ENCOD
  • Donate
  • Covid-19 messages
  • News
  • Organisation
    • About us
    • Our Team
      • WORKING GROUPS
      • STUDIES
      • GENERAL ASSEMBLIES
      • FINANCES
    • Our Mission
    • FAQ
    • IN THE PRESS
    • ANNUAL REPORTS
    • ENCOD MEMBERS
    • INFO FOR MEMBERS
  • Join us
  • Actions & Events
    • CAMPAIGNS
      • FREEDOM TO FARM
        • FREEDOM TO FARM
        • FREEDOM TO FARM IS THE FIRST TEST OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
        • FREEDOM TO FARM AND CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUBS FOR PEOPLE WHO USE CANNABIS AS A MEDICINE
        • FREEDOM TO FARM POSTERS
        • FREEDOM TO FARM STICKERS
      • Cannabis Social Clubs
        • HOW TO CREATE A CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUB
        • EXAMPLES OF CSC’S IN EUROPE
        • Cannabis Social Clubs in Aktion
        • PROPOSAL TO REGULATE THE SELF CULTIVATION AND CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUBS IN BELGIUM
        • Catalonia regulates the Cannabis Social Clubs
        • WORKSHOP ‘HOW TO SET UP A CSC IN GERMANY’
      • 2017
      • 2014
      • 2010 – 2013
      • 2009
      • 2008
      • 2007
      • 2006
      • 1995 – 2005
      • EU LOBBY CAMPAIGN
        • 2011
        • 2010
        • 2009
        • 2008
        • 2007
        • 2006
        • 2005
        • 2004
    • ACTION APPEALS
  • Bulletins
  • Video Archive
  • Donate
  • Covid-19 messages
  • News
  • Organisation
    • About us
    • Our Team
      • WORKING GROUPS
      • STUDIES
      • GENERAL ASSEMBLIES
      • FINANCES
    • Our Mission
    • FAQ
    • IN THE PRESS
    • ANNUAL REPORTS
    • ENCOD MEMBERS
    • INFO FOR MEMBERS
  • Join us
  • Actions & Events
    • CAMPAIGNS
      • FREEDOM TO FARM
        • FREEDOM TO FARM
        • FREEDOM TO FARM IS THE FIRST TEST OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
        • FREEDOM TO FARM AND CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUBS FOR PEOPLE WHO USE CANNABIS AS A MEDICINE
        • FREEDOM TO FARM POSTERS
        • FREEDOM TO FARM STICKERS
      • Cannabis Social Clubs
        • HOW TO CREATE A CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUB
        • EXAMPLES OF CSC’S IN EUROPE
        • Cannabis Social Clubs in Aktion
        • PROPOSAL TO REGULATE THE SELF CULTIVATION AND CANNABIS SOCIAL CLUBS IN BELGIUM
        • Catalonia regulates the Cannabis Social Clubs
        • WORKSHOP ‘HOW TO SET UP A CSC IN GERMANY’
      • 2017
      • 2014
      • 2010 – 2013
      • 2009
      • 2008
      • 2007
      • 2006
      • 1995 – 2005
      • EU LOBBY CAMPAIGN
        • 2011
        • 2010
        • 2009
        • 2008
        • 2007
        • 2006
        • 2005
        • 2004
    • ACTION APPEALS
  • Bulletins
  • Video Archive
July 9, 2010  |  By ENCOD In 2010

UK: POLL SHOWS 70% FOR CANNABIS REGULATION

arton2538

Press Release
from Liberal Democrats for Drug Policy Reform

July 9, 2010

Three other drugs: Magic Mushrooms, Amphetamines, and Mephedrone show a majority in favour of legalisation and regulation, whilst 3 in 10 people would prefer the state regulate rather than prohibit heroin supply. These poll results demonstrate that the public is ready for a mature, open discussion of alternative approaches to drug policy and that there is no need for politicians to fear a backlash should they express doubts about the wisdom of our current approach.

Rather than just ask whether each drug should be “legalised”, the poll gave brief descriptions of three regulatory options and asked the public to pick which they thought most tolerable for each of a series of drugs.

The options were:

* Light regulation (drugs sold like tobacco and alcohol are now)

* Strict government control and regulation (an example of how government could heavily regulate a legal market in an attempt to minimise harm)

* and Prohibition (the current status of illegal drugs).

Headline results include:

* 70% support for cannabis legalisation/regulation, with 1 in 3 of those polled feeling that it should be sold in a similar way to alcohol and tobacco.

* More people supporting legalisation/regulation than prohibition for 3 other drugs: Magic Mushrooms (52% to 34%), Amphetamines (49% to 40%), and the recently banned “legal high” Mephedrone (41% to 39%).

* 39% support for the legal regulation of ecstasy sales, 36% support for regulation of cocaine, and 30% of respondents supported the legal regulation of heroin.

* For alcohol and tobacco over 1 in 4 respondents supported strict government control and regulation and 8% expressed a desire for tobacco to be prohibited.

Ewan Hoyle, founder of campaigning group Liberal Democrats for Drug Policy Reform says:

“The “Do you think x drug should be legalised?” question asked in polls up until now has failed to elicit any useful information. It may be interpreted by many poll participants as a question on their moral tolerance of drug use, or may conjure up thoughts of an unregulated free-market that they rightly judge to be dangerous. This poll shows that, when asked to choose between some of the actual regulatory options available, the public regards the strict controls and regulations that are being proposed by the reform movement as a sensible solution to our drugs problem.”

“The percentage favouring the legal regulation of Class A drugs is far higher than in previous polls and I would expect this percentage to rise still further as the debate progresses and the causes of the astronomical social and financial costs of problem drug use under the current system are explained. Prohibition of cocaine and heroin is causing, not preventing, massive harms to communities in the UK, and to all the countries in the world that this illegal trade touches.”

Steve Rolles of the Transform Drug Policy Foundation said:

“It is important that people understand that ‘legalisation’ is a process not a policy endpoint – and is one that can lead to strict government regulation of markets. It does not imply an unregulated commercial free for all that many may imagine if no other options are outlined. If anything an unregulated free for all is what we have under prohibition.

The important lesson for politicians is that they don’t need to be afraid of public opinion on this issue if it is presented in the more practical terms of market regulation”

From July 7 to July 9, 2010, Vision Critical conducted an online survey among 2,000 randomly selected British adults who are Springboard UK panelists. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current age, gender, social class, region and newspaper readership data to ensure samples representative of the entire adult population of Great Britain.

Contacts for comment:

Ewan Hoyle – Founder of Liberal Democrats for Drug Policy Reform –
07817536149 or 01416493809

Mark Thompson –
Prominent Lib Dem blogger and leading member of LDDPR –
07734730249

Steve Rolles –
Transform Drug Policy Foundation – 01179415810

Previous StoryENCOD BULETIN 65
Next StoryIN MEMORIAM HANS-GEORG BEHR

Related Articles

  • arton2793
    CANNABIS CLUBS PLUG A GAP IN SPANISH DRUG LAWS
  • arton2784
    THE CONCEPT OF DRUG HARMS

Categories

Archives

  • About us
  • Downloads
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Legal Notice & Terms of Use
  • Imprint

Copyright ©2018 ThemeFuse. All Rights Reserved

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT

REPUBLISHING TERMS

You may republish this article online or in print under our Creative Commons license. You may not edit or shorten the text, you must attribute the article to ENCOD and you must include the author’s name in your republication.

If you have any questions, please email thujer@gmail.com

License

Creative Commons License AttributionCreative Commons Attribution
UK: POLL SHOWS 70% FOR CANNABIS REGULATION