Brexit: the effects on UK cannabis consumers

While the Brexit wind has still not really died down, England has opened the door to its exit from the European Union. What surprising consequences will the Brexit have for cannabis consumers in Britain?

The isolationist spirit, probably the most negative element of the Brexit, has already been felt in other European countries, with the idea of withdrawal from the EU fanning the embers of populism.

Not long ago, the Dutch conservative party had tried to ban tourists from their coffeeshops. The ban had almost been ratified, until Brussels stepped in and declared that it would be an infringement of European equality laws.

If the Netherlands really wanted to push through this restriction, it should only concern non-European citizens, which now includes the British.

In the case of Spain, some conservative politicians have also put forward the idea of restrict their clubs to Spaniards only, But after carefully re-reading the European laws, they decided not to do so.

Among other things, EU human rights laws provide strong protections particularly where cannabis use is concerned. The EU does not dictate the drug policies of its members, but strongly encourages a tolerant, non-punitive approach.

The European Convention on Human Rights has ruled that drug use, when it has no consequences for others, should not be illegal in Europe. At the same meeting, many European and British legislators agreed that smoking marijuana was a human right.

By leaving the EU, the British are also leaving a global movement to legalize cannabis, or at least to relax legislation. A word of warning: compared with France, the United Kingdom has Cannabis Clubs declared.

However, no political party has yet really taken up the issue of legalization. So activists are likely to take it up, and could be supported by the Liberal Democrat party.

Brexit could therefore be both a brake on cannabis law reform for the UK, with other issues to deal with. But we think it could also be an opportunity: not being subject to a decision from Brussels could make the process quicker, and with fewer constraints.

For the rest of Europe, Several cannabis reforms are underway, both in terms of decriminalization and legalization. The global movement will not be affected, even if an influential country like the UK would have weighed more heavily in the balance.