who smoke it neat it improves lung health.
It acts as a supplement to the endocannabinoid system improving overall health and homeostasis.
Alex
I am enjoying how much this annoys you, why do you even care so much? When was the last time a stoner came and mugged you at knife point for drug money, or even so much as gave you a dirty look in the street. Link all the pointless data you want, but it means nothing next to experience. I smoke weed, a lot of my friends smoke weed, we all have jobs, we all contribute to society, we all pay our taxes. If you are unlucky enough to be in the 1.5% of people that do have mental health problems triggered by cannabis then i do indeed feel very sorry for you, but the same goes for alcohol. I personally hate alcohol, but you dont see me heading to the articles about how bad alcohol is calling for a ban on that! Im sorry but what gives you the right to think you can dictate what another person wants to do to their own body. Its like trying to outlaw tattoos or garish haircuts.
Also i know you will probably respond with some sort of hate filled response about how im an awful criminal, but people are going to smoke weed wether you like it or not my friend, even in countries where you can be put to death for possession, and you cant get much tougher than that can you! So wouldn’t you rather the money i spent on drugs went into improving our schools, roads, policing and country in general, as opposed to the back pockets of some of the most evil people in the world.
You are of course entitled to your own opinion, thats the great thing about this country ey buddy 😉
Mick
It certainly is. Me, I’m just enjoying the tussle. Seems you yourself are the one who’s annoyed, else you wouldn’t ramble about me ‘hating’ or ‘dictating’ and stuff. And if my dats’s so pointless, it’ll take even a stoned mind two seconds to refute.
Though it’s funny you should mention crime, as people haven’t been slow seeing the link between pot and the crime it fuels: http://www.debatepolitics.com/europe/81507-call-licensed-cannabis-sales-6.html#post1058999146
Good old young people on drugs. My best friend also has a son on weed, who then ‘graduated’ to heroin and E. He now spends all day playing X-box and lacks all verve. Pathetic.
And I’m also glad you note that drugs fund crime lords. Which is no reason to say that’s a reason for their legalisation.
Mick
…And when I was working in retail, I came face to face with many druggies, many violent, many ruined, typically criminal.
We had a pothead on the staff and he was totally unreliable. At least you can still smoke and be on time and presentable, right Left?