UK: Mrs May Goes To The Palace So Don’t Expect Cannabis Legalization Anytime Soon

13 July 2016

Loren Wiener of Australia based  This Week In Weed writes on how her ascension affects the issue in the UK and in Australia

Theresa May Is A Real Problem For UK Cannabis Law Reform – and Australia.

Many are aware of or heard of, the Schafer Commission in the USA. Its chairman was former Pennsylvania Governor Raymond P. Shafer and was asked by Richard Nixon, to lead on a report to assess the direction the USA should take on the scourge of Cannabis. Unfortunately, it determined Cannabis was less a problem than alcohol. It was ignored by Nixon in favor of another report saying,

…five years of research has provided strong evidence that, if corroborated, would suggest that marijuana in various forms is far more hazardous than originally suspected.  Well the UK has had a similar situation recently unfortunately the evil one is the new PM for the UK Teresa May, that tried to get a report that concluded.

“The factors driving drug use <Cannabis> were complex, but did cite “considerable” health improvements in Portugal since the decision to treat possession as a health issue rather than a criminal one.

Lib Dem Leader, Clegg said the original draft had been subject to an “endless wrangle between Lib Dem ministers and Theresa May about the fullness of what would be published”, arguing that there would be no change whatsoever as long as she led the Home Office. There is the story from April 2016. http://bit.ly/may-PM-cannabis

Why it Matters to Australia?

With the current laws and direction being a mess globally, the recently re-elected Australian government is seeking direction, and the Commonwealth is the safest place for them to turn. Currently this means via the new Weed-Czar in Australia Bill Turner, licensing will be based on some of the aspects of Canada licensing (ignoring the progressive direction of Jamaica also in the commonwealth) This means mother country of the UK has a big influence in direction. With Theresa May at the helm, and with a recent, “Over my dead body” comment, unless her mind has evolved, then Cannabis law reform in the UK and as a result Australia will be no further forward.

Currently in Australia 91-94% of the entire population over 18 support medical Cannabis but only 1% of the politicians. Recently Australia changed the definition of “Cannabis” in multiple bills to include everything from single Cannabinoids, GMO, to synthetics and drugs not even from a plant as long as they act like Cannabis. Additionally, the new Australia weed-czar a veterinarian, is in the process of working with government overriding the already legal under 2% THC producing hemp farmers, that have state issued licenses. They are now trying to force growers to a new yet to be released federal framework, but reducing 2% THC hemp growers to under 1% THC. This seems likely to get tested in the courts after August 2016.

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