Mayor of London announces plan to investigate cannabis legalization

London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced a plan to investigate cannabis legalization on Wednesday after visiting a dispensary and cultivation facility as part of an official visit to Los Angeles. Khan said he was forming a commission to investigate cannabis legalization and appointed a prominent Labor Party official to chair the panel.

Khan walked among growing cannabis plants and became acquainted with the wide range of products available at licensed cannabis dispensaries. The Mayor of London said the commission he appointed would study the effectiveness of the city’s drug laws and how legalizing cannabis could help reduce “drug-related harm”.

“Illegal drug trafficking is causing tremendous damage to our society and we need to do more to fight this epidemic and advance the debate on our drug laws,” Khan said. “That’s why I’m in LA to see firsthand how they handle cannabis.”

The commission will gather evidence on the legalization of cannabis from around the world and examine the public health benefits of cannabis, best practices to prevent abuse and effective law enforcement strategies. The panel will make recommendations to City Hall and government officials, law enforcement and public health officials. Further appointments to the Commission will be announced this summer. The London Drugs Commission is not expected to present its first report until next year.

London Mayor tours legal cannabis facility

Khan was joined on the tour of the facility by representatives of the regulated cannabis industry and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. Khan’s aides noted that regulated marijuana has generated millions of dollars in tax revenue for Los Angeles while providing economic opportunities for business owners and workers.

“The decriminalization and legalization of cannabis offers historically marginalized communities opportunities for healing, entrepreneurship and wealth creation in this growing industry,” Garcetti said. “Cities can learn so much from each other and I applaud Mayor Khan’s thoughtful approach as London moves forward.”

Khan announced that he had appointed Lord Falconer, former Lord Chancellor in Tony Blair’s government and current member of the Labor Party’s shadow cabinet, to head the commission charged with investigating issues related to the possible legalization of cannabis in London is commissioned. Although the city government does not have the power to unilaterally legalize cannabis, Khan hopes the commission’s work will stimulate discussion about cannabis policy reform. He plans to bring back to London the lessons learned from his visit to Los Angeles, which was a stop on a four-day trade mission to the United States, to support discussion on the subject.

“We need to learn from others when considering our approach and by examining the latest evidence from around the world and UCL’s world-class research, Lord Falconer and the Commission will make recommendations to improve our approach to cannabis to help fight drug-related problems fight crime, protect the health of Londoners and reduce the tremendous damage illicit drugs are doing to our communities,” said Khan.

Khan previously admitted to using cannabis during a party trip to Amsterdam.

“I was young once and I’m not a prude,” he told reporters in 2018. “And I inhaled, too.”

Exploring cannabis policy reform

The London delegation also met with Los Angeles Police Department officials, city officials and health professionals for additional perspectives on cannabis legalization and regulation. Khan has been investigating cannabis policy reform since 2019, when he called for a national review of cannabis policy and law enforcement following a spate of violent crime related to illicit drugs.

“It’s a real opportunity to thoroughly examine the effectiveness of our drug laws and our cannabis policy,” said Lord Falconer. “We need to rigorously figure out what is the best approach to mitigate the harm to our communities. A national debate is long overdue. Our goal is to provide recommendations to bring about effective and lasting change.”

But news of Khan’s assignment was not well received in the UK. Home Secretary Priti Patel, a member of the ruling Conservative Party, has criticized the London Mayor’s plans to decriminalize cannabis.

“Sadiq Khan’s time would be better spent focusing on knife and drug crime in London,” Patel said, as quoted by the Daily Mail. “The mayor has no power to legalize drugs. They ruin communities, tear families apart and destroy lives.”

Khan must also win the support of his own party leadership if cannabis legalization is to become a reality in the UK. Party leader Keir Starmer would probably resist efforts at political reform.

“Labor does not support drug law changes,” a spokesman said. “Drugs policy is not vested in mayors and under Labor would continue to be set by national government.”