Cannabis in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
Cannabis
(Cán-na-bis
) is the most widely used illegal drug in the United Kingdom
. It is a plant which is not native to the British Isles
but one that was probably introduced from Continental Europe towards the end of the Roman occupation
. The old traditional name in Britain for Cannabis sativa is hemp
and that name is still used in the United Kingdom
by growers and processors of industrial cannabis, however, it is the word cannabis which is the more popular generic term to cover both the plants and plant products.
A number of organisations are advocating a reform of its legality.
The oldest evidence of cannabis in Britain is of some seeds found in a well in York
. . Over time its cultivation spread wildly. The medical properties of cannabis have been recorded since the dawn of history and it is mentioned (as hænep) in the surviving text of an Anglo-Saxon
herbal. However, since it appears to have been mostly grown around the coastal areas it suggests the main reason for cultivating it was undoubtedly as a source of vegetable fibre which was stronger and more durable than stinging nettle
or flax
. This makes it ideal for making into cordage, ropes, fishing nets and canvas. Indeed, when cannabis is grown for fibre it is sown close together so that the plants need to grow tall and strong to compete with each other for light. This encourages the cannabis plants to produces more fibre at the expense of the medically useful cannabinoid compounds.
In order for Henry the VIII to expand his navy he found it necessary to decree in 1533 to compel landlords to set aside 1/240 th of their tillable land, to the growing of hemp, ensuring an adequate supply of fibre. Elizabeth I increased production still more and went further by imposed a £5 fine on any eligible landowner who refused to grow it. As more fibre became available so people found other uses for it and it so it became an important part of the British economy. Eventually, demand had expanded to the point that the demand for more fibre was part of the driving force to colonize new lands. Thanks to its hardiness and ease of cultivation, it became an ideal crop to grow in the new British colonies. Moreover, the naval ships built to protect the new colonies and those built to bring the hemp back, also increased demand. As every two years or so much of their two hundred tonnes of ropes and sail cloth had to be renewed.
and Hempland in Dumfriesshire
.
And let not hemp his wind-pipe suffocate.
– Henry IV
Act 3, Scene 6
has been granting licences for the purposes of cultivating and processing hemp.
The UK government now provides free business advice and support services for growers and processors of hemp for fibre. They can also issue licences for importing fibre in the form of hemp from abroad.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(DEFRA) provides help and advice with obtaining financial assistance via the Single Payment Scheme
. In England further funding may be available from Rural Development Programme for England
.
, (which has many side effects) the only cannabis based medicine licensed for use in the UK is Sativex
. The former named medication can be prescribed by a doctor to treat nausea and vomiting caused by cytotoxic chemotherapy; the latter medication is indicated only for the treatment of spasticity due to Multiple Sclerosis
. For other indications approval needs to be first sought from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
. Meanwhile, the Dutch government contracts Bedrocan BV to produce and supply standardized medicinal cannabis which is guaranteed free from contamination in 3 varieties to cover a range of indications. However, the majority of cannabis users who use it to relieve their medical conditions which can include other indications such as chronic pain, do so without legal approval.
. The Linnet
s' fondness of the cannabis seed has earned it the Latin species name of cannabina. By and large, cannabis seed is too expensive to be used as general feed stock but once the oil has been pressed out the remaining seed cake
is still nutritious.
The plant itself has not been used as fodder
, as too much makes animals sicken, but due to its unpleasant taste they will not eat it unless there is no other food available.
Therefore, the soft core of the cannabis plant which remains after the fibres are removed, provides good animal bedding which can absorb more moisture than either straw or wood shavings.
Cannabis is often linked to young people beginning to smoke tobacco, unlike in North America, cannabis is often smoked with tobacco in the United Kingdom (known as a 'spliff'). This claim is often disputed however due to the frequency of smoking needed to actually get someone addicted to the nicotine
in tobacco. As well as the use of tobacco when smoking cannabis, many people in Britain use a 'roach card' rather than rolling cannabis throughout, a custom not unique to the United Kingdom but far more common than in places such as America.
Boiled cannabis seed is frequently used by British sport fishermen, as fish are very fond of this as bait.
