Why did the UK block the legalization of cannabis on the island of Bermuda?

Why has the UK blocked the law legalizing cannabis in Bermuda?

The UK government has just blocked royal assent that would grant cannabis legalization packages in Bermuda, Britain’s largest and oldest remaining territory. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was the head of state, although she has just passed away and Charles is now on the throne.

This could have brought Britain into a constitutional crisis in Bermuda. Bermuda Governor Rena Lalgie also announced that the British Foreign Secretary had instructed her to withhold royal assent to allow the Progressive Labor Party’s Cannabis Licensing Act to pass, reports the Royal Gazette. As recently as May this year, Lalgie had already reserved her approval of the bill, prompting her to call for a discussion between London and Hamilton.

According to Premier David Burt in 2021, not granting royal assent would affect relations between the two countries.

“Disappointing but not surprising given the limitations of our constitutional relationship with the UK government and their archaic interpretation of the drug conventions,” commented Kathy Lynn Simmons, Bermuda Attorney General. “The people of Bermuda have democratically expressed their desire for a regulated cannabis licensing system after strong approval at the ballot box and an extensive public consultation process,” she adds.

“The Government of Bermuda intends to continue to advance this initiative to the fullest extent of its constitutional authority, consistent with our commitment to the election platform for the 2020 general election,” Simmons said.

Simmons adds that the reason London blocked the bill is because “it is inconsistent with the obligations that the UK and Bermuda have under the 1961 Narcotic Drugs Convention and the 1971 Psychotropic Substances Convention “.

Possession of more than 7 grams of cannabis is still illegal in Bermuda. The law would have allowed the government to create a legal framework for growing and selling marijuana while providing business licenses through a licensing agency. The bill was blocked in the Senate last year, despite the upper house’s inability to block a bill twice in a row.

“If Her Majesty’s representative in Bermuda does not agree to something that has been lawfully and legally passed under this local government, it will destroy the relationship that we have had with the UK,” Burt said in the past.

Laws as antiquated as the monarchy?

It’s time for the UK to change its cannabis laws – not just for Britain, but for Bermuda too.

In the UK, marijuana is still classified as a Class B substance; Individuals still face up to 5 years in prison if found guilty of possession. Meanwhile, cannabis has been legal in California since 1996, and the state has already grown into one of the largest and most mature marijuana markets in the world, with thriving businesses — and people easily getting the drugs they need.

Back in 2018, there were two high-profile cases of children suffering from severe epilepsy. Alfie Dingley and Billy Caldwell, then 6 and 12 respectively, did not have access to the medicine they needed – cannabis oil, and the injustice involved was highlighted in the press. The police had to step in, the public berated the UK for its antiquated cannabis laws, and it was now clear that the UK had to take a step to legalize marijuana in some form.

Now the UK has a medical marijuana program but it still faces serious criticism as the system is flawed and they still rely on imported weed. Medical marijuana patients in the UK are struggling to get reimbursed by the NHS and there is a shortage of specialist doctors who can prescribe marijuana. Smoked cannabis is also illegal.

The rest of the continent is already working to make cannabis more accessible to people, either by improving medical marijuana laws or through research to relax their recreational-use laws. But to say the UK is falling behind and unwilling to change its perception of cannabis is a gross understatement.

In May 2022, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, announced that he would set up a commission to study how cannabis laws in the UK could be improved. He even made a trip to Los Angeles, where he visited a marijuana factory during his US tour. Afterwards he said: “The illegal drug trade is causing enormous damage to our society and we must do more to fight this epidemic and advance the debate on our drug laws.”

Then in January this year a representative of Prime Minister Boris Johnson exclaimed: “We have said many times that illegal drugs destroy lives and fuel violence. We have absolutely no intention of decriminalizing dangerous and harmful substances for recreational use,” he said. In fact, 15 Tory MPs called on Khan to end all support for a marijuana decriminalization program in January as well. If given the green light, the process would aim to distract young adults aged 18-24 in Greenwich, Bexley and Lewisham from the criminal justice system and offer them re-education or counseling services instead. MPs believe the scheme would instead decriminalize recreational drug use.

Unfortunately, City Hall is limited in the changes it can make to criminal and narcotics laws. We can only hope that Khan is able to influence change, especially with a new king in power in the UK following the death of Her Majesty the Queen.

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