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The policies of the
parties
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The
Legalise Cannabis Alliance
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The Legalise Cannabis Alliance is the ONLY Registered
political party in the UK founded with the sole aim
of prioritising the legalisation and utilisation of
cannabis (hemp).
They
believe that cannabis should be available as a medicine
for the sick and as a recreational drug for those who
wish to take it, just as is tobacco and alcohol for
those who choose to use them. They believe that those
who use
cannabis should be educated into safe ways of taking
cannabis to reduce any potential for harm.
The
LCA believes in the setting up of legal outlets for
people to buy and consume quality-controlled cannabis,
the eradication of criminal records purely for cannabis-related
"crimes", and the utilisation cannabis as
a source of renewable and ecologically-friendly fuels,
fiber, paper and other materials currently straining
the environment.
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LCA
formed and contested their first election in 1999. In 2001,
they fought the general election with 13 candidates. Candidates
have gained up to 7.6% of the vote. They mean business!
LCA
is a SINGLE ISSUE PARTY - which means they do not ask candidates
or voters to share the same views on other issues thus giving
them the freedom to say what they want; but all LCA candidates
prioritise cannabis.
However,
LCA say that there are many people out there who are compassionate
about other things as well as cannabis, be it education, environment,
health or the state of your local town, so the LCA encourage
candidates to take a political stand on issues they feel strongly
about in their communities.
Those
stances remain those of the candidate and if their issues
capture the heart of locals, then the votes are more than
likely to increase!
LCA
say that as reclassification has already taken place due to
the constant pressure on the Government, it is now time to
show the leading political parties what the UK citizens desire
more than anything else regarding the plant.
The
Alliance aims to stand at least 120 candidates at the next
general Election in 2005.
This
would entitle them to a party political broadcast on national
television.
They
provide information and support for candidates from within
and without the political spectrum.
Candidates
come from other parties, or no party at all, it makes no difference.
LCA
puts the candidates first and the candidates put people and
the environment first
A
vote for LCA is a vote for a change, a vote for choice and
a vote for the RIGHT to toke to be recognised.
So
how can you vote for cannabis?
Well
that's simple.
Find
find someone (perhaps yourself?) who you think would make
a good candidate!
The
cost to run a local election is very little. The deposit for
the General Election is £500, but this can easily be
raised by sponsorship from local headshops, friends or even
through collections at cannabis events. The
deposit is refunded if you gain 5 percent of the vote. So
if you feel confident, you have absolutely nothing to lose,
and everything to gain!
If
you would like to apply to be a candidate, or join the LCA
or support their Principles, Aims and Proposals,
please
visit
the
website at http://www.lca-uk.org
or email lca@lca-uk.org
or by post LCA P.O. BOX 198,
NORWICH, NORFOLK, NR3 3WB."
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The Green Party of
England and Wales
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The Greens have by far the most radical drugs policy of any
major UK political party. Regarding Cannabis they call for
it's full legalisation, coupled with a harm reduction approach
to all drug use.
Visit the Green
Party website
The Green Party drugs policy
The conservatives have, and still are firmly against
any relaxation of the law. During the government of Margaret
Thatcher, throughout the 80's, there were a series of anti-drug
campaigns ("heroin screws you up", "drugs, worth the risk?"
and others), but cannabis was simply a taboo subject.
During the John Major years the
legalisation campaign became more vocal and the whole issue
of drugs became a major issue, not least of all caused by
the explosion of "Rave" - the dance culture fueled by MDMA
and LSD, cannabis, of course, featured as a substance widely
used as for chilling out.
The government hit back with a
series of repressive laws, including an increase in the fines
for cannabis possession and there was much talk of further
repression to come.
In 1995, they launched a new policy
called "Tackling drugs together", which, amongst other objectives,
sought to prevent drug support agencies campaigning for a
change in the law. At the time of writing, this is still the
basis of UK drug policy.
However, in the autumn of 2000,
after they had been in opposition for nearly four years, the
speech of Anne Widdecombe calling for a crack down on cannabis
was torn apart by the police and media. This was followed
in May 2001 by the second crushing defeat at a general election
and the resignation of William Hauge, the party leader.
The "libertarian" wing of the
party lost it's bid for the leadership when Mr Portillo failed
to win the party's backing in the leadership race. The eventual
winner was Ian Duncan Smith, a hardcore right winger.
The Tories have promised to reverse
the reclassification of cannabis and would like to introduce
a gard line war on drugs.