. Also in the cannabis market, inflation
tends to reduce the quantity of cannabis that can be purchased for a set price, rather than increase the nominal price of a set quantity ('bag') of cannabis. However, there is a growing acceptance amongst consumers that higher-potency cannabis will be sold at smaller weights.
The current Prime Minister
David Cameron
, when serving in opposition, sat on the Select Committee on Home Affairs
and voted to call on the Government to “initiate a discussion” within the UN about “alternative ways - including the possibility of legalisation and regulation - to tackle the global drugs dilemma”.
In 2011 The Global Commission on Drug Policy backed by Richard Branson
and Judi Dench
called for a review. The Home Office response on behalf of the Prime Minister was: "We have no intention of liberalising our drugs laws. Drugs (sic) are illegal because they are harmful - they destroy lives and cause untold misery to families and communities".
In June 2010 it accidentally came to light that the Home office
had been avoiding complying with the FOI
request because it would expose the lack of evidence that its current drug policy had. Although this control of public opinion has been an open secret for a long time, such blatant exposure is a rare occasion.
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
(Cán-na-bis
Syllable stress of Botanical Latin
Syllable stress of botanical names varies with the language spoken by the person using the botanical name. In English-speaking countries the Botanical Latin places syllable stress for botanical names derived from ancient Greek and Latin broadly according to two systems, either the Reformed...
) is the most widely used illegal drug in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is a plant which is not native to the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
but one that was probably introduced from Continental Europe towards the end of the Roman occupation
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
. The old traditional name in Britain for Cannabis sativa is hemp
Hemp
Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
and that name is still used in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
by growers and processors of industrial cannabis, however, it is the word cannabis which is the more popular generic term to cover both the plants and plant products.
A number of organisations are advocating a reform of its legality.
History
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
. . Over time its cultivation spread wildly. The medical properties of cannabis have been recorded since the dawn of history and it is mentioned (as hænep) in the surviving text of an Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
herbal. However, since it appears to have been mostly grown around the coastal areas it suggests the main reason for cultivating it was undoubtedly as a source of vegetable fibre which was stronger and more durable than stinging nettle
Stinging nettle
Stinging nettle or common nettle, Urtica dioica, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant, native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and North America, and is the best-known member of the nettle genus Urtica...
or flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
. This makes it ideal for making into cordage, ropes, fishing nets and canvas. Indeed, when cannabis is grown for fibre it is sown close together so that the plants need to grow tall and strong to compete with each other for light. This encourages the cannabis plants to produces more fibre at the expense of the medically useful cannabinoid compounds.
In order for Henry the VIII to expand his navy he found it necessary to decree in 1533 to compel landlords to set aside 1/240 th of their tillable land, to the growing of hemp, ensuring an adequate supply of fibre. Elizabeth I increased production still more and went further by imposed a £5 fine on any eligible landowner who refused to grow it. As more fibre became available so people found other uses for it and it so it became an important part of the British economy. Eventually, demand had expanded to the point that the demand for more fibre was part of the driving force to colonize new lands. Thanks to its hardiness and ease of cultivation, it became an ideal crop to grow in the new British colonies. Moreover, the naval ships built to protect the new colonies and those built to bring the hemp back, also increased demand. As every two years or so much of their two hundred tonnes of ropes and sail cloth had to be renewed.
Cannabis' enduring legacy on British culture
The cannabis plant and its products were so ubiquitous in Britain that it has left many cultural traces behind.Places
Place names of important centres of the former hemp industry still contain the name of hemp such as Hempriggs in CaithnessCaithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
and Hempland in Dumfriesshire
Dumfriesshire
Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries is a registration county of Scotland. The lieutenancy area of Dumfries has similar boundaries.Until 1975 it was a county. Its county town was Dumfries...
.
In literature
Let gallows gape for dog, let man go freeAnd let not hemp his wind-pipe suffocate.
– Henry IV
Henry IV
Henry IV may refer to:* Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor , King of The Romans and Holy Roman Emperor* Henry IV, Duke of Brabant * Henry IV Probus , Duke of Wrocław* Heinrich IV Dusemer von Arfberg Henry IV may refer to:* Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1050–1106), King of The Romans and Holy Roman...
