London Mayor Sadiq Kahn plans to decriminalize drugs in London through an anti-drug plan. Kahn wishes to end the hunt towards young people penalized for cannabis, speed, and ketamine use.
The new program will concern people under 25 in Lewisham, Bexley, and Greenwich.
According to the British tabloid The Telegraph, the new drug decriminalization plan will allow people under 25 years old caught with class B drugs to receive counseling instead of being fined or prosecuted.
London authorities will soon announce the plan, which states that the police will not be legally able to arrest young people for possession of cannabis, ketamine, and speed.
The project comes a month after the Government’s anti-drug announcement, after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a crackdown on illegal drugs.
The Government’s strategy aims at wealthy professionals and class A drug users who will face penalties such as losing their driving license or even their passport.
“We are not going to sit idly by with those class A drug users. We are going to be very tough on them,” Johnson said.
“The Government has to take care of those 300,000 drug users. We have to make sure they get rehab, and therefore we have to be very tough on organized gangs. But you also have to think about what is happening with the demand for drugs in the United Kingdom. Backed by record investments, the strategy we are creating will tackle the supply and break the county lines that see criminals taking advantage of people’s misery. Those who violate the law will have nowhere to hide. ” Johnson added.
Mr. Johnson’s speech came after the Sunday Times reported that several of Parliament’s toilets showed signs of cocaine use.
Khan will announce his plan this month, but the move appears to put the mayor at odds with Boris Johnson, as the Prime Minister claimed that the Government had “stepped up” its campaign against drugs.
Research suggests that police should rather hunt severe and violent crimes rather than penalize individuals who occasionally use cannabis.
Khan’s plan follows this opinion by suggesting that the Government should better support the police against organized gangs.
UK police and crime commissioners have already tested similar plans in Somerset, Durham, and the West Midlands.
There is a chance that the policy would extend to all class B drugs. If so, ketamine and amphetamines, also known as “speed,” would also be decriminalized.
