The idea
Legalise cannabis for over 18's, allow companies to cultivate crops and sell (including VAT) for less than the going rate on the illegal drug market. Price the dealers out of the market. Create kite markings, and regulations so people know their product is as safe as can be.
Reallocate the funds used on police resources to arrest, put on trial, and jail cannabis users, to thorough and transparent scientific research on the long and short term effects of cannabis use. Use this information to make a campaign, creating awareness of the results of the research, and discourage the smoking element, suggesting alternative methods for consumption e.g. tea or cookies (low fat mind you).
Create a system similar to Amsterdam, allowing a set limit of cannabis per customer from licensed cafes/bars.
Legalise to avoid tarnishing otherwise law abiding citizens with a criminal record, to enable those who get relief from pain to do so easily, and to give people a choice about what to put in their own bodies.
Why is it important?
It is important because prohibition has clearly not worked, the underground drug market is thriving. People are smoking weed with sawdust and shards of glass in, as the dealers do not care what they put in it, as long as they get their money.
People are still not discouraged from using cannabis, despite the obvious health risks of buying from an illegal source, so instead of pushing the money into the hands of obvious criminals, generate some money from legalising and taxing it.
I have a feeling they will just ignore all the calls to legalise cannabis, but there are plenty. If they do sit back and ignore this, then what is the point in setting up this website in the first place? They asked the people what they want, and this is what a lot of people want!
This new government is cutting public spending under the guise that 2.5 million new private sector jobs are going to be created in the next 5 years. Well, where?
I think introducing a cannabis industry would provide jobs for so many people! You would need people to work in the companies, people to grow the stuff, people to harvest the stuff, people to package it, to brand it, to advertise it, to control check it, to license it. Small businesses would pop up in the form of cafes and bars that would sell it, providing more jobs. This is not to mention the money generated through paraphernalia for cannabis, the new products that could be developed and sold, all generating a taxable income. It seems very silly to me, that we already have an absolutely HUGE cannabis industry, yet it goes unchecked and untaxed. As wide a range of people (rich to poor, young to old) use cannabis, as they use alcohol, this is not a niche drug kept in particular social circles. It is EVERYWHERE. This government who so vehemently promise new jobs, and set up things like this website to persuade us they're listening, need to listen hard.
It is foolish to keep something so thriving and generating so much money, in the hands of criminals. It is foolish to continue arresting people for having a joint or two with their friends. Alcohol causes far more problems, yet it has been allowed to spiral out of control. A cannabis culture would change the recreational culture of Britain's adults; there is too much violence caused by alcohol, we need to introduce a different recreational drug.
It is foolish to ignore the impact allowing a large cannabis industry, would have on employment. The Oxford Economics Alcohol Industry Report of 2009, states that in total 668,000 people are employed in the production and retailing of alcohol. That number would surely be similar for a cannabis industry, and with that many jobs, the government would be over a quarter of the way to their target, in one fell swoop.
This is not to mention the money generated in tax, I don't have figures but I'll bet it is a lot. How much debt are we in again? Billions isn't it? Yeah….I argue that it is going to take large scale industry to get us out of this mess, and why not use an industry that is already performing VERY well. It's already here, stop pretending it isn't, and use it to the advantage of the people of this country, both economically and socially.
Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg, we voted for change, not more of the same. We desperately need employment, and we desperately need to change the drinking culture here in Britain. I know of many people who, if cannabis were legalised along the lines of the Dutch model, would go out on a weekend to a cannabis cafe, they would much rather have a joint, than go drinking. Instead in order to socialise, and 'fit-in' they drink.
So these people have to fly out to The Netherlands to have their cannabis, again, we're throwing money away, when it is desperately needed here.
The health issue is a bit of a non starter, being that noone has ever died directly from consuming cannabis, compare that to alcohol or smoking? Enough said.
They should let us make up our own minds, aside from the very obvious economic advantages, this is about choice, a lot of people have already chosen, and we're wasting a lot of potential branding them as criminals.