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Marijauna Laws in England

What are the laws of use and possession ?

Posted by
552 posts

Do like the locals do if you need to honor your Rastafarian faith, spend the weekends in Amsterdam!

Posted by
5326 posts

Illegal since 1928. Up to 5 years in jail for possession. Up to 14 years in jail for supplying or dealing. First time low level possession would probably result in a caution. This could prevent, or make more difficult a future visit to the UK.

Posted by
507 posts

{Edit}
To Nigel:

Regarding the community guidelines . . .

"This discussion is still within the realm of acceptability. If someone were to discuss how to circumvent the laws, that’s when it crosses the line. . ."

Andrew Wakeling
{Webmaster}

Posted by
8293 posts

Do you feel properly chastised now, Larry?

Posted by
5835 posts

Might be a good idea to watch/rewatch the "Midnight Express" movie:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_Express_(film)#Plot

...while on holiday in Istanbul, Turkey, American college student
Billy Hayes straps 2 kg of hashish blocks to his chest. While
attempting to board a plane back to the United States with his
girlfriend, Billy is arrested by Turkish police on high alert due to
fear of terrorist attacks. He is strip-searched, photographed and
questione....

Posted by
5326 posts

Considering the shifting legal position in parts of the USA it seemed to me a reasonable question to ask. The most recent changes in the UK tighten things up if anything though.

Posted by
5835 posts

Fist, as foreign travelers, we have an obligation to respect the rules and laws of the counties we visit. Our option should we disagree with those laws is to stay home.

Now that said, we can learn from our travels. Rick Steves toured Oregon in support of our Measure 91 legalizing recreational use of marijuana. Medical use is already legal. Rick's perspective:

https://www.ricksteves.com/about-rick/drug-policy-reform

Because of my travels, I find myself one of the most high-profile
people in the country advocating the reform of our nation’s marijuana
laws. I’ve produced a TV show on the topic with the ACLU, and have
been a board member of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform
of Marijuana Laws, since 2003. But I am certainly not “pro-drugs.” I
simply appreciate how much of Europe treats its drug problems in a
pragmatic way, with success measured by harm reduction rather than
incarceration. While in the USA 80,000 people are in jail for
marijuana charges, in parts of Europe discreetly smoking a joint is
just another form of relaxation.

I speak out on this issue, in part, because most Americans cannot —
out of fear of losing their job or reputation or both. Of the
countless good causes to get involved in, drug policy reform is a
high-risk choice. When I’m interviewed about this on TV or radio,
journalists ask me all the predictable questions...and then, as soon
as the mic is off, they say, “Thanks for having the courage to speak
out.” My first thought is that if it seems courageous to challenge a
law one believes is wrong, that is, in itself, reason to speak out.
Since I own my own business, I can’t get fired...and so, when it comes
to America’s prohibition on marijuana, I can consider lessons learned
from my travels and say what I really believe when I’m back home.

Excerpted from Travel as a Political Act

Posted by
5326 posts

Fair enough. I never saw the question in its original form. Editting is very free on this forum ....

Posted by
223 posts

I am so glad someone gave the parameters, and that in England a caution is still on your permanent record. I am reminded of the ebb and flow of the consideration of drug and alcohol convictions here. I think that Russell Brand had to fly back to the Kingdom for an old minor conviction. It really seems to depend on the culture where you land, although it's federal law in every country. I would hate to leave my future up to the interpretations of a person I hadn't yet met.

That's baggage you don't want.