In the UK a petition needs 100,000 signature for the government to debate the topic of cannabis legalization.
This petition: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/104349 that calls for the legalization of cannabis has been surging with signatures in recent days. On the 23rd of July 2015 the petition was sitting at around 35,000 signatures while the today on the 24th of July it has surpassed 75,000 signatures, more than doubling in just one day, signalling a real desire for changes to current drug policies.
The petition may have been spurred on by recent comments from Ron Hogg, police and crime commissioner for Durham Police in the UK, stating that they will no longer waste resources pursuing the arrest of small scale cannabis growers. – Read More
Here’s what the simple petition says:
“Petition: Make the production, sale and use of cannabis legal.
Legalising cannabis could bring in £900m in taxes every year, save £400m on policing cannabis and create over 10,000 new jobs.
A substance that is safer than alcohol, and has many uses. It is believed to have been used by humans for over 4000 years, being made illegal in the UK in 1925.”
The government in the UK must respond to any petition that reaches 10,000 signatures, but is usually just a formality to acknowledge the petition. Green Party MP Caroline Lucas started a petition calling for changes to drug policies, it reached 130,000 signatures but it did nothing to change the draconian laws.
So previous attempts have been ignored, but that was then and this is now. The wave of information about cannabis reaching the public is growing worldwide. Even if the media in the UK still portray cannabis as a demon the fact is that the science and research from the rest of the world counters their arguments of “Reefer Madness”.
The Petition closes on the 21 January 2016 so we are hoping that signatures reach way beyond the needed 100,000. Only British citizens or UK residents have the right to sign so spread the good word to your British pals folks…