Lord William Hague has come out for cannabis legalisation and we are happy to say that we stand with the noble Lord. Sam Dumitriu, our Head of Research, says:

"Lord Hague is right to move beyond drug policy dogma and call for the legalisation, regulation, and taxation of cannabis.

"We estimate that legalisation would raise at least £1bn a year for the Treasury, on top of reduced policing and prosecuting costs. The ‘cannabis dividend’ could be spent on expanding access to addiction treatment centres and reducing wait-times for mental health services on the NHS. 

"Just as the prohibition of alcohol failed in the US, the prohibition of cannabis has failed here. Ensuring that licensed shops, not criminal gangs, are able to sell cannabis for recreational use will prevent sales to minors and ensure users are informed through product labelling. 

"We should follow Canada’s lead and regulate cannabis."

To arrange an interview, or for further comment please contact Matt Kilcoyne via email (matt@adamsmith.org) or phone (02072224995 or 07584778207).