Discuss - Crime Drugs - De-criminalise Class B/C drugs (e.g. cannabis)

Should the use of cannabis and other Class B/C drugs be de-criminalised?

Conservative The Conservatives are in opposition to the decriminalisation of drug use, saying that it would be the wrong approach. The party claims that the current strategy is "working". Source: BBC Politics, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31716217

Green Party The Green Party would decriminalise cannabis, and abolish custodial sentences for possession of other drugs. Cannabis would be removed from the 1971 Misuse of Drugs act, and the possession, trade and cultivation of cannabis would be immediately decriminalised, following a Dutch model. Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29642613 & Green Party website

Labour "We know the effect of drugs can be harmful and I don't want us to be saying to young people 'we should legalise drugs, or decriminalise drugs. I don't think the answer is decriminalisation or legalisation, I think the answer lies in better education, better prevention and better treatment." Ed Miliband, Labour party leader.

Liberal Democrat Liberal Democracts would end the imprisonment for possession of drugs for personal use and move the drugs and alcohol policy lead from the Home Office to the Department of Health. Drug users would receive non-custodial sentences and medical treatment. We will establish a Commission to assess the effectiveness of current drugs law and alternative approaches, including further work on diverting users into treatment or into civil penalties that do not attract a criminal record which can seriously affect their chances of employment. Source: Liberal Democrat pre-2015 Manifesto

Plaid Cymru "Substance abusers given the help and education they need and not treated like criminals. Support for the decriminalisation of cannabis." Source: Plaid Cymru, http://www.partyof.wales/easy-read-manifesto/

SNP The SNP want to devolve the existing drug policies to Scotland to allow them to discuss an "integrated and coherent approach to issues that affect Scotland's communities". Source: BBC News, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31716217

UKIP "I’m not pro-drugs by the way, as someone with teenage children, and I’ve seen fairly close to hand the damage that drugs can do to young people. So I hate drugs, I’ve never taken them myself, I hope I never do, but I just have a feeling that the criminalisation of all these drugs is actually not really helping British society." Nigel Farage during a phone-in with Telegraph readers, 4 April 2014. Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/10744924/Nigel-Farage-I-have-never-taken-drugs-but-they-should-be-legal.html

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