Act 3, Scene 6
Modern industrial cannabis market
Since 1993 the Home OfficeHome Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
has been granting licences for the purposes of cultivating and processing hemp.
The UK government now provides free business advice and support services for growers and processors of hemp for fibre. They can also issue licences for importing fibre in the form of hemp from abroad.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom...
(DEFRA) provides help and advice with obtaining financial assistance via the Single Payment Scheme
Single Payment Scheme
On 26 June 2003, EU farm ministers adopted a fundamental reform of the Common Agricultural Policy and introduced a new Single payment scheme for direct subsidy payments to landowners....
. In England further funding may be available from Rural Development Programme for England
England Rural Development Programme
England Rural Development Programme was the instrument by which the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs fulfills its rural development obligations in England, as set out by the European Union. It is derived primarily from Council Regulation European Union Regulation No...
.
Medicinal cannabis
Apart from a synthetic cannabinoid called NabiloneNabilone
Nabilone is a synthetic cannabinoid with therapeutic use as an antiemetic and as an adjunct analgesic for neuropathic pain. It is a synthetic cannabinoid, which mimics the main ingredient of cannabis...
, (which has many side effects) the only cannabis based medicine licensed for use in the UK is Sativex
Sativex
Nabiximols is a cannabinoid oromucosal mouth spray developed by the UK company GW Pharmaceuticals for multiple sclerosis patients, who can use it to alleviate neuropathic pain, spasticity, overactive bladder, and other symptoms. Nabiximols is also being developed in Phase III trials as a...
. The former named medication can be prescribed by a doctor to treat nausea and vomiting caused by cytotoxic chemotherapy; the latter medication is indicated only for the treatment of spasticity due to Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
. For other indications approval needs to be first sought from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is the UK government agency which is responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work and are acceptably safe....
. Meanwhile, the Dutch government contracts Bedrocan BV to produce and supply standardized medicinal cannabis which is guaranteed free from contamination in 3 varieties to cover a range of indications. However, the majority of cannabis users who use it to relieve their medical conditions which can include other indications such as chronic pain, do so without legal approval.
Animals
Mice, rats and fowl are all known to like cannabis seed and it is a favoured food amongst some British pigeon fanciersPigeon keeping
Pigeon keeping is the art and science of breeding domestic pigeons. People have practiced pigeon keeping for about 10,000 years in almost every part of the world...
. The Linnet
Linnet
The Linnet is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.The Linnet derives its scientific name from its fondness for hemp and its English name from its liking for seeds of flax, from which linen is made.- Description :...
s' fondness of the cannabis seed has earned it the Latin species name of cannabina. By and large, cannabis seed is too expensive to be used as general feed stock but once the oil has been pressed out the remaining seed cake
Press cake
A press cake or oil cake is the solids remaining after pressing something to extract the liquids. Their most common use is in animal feed....
is still nutritious.
The plant itself has not been used as fodder
Fodder
Fodder or animal feed is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock such as cattle, goats, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. Most animal feed is from plants but some is of animal origin...
, as too much makes animals sicken, but due to its unpleasant taste they will not eat it unless there is no other food available.
Therefore, the soft core of the cannabis plant which remains after the fibres are removed, provides good animal bedding which can absorb more moisture than either straw or wood shavings.
Recreational
Cannabis is widely used throughout the United Kingdom, by people of all ages and from all socioeconomic backgrounds.Cannabis is often linked to young people beginning to smoke tobacco, unlike in North America, cannabis is often smoked with tobacco in the United Kingdom (known as a 'spliff'). This claim is often disputed however due to the frequency of smoking needed to actually get someone addicted to the nicotine
Nicotine
Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants that constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of the dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots and accumulation occurring in the leaves...
in tobacco. As well as the use of tobacco when smoking cannabis, many people in Britain use a 'roach card' rather than rolling cannabis throughout, a custom not unique to the United Kingdom but far more common than in places such as America.
Boiled cannabis seed is frequently used by British sport fishermen, as fish are very fond of this as bait.
