Labour slap down London mayor Sadiq Khan’s call to legalise cannabis
SIR Sadiq Khan’s call to legalise cannabis has been rejected by Labour.
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook was yesterday forced to clarify that the Government was not about to reclassify the drug.
He said: said: “We have no intention of reclassifying cannabis from a Class B substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
He added Labour was instead focused on “driving down drug use”.
London mayor Sir Sadiq said there is “compelling evidence” that possessing small amounts of natural cannabis should not be a crime.
But Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “Cannabis is associated with antisocial behaviour.
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"And heavy use can lead to serious psychosis and severe mental health problems.
"I completely oppose these plans.”
Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley added: "At the moment we see drugs being at the centre of a lot of crime.
"We see a lot of communities complaining about public drug use.
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"And that's a big issue in terms of anti-social behaviour."
