Criminalising cannabis
Why was medical cannabis banned in the UK? Katharine Quarmby uncovers the history.
It was 1971 when the UK Misuse of Drugs Act received Royal Assent, although it didn’t come wholly into force until 1973. The Act made it illegal for doctors to prescribe their patients cannabis tincture – the only form of cannabis permissible at that time. But, in a somewhat surreal move, despite the many thundering speeches about cannabis, the Act actually softened sanctions for the possession of cannabis for recreational purposes.
The maximum penalty for possession was reduced by half to six months. When the Act came into effect, Lord Hailsham, the Lord Chancellor, gave sentencing advice to the Magistrates Association. He told them to treat cannabis users “with becoming moderation”. At a time when medical researchers needed a supply of cannabis to study its components, the British government had achieved the dubious outcome of softening punishment...
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