The conservative
party website
Labour took over from the Conservatives in 1997 when they won
the first of their landslide victories and we all began to
look forward to a period of change, our hopes were high, for
a short while.
Jack Straw, the then Home Secretary soon poured cold water
on our hopes when he stood up for his keynote speech at that
first conference and announced "We will not legalise, decriminalise
or otherwise legitimise the use of any illegal drug". There
was to be no change.
Instead, they appointed a "Drug Tsar" (officially known as
the UK anti-drug coordinator), following the American model
and
the old Tackling drugs together was given a makeover, but
not much changed. To be fair, there was a shift of emphasis
away from enforcement towards treatment of addiction, but
very little changed and Keith Hellawell was generally regarded
as something of a flop, he was dropped after the 2001 election
and the new Home Secretary, David Blunkett, has taken over
control of drug policy
Although Labour followed the prohibitionist line throughout
their first period in office, there were notable exceptions
within their ranks, foremost amongst them was Paul Flynn (MP
for Newport) who introduced an Early Day Motion (EDM) supporting
the medical use of cannabis (click here). Paul
wrote an article for UKCIA which you can read here
Labour has so far remained utterly opposed to a change in the
law however, and the first comments from David Blunkett when
he took over from Jack Straw were not encouraging. However
the reality of the drugs situation now in the UK means that
cannabis law enforcement must take a lower priority to the
problems caused by such substances as crack cocaine and illegal
heroin, and the police have sent a very clear message to him
by announcing a policy which amounts to decriminalisation,
at least in London.
The
Labour government of 2004 did eventually reclassify cananbis
to class C, but also seems happy to use the criminal law against
children as a result. It is also in favour of randon drug
testing in schools.
The Labour party website
The Libdems have reviewed their drugs policy, this from Helen
Belcher, the Policy officer for the Libdems on 30th October
2001:
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This review
has been running for over a year and will be publising
its report in in under 3 months time, in January
2002.
The report
will be debated in March 2002, in five months
time.
The Liberal
Democrats believe that while Blunkett's announcement
(to reclassify cannabis to class C) was welcome,
it is illogical to just look at one drug and only
to look at the punishment for using it.
From the work
done by the review it has been made clear that
we need a much broader response to the current
increase in drug use and abuse involving all sorts
of currently illegal drugs such as Ecstasy, LSD
and Heroin.
Liberal Democrats
believe that unless there is a real difference
in how we deal with drug addiction we will not
make any significant change in the tragic course
of harmed individuals, ruined lives and knock
on crime. We are determined that policy should
be evidence led and responsible and accept that
it may need to be radical as well.
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They voted to call for the Legalisation of cannabis at their
spring conference in March 2002 although they have now back
tracked on this, their policy is uncertain.
They
issued a policy statement in Feb 2004 based on a 2002 document
called "Honesty, Realism, Responsibility which states:
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Keep cannabis as class C, but stop arresting users, small
scale growers or social suppliers
* Permit medical use
* Investigate the long term option of legalisation and re-negotiation
of UN treaties
Honesty,
Realism, Responsibility - click
here (in pdf format)
Visit the Lib dem website
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Scottish National
Party SNP
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Cannabis use & scots law (12/5/00)
In
view of the shocking number of deaths in Glasgow this week
among heroin users and the admission by Scottish Executive
Drugs Policy Unit members that research on the topic is incomplete
and unable to provide policy makers with information necessary
for a cohesive policy on drugs use, the SNP urges the Scottish
Parliament to make a start to bridging the research gap on
drug use by establishing a Commission of experts and lay persons
to examine and report on social and medical factors which
might require changes to be made to Scots Law and the workings
of the criminal justice system in relation to the use of cannabis
in Scotland.
National Conference (26/9/97)
Drugs policy
The SNP acknowledges that there is no one distinct drug problem
and no one distinct solution. We believe that Government has
a clear responsibility to deliver clear, realistic and effective
policy to deal with the drugs situation in Scotland. The SNP
calls on the following measures to be put into place:
Strategy
A
national drugs strategy in Scotland is needed to direct policy
and funding to the numerous, various groups/organisations
and authorities working in this field. The problems encountered
by a multi-agency approach should be addressed and clear communication
lines put in place. If necessary, rationalising and streamlining
of drug support bodies should take place.
A
realistic, pragmatic approach to reducing demand for drugs
should be adopted with accessible, informed education and
harm limitation forming part of this approach.
