Voice of London

Joe Biden has been facing backlash and individuals are calling for a mass pardon on cannabis. As a society we have gotten to the point where the smell of weed is no stranger to anyone. Are we as the UK, falling behind in where we could be by still criminalising Mary Jane.

After Joe Biden stated in February of 2021 that he will begin to persue the decriminalisation of Cannabis and the expungements of cannabis convictions it is no wonder why with the new year approaching this topic is resurfacing.

Individuals are wondering at what point Joe Biden will carry out his words and Biden is beginning to face backlash from Congressmen to pardon any cannabis charges or fines.

As of Current, 18 states have legalised recreational cannabis use.

So if 18 states are already legal, why is Biden so hesitant? And why is the UK not following in the footsteps to the road of legalisation?

Amsterdam, Barcelona and Canada are amongst the top places for weed being legalised and these locations have all seen mass increases in tourism and profit from the industry. Currently the UK is one of the worlds top exporters for medical marijuana but why is our government so against legalising it?

Over 59% of Brits support the legalisation of Marijuana and the industry is predicted to have a market value of over a £billion.

It is no secret at this point that legalising marijuana has no success in deterring people from buying it. Were simply unregulating the bad stuff from getting onto our streets and putting away individuals simply out to make a living.

In August of 2021 a man was sentenced to 12 months for sexually harassing an 11 year old school girl in Stoke on Trent. At this same time in this same location, two men were sentenced to 5 years in prison for selling weed. The injustice needs no explanation. Countless lives taken and locked away, longer than those who have sexually abused. For what? Attempting to make a living after being raised in rough neighbourhoods. Whilst the government profits from ‘medical’ marijuana. Un-criminalised marijuana.

In the US Congressmen are putting pressure on Joe Biden for this very reason, some individuals are incarcerated for the very same reason that others are profiting, in the same country.

In 2021, 29.6% of people aged 16-59 have admitted to using marijuana at-least once in there lives. So why is the government so against legalising cannabis?

Some believe that the government don’t want to legalise it due to not wanting the break the built up image they’ve spent so long defending against the war on drugs. Others believe that the government feels they are profiting much more from the medicalisation of marijuana.

Furthermore, the amount of alcohol related deaths are at a whopping 88,000 each year compared to THC’s 0 deaths as it cannot be fatal. So why is alcohol legal and so widely accepted when weed is still stigmatised? Studies also found that alcohol drinkers were in the most likely group of people to abuse others, in comparison to weed smokers who were in the least likely category. Aren’t we maybe fighting the wrong substance?

The UK has every right to open the conversation on legalisation. Joe Biden is yet to release any information of his plans to decriminalise but pressure is building as twitter continues to ask questions and congressmen demand for incarcerated individuals to be released before the new year.

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Words by Sheridan Dervis