Prevalence and price
Cannabis ranges in price across the country. Although generally deemed to be around £20 for an 'eighth' (of an ounce; 3.5g) in actuality the amount given can be a lot less (1.6-3.0g), in many places by more than a gram. These discrepancies tend to decrease as the nominal amount increases, acting as a 'bulk discount' reflecting economies of scaleEconomies of scale
Economies of scale, in microeconomics, refers to the cost advantages that an enterprise obtains due to expansion. There are factors that cause a producer’s average cost per unit to fall as the scale of output is increased. "Economies of scale" is a long run concept and refers to reductions in unit...
. Also in the cannabis market, inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
tends to reduce the quantity of cannabis that can be purchased for a set price, rather than increase the nominal price of a set quantity ('bag') of cannabis. However, there is a growing acceptance amongst consumers that higher-potency cannabis will be sold at smaller weights.
Legality
Cannabis is illegal to possess, grow, distribute or sell in the UK without the appropriate licences. It is a Class B drug, with penalties for unlicensed dealing, unlicensed production and unlicensed trafficking of up 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both. The maximum penalty for unauthorised or sanctioned possession is five years in prison.Advocacy for law reform
Because prohibition has made psychotropic drugs in general very available, and without controls on adulterants or to whom they are sold, a number of organizations have been set up with the aim of reforming the law on these unregulated substances.- Drug Equality Alliance (DEA)Drug Equality Alliance (DEA)The ' is a not for profit organisation based in the United Kingdom whose mission statement is:[...] to transform the "War on Some People who use Some Drugs" from its subjective historical and cultural roots into a rational and objective legal regulatory framework that secures equal rights and equal...
- European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies (ENCOD)ENCODThe European NGO Council on Drugs is a network of European non-governmental organisations and citizens concerned with the impact of current international drug policies on the lives of the most affected sectors in North and South...
(Branches also in Austria, Germany and Norway) - Transform Drug Policy FoundationTransform Drug Policy FoundationThe Transform Drug Policy Foundation is a registered non-profit charity based in the United Kingdom working in the field of drug policy and law reform. TDPF began as an independent campaign group called 'Transform, the campaign for a just and effective drug policy', and was set up in 1996 by its...
- UK Cannabis Internet Activists official web site. Accessed 2010-05-13
The current Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
, when serving in opposition, sat on the Select Committee on Home Affairs
Home Affairs Select Committee
The Home Affairs Select Committee is a Committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Remit:The Home Affairs Committee is one of the House of Commons Select Committees related to government departments: its terms of reference are to examine "the expenditure,...
and voted to call on the Government to “initiate a discussion” within the UN about “alternative ways - including the possibility of legalisation and regulation - to tackle the global drugs dilemma”.
In 2011 The Global Commission on Drug Policy backed by Richard Branson
Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies....
and Judi Dench
Judi Dench
Dame Judith Olivia "Judi" Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English film, stage and television actress.Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of William Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo...
called for a review. The Home Office response on behalf of the Prime Minister was: "We have no intention of liberalising our drugs laws. Drugs (sic) are illegal because they are harmful - they destroy lives and cause untold misery to families and communities".
In June 2010 it accidentally came to light that the Home office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
had been avoiding complying with the FOI
Freedom of information
Freedom of information refers to the protection of the right to freedom of expression with regards to the Internet and information technology . Freedom of information may also concern censorship in an information technology context, i.e...
request because it would expose the lack of evidence that its current drug policy had. Although this control of public opinion has been an open secret for a long time, such blatant exposure is a rare occasion.
See also
- Adult lifetime cannabis use by countryAdult lifetime cannabis use by countryAdult lifetime cannabis use by country refers to the lifetime prevalence of cannabis use among all adults in surveys among the general population. Lifetime prevalence means any use during a person’s life. Unless another reference is indicated all the data comes from the European Monitoring Centre...
- Annual cannabis use by countryAnnual cannabis use by countryThis is a list of countries by the annual prevalence of cannabis use as a percentage of the population aged 15–64...
- List of drugs illegal in the United Kingdom
- List of British politicians who admit to cannabis use