At public debate in Glasgow, four leaders say they are against legalisation of cannabis, and three admit having tried it

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

The main Scottish party leaders have spoken of their youthful use of drugs at a debate organised by Glasgow University’s politics society.

At the event on Thursday evening – arranged with rather less controversy than the televised leaders’ debates – the SNP’s Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy, the Liberal Democrats’ Willie Rennie and Ruth Davidson of the Scottish Conservatives covered a range of subjects from the renewal of Trident to the possibilities of coalition.

Asked about drug legislation, all four said they were against the legalisation of cannabis, but were then prompted by the debate host – Radio Clyde’s political editor Colin Mackay – to share their own experiences of using the drug.

Sturgeon replied: “Once, probably, possibly at this university, and it made me awful sick.”

Murphy said: “On the housing scheme that I lived in, glue-sniffing was the thing.”

Davidson said: “I’m with Nicola, once or twice.” Rennie said he had used cannabis “in my youthful days”.

Aidan Kerr, a politics student at the university, said the drug question was one of the last of the evening. “Willie Rennie started talking about needing a debate based on science, then the compere asked if he has ever tried cannabis himself. He said yes and the room started cheering – it was a typical student crowd.”

In 2007, half the SNP’s then shadow cabinet admitted to having tried cannabis before entering politics. Nicola Sturgeon, then deputy leader, and six other frontbenchers said they did not believe that trying the drug in their youth should count against serving politicians.