Last Updated on 18th February 2020

Results of a new nationwide YouGov survey show a big shift in UK public opinion in favour of the legalisation of cannabis. Significantly the support for legalising medicinal cannabis appeals to more than three quarters of the surveyed population.

The Extract also heard from Rob Wilson, on why a Conservative Party group he chairs was motivated to have the survey commissioned and published.

The survey shows undeniable support for liberalisation of Britain’s drug laws, with voters favouring the legalisation of cannabis by a margin of two to one.

The poll found that 48% of adults favour legalisation of recreational marijuana use, up five points in the past year, with just 24% opposed. The figure rises to 52% nationwide for those aged 18 to 49. Support for legalisation in London is even higher, at 56%.

Law at odds with public opinion

The results of what is a highly-reputable survey reveal a considerable difference between existing drug laws and public opinion.

Support for medicinal cannabis was even stronger, with 77 per cent of respondents saying it should be permitted. A similar proportion said they would consider using cannabis-based treatments if there was strong evidence it would benefit them.

Support from a surprising source

Somewhat surprisingly for traditional cannabis reform groups the survey was commissioned by the Conservative Party, who have been synonymous with opposition to cannabis legalisation for many years. The Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group (CDPRG) said the findings indicated “clear and growing appetite” for a new approach to drug policy in the UK.

“This survey shows the government and politicians are significantly behind the public’s thinking,” said Rob Wilson, the group’s chief executive and a former Tory minister for civil society.

He added: “It illustrates the widening gulf between the stubborn, decades-old policies of blanket prohibition and the developing attitude of millions of voters willing to apply new approaches focused on improving harm reduction and healthcare outcomes.”

The findings come after the government legalised some cannabis-based medicines in November last year, giving specialist doctors the power to prescribe. Few prescriptions have emerged through the NHS though, heightening frustration. Expensive private dispensaries fall outside the means of most ordinary families.

The Extract put it to Wilson that a pro-cannabis agenda was unusual from a Conservative Party origin.

“The CDPRG was formed to provide evidence-based policy on the centre right. We believe that prohibition has been a failure and needs to be challenged and that it is important for an organisation from the centre right to stimulate serious new thinking and debate, and provide a platform for it.,” he replied adding, “Why? Because illegal drugs are doing terrible damage to families and communities across the country.” Wilson went on to elaborate on why a Tory push is appropriate, despite historical opposition. “I would contest that drug policy reform is the most Conservative thing my party could do, as for those that believe in helping families and communities (and many do), harm reduction should be at the centre of policy work.”

“Views on the centre right, as our survey demonstrates are split. They do not believe the Government's policy is working, but are not sure what to do next. We believe we can provide the necessary forum to ensure high quality information and evidence to get this policy making right.”

The group has three aims:

Earliest safe access to medical cannabis for patients who need it

A Government review of recreational cannabis after looking at its operation in markets such as Canada

A Royal Commission on drugs that challenges prohibition as the only solution

“We are not yet advocating for specific policies, merely educating and informing, gathering all the evidence to make the best possible policy for the UK,” Wilson said.

Just under a quarter of the poll’s 1,690 respondents thought patients who have been prescribed cannabis by their doctor should be allowed to grow their own plants, with 22 per cent saying anyone should be allowed to cultivate the drug.

Thirty-one per cent of those surveyed admitted to having tried cannabis. Seventy-nine per cent of those polled said the government was struggling to cope with the UK’s drug problems, with seven out of 10 respondents believing the current policy of prohibition failed to reduce harm.

Tory minister urges government drugs policy re-think

Half of the respondents believed the legalisation and government-regulated sale of cannabis would make young and vulnerable people safer, compared to 23 per cent who said it would not.

Wilson added, “Thousands of people are dying, many hundreds of thousands of young people are taking drugs which they neither understand nor know what they contain. At the same time violent criminal gangs are making massive financial gains while preying on the weak and vulnerable.”

“The findings of this survey demonstrate the urgent need for policymakers and government to start to rethink policy as part of an open, fully informed and evidence-based debate on the future of drugs policy. “

The CDPRG was launched last month by Mr Wilson and Conservative MP Crispin Blunt, who has called for cannabis to be legalised within five years. The group was set up to push for a “clear and comprehensive review of drugs policy”.

Mike Barton, the former chief constable of Durham Police, said: “We simply cannot arrest our way out of drug problems. Many of us in law enforcement have long been calling for a public health approach to drugs.”

“These [poll] figures show the British public agree criminalisation isn’t the solution to drug problems. A public health approach could reduce harms for users as well as freeing up police resources to tackle serious crime.”