Sadiq Khan says some cannabis possession should be decriminalised

Published

2 days ago

May 29, 2025

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London mayor Sadiq Khan has backed calls for the possession of small quantities of natural cannabis to be decriminalised.

Sir Sadiq said a new report, published by the independent London Drugs Commission (LDC) today, provides “a compelling, evidence-based case” for the government to consider the move.

Under current laws, cannabis is a Class B drug and people found in possession face a fine or imprisonment.

The LDC, set up by the mayor in 2022 and chaired by former lord chancellor Lord Charlie Falconer, has said the current laws on cannabis are “disproportionate to the harms it can pose”.

Its study examined how the drug is policed around the world – and also found cannabis policing “continues to focus on particular ethnic communities,” damaging their relations with law enforcement.

The commission stops short of calling for full decriminalisation and instead says “natural” cannabis should be moved from the Misuse of Drugs Act to the Psychoactive Substances Act.

This would effectively legalise the possession of small amounts for personal use while continuing to prohibit importing, manufacturing or distributing the drug.

The LDC is also calling for improved addiction services and better education on the dangers of cannabis for young people.

Sir Sadiq said: “I’ve long been clear that we need fresh thinking on how to reduce the substantial harms associated with drug-related crime in our communities.”

The report “makes a compelling, evidenced-based case for the decriminalisation of possession of small quantities of natural cannabis which the government should consider,” he added.

“It says that the current sentencing for those caught in possession of natural cannabis cannot be justified given its relative harm and people’s experience of the justice system.

“We must recognise that better education, improved healthcare and more effective, equitable policing of cannabis use are long overdue.”

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Lord Falconer said: “Legalisation is not the answer. The criminal justice system response needs to focus only on the dealers and not the users.

“Those who suffer from the adverse effects of cannabis – which may be a small percentage of users but it is a high number of people – need reliable, consistent medical and other support. And there needs to be much more education on the risks of cannabis use.”

Government and Tories respond

A Home Office spokesperson said the government “has no intention of reclassifying cannabis from a Class B substance”.

“We will continue to work with partners across health, policing and wider public services to drive down drug use, ensure more people receive timely treatment and support, and make our streets and communities safer,” they added.

The Conservatives have rubbished Sir Sadiq’s suggestion, with shadow home secretary Chris Philp saying: “Cannabis is associated with anti-social behaviour and heavy use can lead to serious psychosis and severed mental health problems.

“US and Canadian cities which tried this approach have ended up as crime-ridden ghettos with stupefied addicts on the streets and law-abiding citizens frightened to go there.”

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‘No doubt’ UK will spend 3% of GDP on defence in next parliament, defence secretary says

Published

3 hours ago

May 31, 2025

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'No doubt' UK will spend 3% of GDP on defence in next parliament, defence secretary says

There is “no doubt” the UK “will spend 3% of our GDP on defence” in the next parliament, the defence secretary has said.

John Healey’s comments come ahead of the publication of the government’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) on Monday.

This is an assessment of the state of the armed forces, the threats facing the UK, and the military transformation required to meet them.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously set out a “clear ambition” to raise defence spending to 3% in the next parliament “subject to economic and fiscal conditions”.

Mr Healey has now told The Times newspaper there is a “certain decade of rising defence spending” to come, adding that this commitment “allows us to plan for the long term. It allows us to deal with the pressures.”

A government source insisted the defence secretary was “expressing an opinion, which is that he has full confidence that the government will be able to deliver on its ambition”, rather than making a new commitment.

The UK currently spends 2.3% of GDP on defence, with Sir Keir announcing plans to increase that to 2.5% by 2027 in February.

This followed mounting pressure from the White House for European nations to do more to take on responsibility for their own security and the defence of Ukraine.

The 2.3% to 2.5% increase is being paid for by controversial cuts to the international aid budget, but there are big questions over where the funding for a 3% rise would be found, given the tight state of government finances.

While a commitment will help underpin the planning assumptions made in the SDR, there is of course no guarantee a Labour government would still be in power during the next parliament to have to fulfil that pledge.

A statement from the Ministry of Defence makes it clear that the official government position has not changed in line with the defence secretary’s comments.

The statement reads: “This government has announced the largest sustained increase to defence spending since the end of the Cold War – 2.5% by 2027 and 3% in the next parliament when fiscal and economic conditions allow, including an extra £5bn this financial year.

“The SDR will rightly set the vision for how that uplift will be spent, including new capabilities to put us at the leading edge of innovation in NATO, investment in our people and making defence an engine for growth across the UK – making Britain more secure at home and strong abroad.”

Sir Keir commissioned the review shortly after taking office in July 2024. It is being led by Lord Robertson, a former Labour defence secretary and NATO secretary general.

The Ministry of Defence has already trailed a number of announcements as part of the review, including plans for a new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command and a £1bn battlefield system known as the Digital Targeting Web, which we’re told will “better connect armed forces weapons systems and allow battlefield decisions for targeting enemy threats to be made and executed faster”.

On Saturday, the defence secretary announced a £1.5bn investment to tackle damp, mould and make other improvements to poor quality military housing in a bid to improve recruitment and retention.

Mr Healey pledged to “turn round what has been a national scandal for decades”, with 8,000 military family homes currently unfit for habitation.

He said: “The Strategic Defence Review, in the broad, will recognise that the fact that the world is changing, threats are increasing.

“In this new era of threat, we need a new era for defence and so the Strategic Defence Review will be the vision and direction for the way that we’ve got to strengthen our armed forces to make us more secure at home, stronger abroad, but also learn the lessons from Ukraine as well.

“So an armed forces that can be more capable of innovation more quickly, stronger to deter the threats that we face and always with people at the heart of our forces… which is why the housing commitments that we make through this strategic defence review are so important for the future.”