In '67 SOMA published a letter calling for legalisation of cannabis, signed by many famous figures of the day, in The Times. 25 years later, Release funded this aniversary advert, signed by hundreds of indivduals, calling for decriminalisation and a thorough review of the law.
The Times also published an editorial that day pointing out the hypocrisy and counter-productive nature of prohibition.
ADVERTISMENT
JUST SAY NOW
Cannabis smoking is a common feature of British life. The number of people estimated to have used cannabis in this country is now generally recognised to be in excess of 5 million. More people smoke cannabis than go to football matches, visit art galleries or go to church on Sunday. The people who use it are from all walks of life, all age groups, all social classes and all sections of the community. They do not fit any conventional stereotype - in fact the only thing they have in common is that they are all breaking the law. By participating in a recreational activity for which there is still no conclusive evidence to demonstrate that it causes any significant harm, they are branded criminal. The only time people who use cannabis should be subject to criminal law is when their drug use causes harm to others.
The argument that cannabis leads people inevitably to addiction to harder drugs has proved worthless. The only link of any kind lies with the law's insistence on bracketing cannabis with other drugs therefore seducing some who use it and enjoy it into the mistaken belief that other drugs are equally harmless. Not only is the prohibition of cannabis a law which lacks justification and credibility it is also an affront to individual's liberty and a constant threat to the welfare of significant sections of society. It is a law that has proved immoral in principle and unworkable in practise.
Reform of the law on the use of cannabis would involve an effective legal framework of controls and licencing. Reform of the law would ensure proper information and regulation around cannabis in such a way that already exists for many other substances and commodities. Reform of the law would help restore confidence and credibility in response to drug use. Reform of the law would show a responsibility and maturity which we have yet been unwilling to display.
In the light of overwhelming evidence that our present law is iniquitous and unjust we call upon the Government and citizens of the UK to abolish the prohibition of cannabis ans legalise its use now.
The Experts Say
"Having reviewed all the material available to us we find ourselves in agreement with the conclusions reached by the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission appointed by the government of India (1893-1894) and the New York mayor's committee on marijuana (1944) that the long-term consumption of cannabis in moderation has no harmful effects." -THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DRUG DEPENDENCY, (THE WOOTTON COMMITTEE), 1968
"There is insufficient evidence to enable us to reach any incontestible conclusions as to the effects on the human body of the use of cannabis, but that much of the research undertaken so far has failed to demonstrate positive and significant harmful effects in man attributable solely to the use of cannabis." -THE ADVISORY COUNCIL ON THE MISUSE OF DRUGS, REPORT OF THE EXPERT GROUP ON THE EFFECTS OF CANNABIS USE, HOME OFFICE, 1981
"On any objective reckoning cannabis must at present get a cleaner bill of health than our legalised 'recreational drugs'." -A REPORT ON DRUGS AND DRUG DEPENDENCE BY THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PSYCHIATRISTS, 1987
"Medicines often produce side effects. Sometimes they are physically unpleasent. Many doctors consider marijuana effective in relieving the nausea of chemotherapy, treating glaucoma and helping Aids patients to gain weight. It too has discomforting side effects, but these are not physical they are political." -THE ECONOMIST MARCH 28TH, 1992. MEDICAL MARIJUANA THE LAST SMOKE.
"These surveys would suggest that cannabis smoking seems to be a well established leisure activity of up to 10% of young adults. It is certainly no longer true to say, if it ever was, that cannabis smoking is a sign of affiliation to an 'alternative' life style. Clearly, in the light of its popularity and to a degree its apparent social acceptability, questions are raised about the legalisation of cannabis." -THE MISUSE OF DRUGS, OFFICE OF HEALTH ECONOMICS, 1992
"The only solution to the drug problem is the legalisation of all drugs. If this is too radical and too much opposed to recieved wisdom and decades of conditioning then perhaps we could begin by repealing the laws against the drug which has been shown by several impartial investigations to be at least no more harmful than alcohol, and whose use causes the most conflict between users and the law: cannabis." -SERGEANT GORDON PAYNE THE POLICE REVIEW 28/2/92
"Penalties against posession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself: and where they are, they should be changed. Nowhere is this more clear than the laws against posession of marijuana in private for personal use." -US PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER QUOTING FROM THE N.C.M.D.A. 1977
"It seems likely that if there were any hazards associated with the use of cannabis, they would be fairly well known by now, but all the available evidence suggests that cannabis is no more damaging a drug than tea or coffee. Indeed it is probably less dangerous than drinks containing caffeine." -DR VERNON COLEMAN MB CHB 1992
"Drug addiction and drug misuse should primarily be treated as a subject of health and welfare and not one of police and justice. Posession of illicit drugs in small quantities for personal use should not be considered as a criminal offence." -EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF ENQUIRY ON DRUG TRAFFICKING, 1991
The signatories to this petition call the Home Secretary to recognise that the overwhelming weight of evidence demonstrates that the prohibition of cannabis has promoted criminality, conflict and more harm to the individual and society than its use ever has. On behalf of the citizen and the community we therefore call on him to introduce a programme of reform of the law which will include:
The abolition of the posession of cannabis as a criminal offence.
A thorough review to examine appropriate measures for the establishment of legal and properly regulated sources for the supply of cannabis.
