Monday, 6 December 2010
UK - New poll shows 70% support for legal regulation of cannabis
The following press release was issued today by the campaigning group Liberal Democrats for Drug Policy Reform. The blog will explore its fascinating findings in more detail at a later stage. For more information on drug policy and public opinion see Transform's (soon to updated) 2004 briefing Attitudes to Drug Policy and Drug Laws: A review of the international evidence.
Note: Transform has provided a quote, but has not been involved in the poll, and has no affiliation with the LDDPR
Three other drugs: Magic Mushrooms, Amphetamines, and Mephedrone show a majority in favour of legalisation and regulation, whilst 3 in 10 people would prefer the state regulate rather than prohibit heroin supply. These poll results demonstrate that the public is ready for a mature, open discussion of alternative approaches to drug policy and that there is no need for politicians to fear a backlash should they express doubts about the wisdom of our current approach.
Rather than just ask whether each drug should be “legalised”, the poll gave brief descriptions of three regulatory options and asked the public to pick which they thought most tolerable for each of a series of drugs. The options were:
Light regulation (drugs sold like tobacco and alcohol are now) Strict government control and regulation (an example of how government could heavily regulate a legal market in an attempt to minimise harm) and Prohibition (the current status of illegal drugs).support for legalisation regulation combnes support for the first two options
Headline results include:
70% support for cannabis legalisation/regulation, with 1 in 3 of those polled feeling that it should be sold in a similar way to alcohol and tobacco. More people supporting legalisation/regulation than prohibition for 3 other drugs: Magic Mushrooms (52% to 34%), Amphetamines (49% to 40%), and the recently banned “legal high” Mephedrone (41% to 39%). 39% support for the legal regulation of ecstasy sales, 36% support for regulation of cocaine, and 30% of respondents supported the legal regulation of heroin. For alcohol and tobacco over 1 in 4 respondents supported strict government control and regulation and 8% expressed a desire for tobacco to be prohibited.
Poll result summary graph
From: Google Alerts [mailto:googlealerts-noreply@google.com]
Sent: 06 December, 2010 8:46 AM
To: Haden, Mark [VC]
Subject: Google Alert - "regulation of heroin"
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| Legal highs information: New poll shows 70% support for legal ... By Loz 39% support for the legal regulation of ecstasy sales, 36% support for regulation of cocaine, and 30% of respondents supported the legal regulation of heroin. For alcohol and tobacco over 1 in 4 respondents supported strict government ... Legal highs information - http://legalbudinfo.blogspot.com/ |
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