P&R ‘trying to force own agenda by shelving cannabis laws review’

But P&R has claimed that HSC raised no objection to the work being deferred when it was discussed by the two committees ahead of being included in the Government Work Plan published earlier this week.

‘It’s disappointing that the members of P&R have themselves decided that HSC should no longer discharge the States resolution on the early scoping works required to examine the legal status of cannabis,’ said HSC member Marc Leadbeater.

‘Now, just like with its proposals to introduce GST, P&R wants another stab at trying to force its own agenda over and above the will of the majority of the Assembly, and has dictated that the democratic decision of the States less than a year ago to undertake this scoping be rescinded.

‘What is the point of having a debate and a democratic resolution if, less than a year later, our senior committee can drive a coach and horses through the entire process and block any progress?’

P&R said it met all principal committees to discuss their priorities and came away from its meeting with HSC believing that the need to defer the work on cannabis until the next States term was widely understood.

‘No representations by HSC members were made either at the joint meeting or in the formal HSC response that followed and on which P&R has relied in finalising the [GWP] policy letter,’ the committee said.

‘The purpose of the reset of the GWP is to recognise that it is not possible to do everything.

‘We have extremely limited funding and an over-committed public service and we must now focus on the most critical work to deliver in the next 24 months to address the immediate issues facing the island.’

Campaigners had hoped the review of cannabis laws would lead to legalisation or decriminalisation of the drug. But P&R said initial discussions with the UK about Guernsey’s international obligations had identified ‘significant complexities’.

Home Affairs president Rob Prow welcomed the proposal to delay the work.

‘Our committee has been clear and consistent in our view that this work should not take place,’ he said.

‘We view it as a non-starter given the constitutional issues it would be likely to create.’

P&R said HSC would instead concentrate on work to respond to the island’s ageing population and support children and families.

Deputy Leadbeater said members of P&R and Home Affairs wanted to find a way of overturning the States’ decision to review cannabis laws and alleged that some of them spoke ‘uneducated, biased nonsense’ during the previous debate on the issue.

‘Those fighting so strongly to prevent a progressive approach to the legal status of cannabis are those without any understanding of the subject whatsoever,’ he said.

‘What is really difficult to comprehend is it was the only proposal in the GWP that sought to raise any revenue, but those in charge of the purse strings naively want to kick the opportunity to diversify our economy into the long grass.

‘There are millions of pounds generated annually from both the legal and illegal cannabis markets that operate in the Bailiwick and the States is not maximising the massive economic benefits that come along with a multimillion-pound industry – another opportunity missed.’

The Government Work Plan is due to be debated in two stages in July and September.