Plan to decriminalise cannabis is 'new approach'

A Jersey politician has said a proposal to decriminalise cannabis will bring "a new approach" to laws and attitudes to the drug on the island.

Deputy Tom Coles said the proposal brought by health minister Deputy Tom Binet was "well balanced and thought through".

The States Assembly will vote on the proposal, which would mean people are no longer prosecuted for possession of small amounts of cannabis, on 3 February.

Health Minister Tom Binet brought the proposition and said he wanted the drug to be treated as a public health issue, not a legal one.

Coles previously proposed to decriminalise cannabis in 2024 but it did not pass the Assembly vote.

He said the prescription of medicinal cannabis on the island had created a "weird" situation where some long-time users were now legally using it - while it remained illegal for others.

Coles said: "Let's stop criminalising people because all you do is create a circle of activity where somebody becomes criminalised for having cannabis - they might lose their job, they might lose their home and then all they do is fall back into criminal activity."

Binet lodged the new proposal to the assembly after ministers were asked to provide options for ways to restrict access to cannabis and decriminalise the drug.

He said: "I think if it's properly handled, it's probably better to be out in the open and dealt with and properly regulated."

He added concerns about the drug were understandable but said "we want the best for everybody, I think we just vary a little bit in the way we think is the best way to do that".

Dr Daniel Myran, a public health physician from Canada, said he had a number of concerns since the country legalised the use and sale of cannabis in 2018.

Myran said there were "very large increases" in cannabis poisoning, particularly in young children.

He said: "These are kids who ingest an edible that might be meant for an adult and they can end up in the intensive care unit not breathing."

Myran added there had also been more cannabis use during pregnancy and more cases of psychosis and schizophrenia induced by the drug.

Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to [email protected].