Quality and regular on-going research should be carried out
so that successes and failures of any particular initiatives
in any part of the country can be monitored, lessons learned
and, importantly, shared. Funding sources should be stabilised
so that organisations can plan and continue to exist in the
long-term.
Poverty and economic and social problems facing young people
in particular must be dealt with. There is also a need to
acknowledge the changes in youth culture which have occurred
in recent years.
A Listening Approach
Youth forums of young people should be set up and consulted
on a variety of issues in order that policy makers can keep
in touch with the ever-changing drug scene.
Information and Research
As
the drugs scene is a constantly changing phenomenon, any framework
needs to allow the rapid dissemination and collection of current
information on drug use and abuse. An audit of drugs support
facilities is necessary, specifically:
Targets should be set as to the percentage of drug misusers
that the Scottish Drug Misuse Database encompasses. Specifically,
the database should be expanded to include information from
needle exchanges and generic social work.
The setting up and co-ordination by the Scottish Office of
a Scotland-wide programme of research with security of funding.
The collection and analysis of drug-related morbidity on the
Scottish Drug Misuse Database.
The establishment of a mechanism by the Scottish Criminal Statistics
Committee to record all drug-related crime.
The recording of drug misuse by the social work authorities
at the point of referral for social work services to ensure
comprehensive and reliable information is collected.
Communication, Education and Information Provision
"Social information" sessions in schools should become the
responsibility of community health and community education
services with a statutory responsibility on secondary schools
to set aside time for these sessions. Teachers should have
the responsibility for education on drug issues in primary
schools.
In
each Drugs Action Team area, teams of people who have direct
experience of the drugs scene from a variety of backgrounds
(eg. Social work departments, health services, voluntary organisations)
should be seconded as part of their regular work to form a
"Drugs communication team" to work in schools, with parents
and community groups to provide information about drugs. These
groups would come under the direction of community health
services.
Youth Culture
The SNP supports initiatives to encourage Safer Dancing events
and supports guidelines for good practise at dance events.
Funding
There is a need to stabilise funding for those agencies dealing
with drugs and to review the source and provision of funding
to those working in the drugs field, specifically:
The "ring-fencing" of Community Care allocations to local authorities
for residential services.
·The costs of alternative forms of custody in residential units
for offenders with drug problems should be borne out of criminal
justice, rather than health board or social work department
funding.
An
assessment of health board drug service costs should be made
and drug service funding should be made out of a specific
"ring-fenced" allocation. Drug services should be seen as
justifiable expenditure in their own right and not as part
of public health funding.
The Scottish Office should carry out an assessment to provide
a full picture of local authority expenditure on drug misuse
in Scotland.
Hard Drug Abuse
The following provisions should be made
A
planned and clearly defined detoxification service with appropriate
aftercare.
Adequate staffing at the crisis centres to provide professional
advice round the clock.
Six to twelve month residential rehabilitation for prisoners.
More crisis intervention centres.
GP's Role
There should be -
·A
regular review by GPs of their long term prescribing of all
drugs of potential abuse to individual patients.
·An extension of undergraduate medical training to cover training
on drugs and more continuing education to cover drugs issues.
Family Support
There should be support for families having to deal with a
family member abusing drugs. Support must also be given to
existing groups and help given to start family groups where
none exist at present.
Drug Rehabilitation in Prisons
The following actions should be taken -
The re-appraisal of mandatory drug testing in prisons.
Tackling the problem of prisoners who become addicts while
in prison and the incidence of death through overdose by prisoners
immediately on release.
Drug rehabilitation in prisons being developed as part of the
general rehabilitation of prisoners to help re-offending,
thus reducing crime and saving money in the criminal justice
system budget.
The Legal Aspect
The SNP supports the reclassification of drugs to provide a
hierarchy of drugs, which is credible to the audience whom
drug campaigns must engage in dialogue if behaviour is to
be changed.
The SNP call for a review to redefine use and reclassify drugs
under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Any redefinition should
consider the use of cannabis for medical purposes and cultivation
for own use. Reclassification should consider broadening the
bands and possible classification in terms of chemical content
or harm can be caused.
Policing
Customs jobs and services should be protected and coastline
provision should be expanded to prevent drugs entering the
country.
The SNP supports the current increased use of fiscal fines
rather than custodial sentences for cannabis possession.
