“The Government has no intention of legalising cannabis. We do not accept that legalisation and regulation is now, or will be in the future, an acceptable response to the presence of drugs.”

Source: Legalise Cannabis Alliance
Date: December 6 2007
Author: Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA)

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PRESS RELEASE: UK government not interest cannabis users safety or opinion –

No Embargo

The Legalise Cannabis Alliance, a major UK pressure group for cannabis law reform, is outraged by the Government’s responses to three e-petitions raised by members of the public concerning cannabis law.

The e-petitions were hosted on the Downing Street web site.

The petitions read:

“to remove cannabis and cannabis products from the Misuse of Drugs Act and associated laws and thus enable consumer protection.” (1)

“to safeguard the public from the risks of inappropriate use of cannabis by bringing its control and sales within the law.” (2)

“to initiate a test program whereby cannabis users may purchase up to 5 grams in a “coffeeshop” to reduce the flow of funds to organised criminal gangs.” (3)

Potent quotes from government responses to these petitions;

“The Government has no intention of legalising cannabis. We do not accept that legalisation and regulation is now, or will be in the future, an acceptable response to the presence of drugs.”

“The Government has no intention of legalising cannabis and regulating its control.”

“The Government’s message has always been that cannabis is a harmful and illegal drug that should not be taken.”

“The Government has no intention of legalising cannabis and regulating its control.”

“The Government’s message has always been that cannabis is a harmful and illegal drug that should not be taken.”

Dilys Wood, spokesperson for the LCA said: “The attitude and similarity of these responses highlights the futility of e-petitions and the lack of respect shown by this Government to the members of the public who raise them.”

The Legalise Cannabis Alliance believes that cannabis prohibition is a crime against Human Rights, illogical and unworkable.

The UN Declaration of Human Rights preamble makes it clear that the Rights were acknowledged in order to stifle the need for rebellion.

Unfortunately the Government’s continued refusal to accept the Rights of Privacy and Freedom of Belief for it’s citizens who are otherwise law-abiding and tax-paying citizens but who wish to use cannabis means that rebellion may once again be the only option.

Dilys Wood said: “Rebellion against this unjust law is already happening in a peaceful way. The Home Office has estimated that some 4 million regularly use cannabis in the UK – we suspect the figure is much higher – and they are unjustly being criminalised despite doing no harm to others.

“Prohibition has failed to control the use of cannabis and has created many problems of its own, not least a blatant and illegal disregard for the Human rights of cannabis users, their safety or even their opinion”.

Legalise Cannabis Alliance
PO BOX 2883
STOKE ON TRENT
S74 9EE
http://lca-uk.blogspot.com
http://www.lca-uk.org/
+44 7984 255015
pressoffice@lca-uk.org

References:

1: Petition information http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Cannabis/

The Prime Minister’s Office response to this petition can view it here:
http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page13948.asp

2: Petition information
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Cannabisreg/?ref=cannabisreg

The Prime Minister’s Office response to this petition can view it here:
http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page13950.asp

3: Petition information http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/coffeeshops/?showall=1

The Prime Minister’s Office response to this petition can view it here:
http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page13949.asp

4: The e-petitions system launched in November 2006. There are
currently 22 petitions listed on the UK Prime Ministers web site (past
and live) that may be of interest to your audience to have their say:here

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