Douglas Adams
Richard Adams
Don Aitken
*Tariq Ali
William F Annesley
Lord Avebury
*David Bailey
Desmond Banks
Tony Banks MP
Edwin Belchamber
Tony Bennett
Grace Berger
Dr Joseph H Berke
*Humphrey Berkeley
Sally Berriff
James Birch
Celia Birtwell
J H Blackham
Chris Blackwell
Revd Eric Blakebrough MBE
Alan Bleasdale
*Anthony Blond
Sir Hermann Bondi
*Derek Boshier
Joe Boyd Philip
Boye-Anawomah
Billy Bragg
Tony Brainsby
Trudi Braun
Dr Colin Brewer
Anthony Burton
Tony Burton
Bernard Carnell
Michael Cashman
Julie Christie
Margi Clarke
Anne L Clarke
Dr George Cohen
Nigel Coke
Dr Vernon Coleman
Gail Colson
Colin Consterdine
Caroline Coon
Frank Crichlow
Janet Daley
Bob Davernport
Rick Davey
Jeff Dexter
Alison Downie
Andrzej Dudzinski
Kirsty Dunlop
Brian Eno
Pamela Esterson
Exeter Drugs Project
H J Eysenck
Duggie Fields
Harry Fletcher
*Tony Garnett
Anthony George
Sara George
Terry Gilliam
Dave Gilmour
Bill Godber
Ray Giltrow LLB
Jane Goodsir
Jonathon Green
Timothy Greene
Sue Hall
*Richard Hamilton
John Hanson
Tim Harding
Derek Harper
Brigitte T Harris
Kevin Harris
Lee Harris
Jillian Harris
*Michael Hastings
Neil Henfrey
Anthony ('Antonil') Henman
Peter Herbert
*David Hockney
Howard Hodgkin
John 'Hoppy' Hopkins
Michael Horovitz
Tony Howard
Roger Hutchinson
*Dr Sam Hutt (Hank Wangford)
*Brian Inglis
Peter Jenner
Matthew Johnson MBchB MRCGP
Jennifer Kane
James Kay
Ludovic Kennedy
Andrew Keogh
Andy Kershaw
*George Kiloh
Debbie Knight
Philip Knightley
Marek Kohn
Hanif Kureishi
Irma Kurtz
Nick Laird-Clowes
Fran Landesman
Paul Lashmar
Helen Laval
Roger Law
Ann Marie Legge
Rawley Leigh
David Leitch
Don Letts
Robert Lomas
David Longmoor
Neil Lyndon
John MacDougall
Caroline MacKechnie
Tim Malyon
Philip Manley-Reaves
Steve Mann
Michael Mansfield QC
Alan Marcuson
Howard Marks
Dr John Marks
Rita Marley
*Tom Maschler
Gaz Mayall
Scarlett MccGwire
William McLlroy
Fiona Mactaggart
Darin Marsh
Jonathan Meades
*George Melly
Paul Merton
Sue Miles
*Adrian Mitchell
PWR Monahan FRCS
Cllr Robin Moss
Edward Muhammed
Richard Neville
Dr Russell Newcombe
Suzette Newman
*Professor Nowell-Smith
David Offenbach
Steve O'Rourke
John Pearse
Professor Geoffrey Pearson
Gareth Peirce
Rupert Pennant-Rea
John Phillips
Martin Polden
Claire Powell
*Patrick Procktor
Andrew Puddephatt
Barbera Pukwana
Ramus
William Rankin
Mike Reed LLB
Ron Reid
David Reynolds
Danny Roche
Tom Robinson
Julian Rothenstein
Chris Salewicz
Craig Sams
Gregory Sams
Bill Sanderson
Carol Sarler
Jon Savage
Professor Wendy Savage FRCOG
Eugene Schoenfeld MD
*Michael Schofield
W G & Jo Sno Serpliss
David L Shaw
Willy Slavin
Larry Smart
Pennie Smith
Arthur Smith
Barbera Smoker
*Tony Smythe
Cathy Snipper
Joyce Stanbridge
Lindi St Clair
Sue Stapely
*Dr Anthony Storr
A J Taylor
Joyce Taylor
Michael Thomas
James Tighe RMN
Peter Till
Jim Tomlinson
Edward Totah
Geoff Travis
Wainwright & Cummins
Dr Tom Waller
**Nicholas Walter
Sandar Warshal
Peter Webb
Cass Wedd
George Weiss
Edward Welsh
Dr David Widgery
John Wilcock
Richard Williams
Mark Williams
Anthony Wilson
Christine Walmar
Rowdy Yates
Professor Jack Young
Caroline Younger
* Original Signatory **Son of original signatory
25 years ago on the 24th of july 1967 a full page advertisement appeared in this newspaper calling for a reform in the law against marijuana. That advertisement was co-ordinated by SOMA. In 1967 2,393 people were convicted for cannabis related offences. By 1990 that figure had gone up to 22,528 excluding 16,487 people who recieved cautions and 1,179 people dealt with by compounding by customs officers. This total of 40,194 cannabis related offences is a 16 fold increase since 19967. Of these 1126 people were sentenced to imprisonment crime of posession. Cannabis related offences comprised 90% of all drug related offences reflecting the continued emphasis on enforcing this law. The signatories of this petition should in no way be taken to imply affiliation to Release or Release Publications LTD, 388 Old Street, London EC1 1LT. The Release White Paper on the reform of the drug laws is available at £4.20 (inc p&p) from Release Publications Ltd. Please send donations to support the work of RELEASE, which includes a 24 hour help line c/o Mike Goodwin at the above address.
Advert
The Times
24th July '92
source ukcia.org
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