Guernsey: Proposal to legalize cannabis tabled

Guernsey's Health and Social Care Committee has submitted its cannabis legalization plan for consideration. The proposal is part of the Government Work Plan (GWP), which sets out the priorities for the States of Guernsey during its term of office, which runs until 2025. It will be debated next June.

Committee chairman Al Brouard said: «There are very different political views on this, some would like to examine it earlier and others never.»

Home Affairs Committee chairman Rob Prow said he would not support the plans.

Limited resources

In a letter sent on behalf of his committee members, he wrote: «We are convinced that its inclusion would be contrary to the spirit of GWP.»

Rob Prow MP said its inclusion «only raises expectations of change and risks absorbing limited resources».

He said the committee was «disappointed» that the Health Commission had not waited for the results of the working group on non-punitive approaches.

The latter aims to develop a legal framework, including the examination of the legal status of cannabis, alternative approaches to drug possession, offender rehabilitation, restorative justice and a review of the Criminal Sentencing Act.

Congressman Neil Inder, chairman of the Committee for Economic Development, expressed his support for the proposal: «Prohibition has never worked and I have never believed that citizens should be criminalized for small amounts of recreational products.»

Guernsey has so far awarded a production license medical cannabis.