After losing a federal election, most political parties would reevaluate their platforms and determine if what they stand for is in line with the population they represent.
Oftentimes these parties will tweak their values in the hopes that it will gain more votes, but the Liberal Democrats have chosen to stick to what they feel is the right thing to do.
Under new leadership, the political party that vowed to legalize marijuana if elected has chosen to continue the fight for cannabis reform.
This week, new Lib Dems leader Sir Vince Cable reiterated the party’s ongoing commitment to cannabis, and added that there are “serious and negative side effects from driving it underground.”
Cable said the “evidence is clear that if you want to stop abuse and damage to young people, you’ve got to bring the trade out in the open and out of the hands of the criminal underworld.”
The Home Office in the U.K. — the branch of government responsible for security, law enforcement, and immigration — still views drug policy through a prohibitionist-era lens. Their experts have claimed that marijuana is a significant public health issue that can cause unquestionable harm.
This ongoing commitment from a political party in the United Kingdom is a welcome addition to the major outcry from various groups in Britain calling for cannabis reform. This October, MP Paul Flynn plans to introduce a bill for medical cannabis in Britain, and he has called for cannabis activists and users to openly consume pot in front of the Parliament building as a form of protest.
As well, a doctor in the U.K. prescribed medical marijuana to a boy with severe epileptic seizures despite the fact that the medicine is illegal. Members of law enforcement have also joined the effort by lowering cannabis on their list of priorities.
Prime Minister Theresa May has remained adamant in her belief that marijuana should not be legalized in any form.
credit:marijuana.com