International Drugs Trade
A
policy of international co-operation should be pursued to
enable Scotland to play its part in reducing world demand
for drugs with consequent effect on international crime and
the provision of alternative means for nations to develop
stable economic and political systems other than drug based
societies.
As
they make clear in our manifesto, the Socialist Alliance calls
for the legalisation of cannabis - with no ifs, ands, or buts
- now.
They see the refusal of the major parties to engage in an honest
discussion on this issue is yet another example of the failure
of our big business dominated political system.
For more information
visit their website
The SSP’s Position On Drugs
The SSP believes that drug prohibition and the criminalisation
of drug users has failed to make any serious impact upon illicit
drug use. The 'war against drugs' rhetoric is counter-productive.
The real war that has to be waged is a war against poverty
and hypocrisy. Problem drug use is primarily a social and
medical problem, rather than a criminal problem.
Since the 1970s, the number of drug convictions and the number
of drug seizures have multiplied ten times over. Tens of thousands
of young people have been harassed and criminalised for the
use of relatively harmless drugs such as cannabis, while the
grim toll of heroin deaths continues to grow ever longer.
Meanwhile, criminal drugs grow richer, more powerful and more
violent creating an atmosphere of terror and mayhem in many
working class communities.
We're
fighting for:
Immediate
legalisation and licensed sale of cannabis.
Pharmaceutical Heroin to be available free on NHS to registered
addicts.
Decriminalisation of all other illegal drugs.
Freely available testing kits.
Funding for advice and education rather than wasting money
on huge scare campaigns.
A complete ban on tobacco and alcohol advertising.
Major resources to help addicts break their heroin addiction,
including making heroin available on prescription to registered
addicts, expansion of detox, rehabilitation and counselling
services staffed by trained drugs workers.
A radical social program to tackle the roots of drug abuse
including a huge expansion of cultural and sporting facilities
at community level.
Drug workers, addicts, ex-addicts and users to work with communities
and schools in providing effective drug education.
Check
out Socialist
Youth in Scotland and the Scottish
Socialist Party webstites
Cannabis
is a gateway to death
THE
reclassifying of cannabis from Class B to Class C has been
greeted with great celebrations by the drug dealers who service
the needs of Britain's 3 million cannabis users.
The
Government has sent out a clear message that it doesn't care
about people smoking cannabis, that the police will turn a
blind eye to the use of 'soft drugs', and that the drug dealers
can have control of the streets.
At
a time when we have more drug dealers than ever before and
more than 5 million youngsters hooked on drugs, David Blunkett's
relaxation of our drug laws is a monumental mistake.
Cannabis
is the gateway drug to crack cocaine. Last year there was
an 8% rise in seizures of crack and police believe Britain
is on the brink of a crime epidemic fuelled by the drug.
Both
Labour and the Tories are guilty of promoting the liberalisation
of drug laws. It's part of their 'politicising the police'
experiment, started in the early eighties, where law and order
issues are prioritised to accommodate the latest fads and
trends of the liberal elite within society.
The
down grading of cannabis is not about allowing personal freedom,
it's about manipulating law and order. It's tinkering with
society's guidelines to curry favor with a tiny minority with
out regard of the consequences.
Cannabis
provides a road to ruin for easily-led youngsters. It's not
just the gateway to crack cocaine, it's the gateway to death.
UKIP
don't have a formal drugs policy, but UKCIA was sent this
explaination when we asked:
Drugs
and drug control is a national issue not a local or EUropean
issue - which is what these elections are supposed to be about.
And I note your bias in this matter...
UKIP's policy on illegal drugs is that of every other Party
- illegal drug activity will be a crime and will be treated
as such - hopefully by a Police Force freed from the senseless
amount of bureaucracy it now operates under and in a climate
where significant Police resources are not wasted chasing
down 'thought crime' based on a series of petty minded politically
correct laws which have come to prominence in the last 3 decades
as a result of successive governments wooing the votes of
one minority after another by seeking promote THEIR cause,
aided and abetted by empire-building quangos, to the point
where minorities appear to have more 'rights' than the majority!
The whole issue of drugs and crime needs to be re-evaluated
from scratch based on the latest medical evidence. Actually
the same is true in a number of other areas of 'chemistry'
and 'environment' as well...
Cannabis is likely to be a 'free vote' in UKIP - along with
many other policies - because UKIP represents the people not
the Party. Hence UKIP councillors are not subject to a Party
Whip and are free to represent their constituents like a true
Independent councillor.
UKIP
website
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