More than half of Brits back cannabis legalisation

More than half of British people would back the legalisation of cannabis according to new data.

Results from a YouGov poll conducted on Tuesday 6 April, show that 52 percent of British people would be in favour of cannabis legalisation.

Just 32 percent of respondents said they would oppose the legislation, while 15 percent answered that they didn’t know.

It came after London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he would launch a review looking into decriminalising the drug if reelected on 6 May.

Khan revealed he plans to set up an independent London drugs commission to examine the potential health, economic and criminal justice benefits of decriminalising the class-B drug.

20% said they would “strongly support” cannabis legalisation

Of the 3,317 Great British adults surveyed, 20 percent said they would “strongly support” cannabis legalisation, while a further 32 percent said they “tend to support”.

The younger generations, those aged between 18-24 and 25-49 were more likely to strongly support the move, with opinion split more equally among those aged 50 and above.

The younger generations were more likely to support the move

Support was fairly evenly split around the country, with 60 percent of Londoners on board, 52 percent of those in the rest of the south, 53 percent in the north, 58 percent in Scotland and 47 percent Wales and the Midlands. 

Support was split across the country

Men were more in favour than women – but only slightly – with 57 percent of male respondents saying they support legalisation compared to 49 percent of females.

Men were more likely to support legalisation than women

Sixty five percent of Labour voters and 58 percent of Liberal Democrats said they supported legalisation, compared to 41 percent of Conservatives.

Labour and Lib Dem voters were more in favour than Conservatives

However, Number 10 told the media on Tuesday that the mayor was “wasting his time” and the Prime Minister has “no intention of legalising cannabis”.

The Guardian reported that Johnson’s press secretary Allegra Stratton said: “Sadiq Khan will know that the policy on controlled drugs is a matter for the UK government. It is not a matter for his office.” 

Meanwhile similar poll results from across the pond show that 75 percent of US voters support the legalisation of cannabis, either at federal or state level.