Time to Decriminalise? The UK’s Cannabis Question
The News Agents
Global
4.2 • 4.3K Ratings
🗓️ 28 May 2025
⏱️ 36 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The age old "should we decriminalise cannibis?" conversation has reared it's head again, this time with the London Mayor Sadiq Khan backing the calls to decriminalise for possession of small amounts.
How are drug laws in the UK damaging police relations with ethnic communities? What would decriminalisation it mean for stop and search? And, with so many countries around the world having already legalised cannibis, how will it change things here in the UK? Former head of Counter Terrorism for the UK, Neil Basu, joins us in the studio.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Newsagents podcast is brought to you by HSBC UK, opening up a world of opportunity. |
| 0:09.1 | This is a global player original podcast. |
| 0:12.4 | And just finally on the issue of drugs, the Labour Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and former Labour |
| 0:17.4 | Lord Chancellor Lord Faulkner, both both want legalised possession of natural cannabis. |
| 0:21.6 | Do you support them? |
| 0:22.6 | No, that's not the government position and we're not going to be changing our policy there. |
| 0:26.3 | And have you ever taken drugs? |
| 0:27.8 | I've taken paracet, more codeine and all sorts, yes. |
| 0:31.9 | Very neat footwork, Angela Rainer. |
| 0:34.5 | Very neat footwork. |
| 0:36.7 | That is Labour's Deputy Prime Minister, not wanting to go anywhere |
| 0:41.5 | near the subject of the decriminalisation of cannabis, even though that call has been made before |
| 0:49.2 | and now finds an echo with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. Yes, Sadiq Khan, London Mayor, set up the London Drugs Commission, chaired by the |
| 0:57.7 | former Justice Secretary, Labour Pier, and indeed close ally of Kirstama's Lord Charlie Falkiner. |
| 1:04.0 | They have recommended today that possession of cannabis be decriminalised. |
| 1:08.9 | That would follow in the wake of dozens of US states, lots of countries |
| 1:13.3 | around the world. And yet in Britain, why is it that the debate on drugs seems totally frozen |
| 1:20.6 | in time? Welcome to the newsagents. The news agents. It's John. It's Lewis. And go down a street in London. The News Agents |
| 1:27.7 | It's John |
| 1:28.5 | It's Lewis |
| 1:29.1 | And go down a street in London |
| 1:31.6 | And it's rare |
... |
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