Sadiq Khan has been warned against softening cannabis laws as it risks bringing “New York-style drugs chaos” to the streets of London.
The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), a centre-right think tank, has issued a stark warning against the UK following in the footsteps of some US states by legalising cannabis.
The CSJ argues that such a move has failed to eradicate the illegal market for the drug in New York State.
Sophia Worringer, the CSJ’s deputy policy director, told The Mail on Sunday: “The persistent smog of cannabis that hangs across Manhattan Island could not possibly be sustained by the small handful of official cannabis shops regulated to sell it.
“Despite the legal options, people still prefer their old illegal dealers who can promise a to-the-door-service of much stronger stuff all while undercutting the legal market.”
Worringer added that the legal framework on drug use in New York is now “confused”.
She said: “Cops feel hamstrung to enforce the law because drug taking is so widespread. The legalisation of cannabis sends a message about the harmless nature of casual drug-taking.
“The last thing in London or anywhere in the UK for that matter is to import a similar chaos to NYC by liberalising drug laws.”
This month, the CSJ released research that found three-quarters of police here thought that current drug-possession policies were ineffective, and two-thirds said cannabis had effectively been decriminalised already.
However, the think-tank has warned that where drug laws have been liberalised, such as in Portugal and parts of the US, it has led to an increase in addictions.
The London Drugs Commission is currently headed by Labour peer Charlie Falconer, who has expressed remorse for “supporting the war on drugs”.
The commission was tasked by Khan to scrutinise the efficacy of UK’s drug laws, with a particular emphasis on cannabis, which continues to be classified as a class B drug in the UK.
Mr Khan, who has previously stated that he maintains an “open mind” about the decriminalisation of cannabis, had earlier mentioned that the issue was “on the back-burner”.
