The Liberal Democrats have told BuzzFeed News they will pledge to legalise cannabis, allow it to be sold from high street shops, and spend the tax raised from sales on public health efforts in one of the most radical drugs policy manifesto commitments ever made by a British political party.



Tim Farron's party will campaign in the general election with a pledge to completely upend the existing system of selling weed, making it the first time a major political party has fought an election on a platform of legalising the drug.

Under the Lib Dem proposals the production and sale of marijuana would be fully legalised, with the quality strictly regulated to reduce harmful chemicals and sales restricted to over-18s. Purchases would be allowed only through licensed cannabis shops, similar to the system used in several US states.

The party predicts the decision could raise up to £1 billion a year in tax from cannabis sales while saving costs elsewhere by reducing the burden on the police, prisons, and the health service. The Lib Dems believe organised criminal gangs would suffer a hit to their income and dealers would be forced off the streets, while it would easy for people to access cannabis for medicinal purposes.

"What we currently do is bad for health and mental health," said Julian Huppert of the Liberal Democrats, confirming the manifesto commitment. "The market is run by criminal gangs and they have no interest in public health – the system is causing huge amounts of harm.

"The prohibitionist approach costs a huge amount of money, means we criminalise a large amount of people, and increases the harm. We spend a lot of money making people’s lives worse. That cannot be correct."

