A PRO-CANNABIS campaign group has praised the States for “setting a direction of travel” on the potential legalisation and decriminalisation of the drug.
Although States Members yesterday voted by 23 to 22 to reject the decriminalisation of personal possession and recreational use of the class B drug, a further move – adopted by 26 to 19 – directed ministers to bring forward proposals about “potential approaches” for decriminalisation, legalisation and regulation by November next year.
Social supply, restrictions on sale to children, total acceptable allowance and roadside capacity tests all form part of the proposition by Deputy Tom Coles.
The proposal also covers the decriminalisation of the personal possession and recreational use of cannabinol and cannabinol derivatives, and the reclassification of these products from class A to class B.
Lobby group End Cannabis Prohibition Jersey has pushed hard for decriminalisation in recent years, and co-ordinator Si Harrison said yesterday’s outcome was a positive step.
“We greatly appreciate the opportunity presented by Deputy Coles for the States Assembly to debate the subject of cannabis reform in Jersey,” he said.
“There was unfortunately a great deal of misinformation stated by various Members as fact during the course of the debate, which likely led to the defeat of part A of the proposition.
“As part A was a point of principle, there would not have been any change on the ground if it had been adopted.
“The main aim of the debate was to set a direction of travel, and we are grateful to States Members for agreeing to government undertaking work on proposals on how to regulate cannabis in Jersey.”
After more than three hours devoted to the subject on Tuesday, the Assembly debate resumed yesterday.
Deputy Hilary Jeune said that while more than 7,000 Islanders had access to medicinal cannabis through prescriptions, others outside this group were currently criminalised.
“I don’t understand how we can do that – we should have a compassionate approach,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be a free-for-all with everyone using cannabis on the streets.”
Deputy Kristina Moore said it was important to consider the impact on Islanders of there being an increase in the number of cannabis users.
“We have to take into account the impact that the use of cannabis may have on members of our community and their productivity, their attitude to work and engagement in our society,” she said.
In his concluding speech, Deputy Coles said he felt some people would always use substances, often as a symptom of another issue, and that attempts to ban such use were no more likely to succeed than the move to prohibit alcohol in the United States in the 1920s.
“Morally I don’t think it’s justified to criminalise someone who is self-medicating on something that 60 years ago Jersey decided should be illegal,” he said. “Times change; things move on.”
How they voted
Part A: Decriminalise personal possession and recreational use
FOR (22): Deputies Alves, Coles, A Curtis, C Curtis, Doublet, Feltham, Ferey, Gardiner, Jeune, Kovacs, Labey, Mézec, Miles, Morel, Porée, Renouf, Southern, Stephenson, Tadier, R Ward. Constables Jehan and Johnson.
AGAINST (23): Deputies Ahier, Andrews, Bailhache, R Binet, T Binet, Farnham, Gorst, Howell, Le Hegarat, Luce, Millar, Moore, Scott, B Ward, Warr and Wilson. Constables Crowcroft, Honeycombe, Jackson, Labey, Le Sueur, Lewis and Mezbourian.
Constable Karen Shenton-Stone abstained, while Constable Marcus Troy was ill, Deputy Philip Ozouf was excused as a result of travel difficulties in returning to the Island and Constable Richard Vibert was away on States business.
Parts B and C: Council of Ministers to bring forward proposals regarding decriminalising/legalising cannabis by November 2025, to include decriminalisation and reclassification of cannabinol and cannabinol derivatives
FOR (26): Deputies Alves, Andrews, R Binet, T Binet, Coles, A Curtis, C Curtis, Doublet, Farnham, Feltham, Ferey, Gardiner, Jeune, Kovacs, Labey, Mézec, Miles, Morel, Porée, Renouf, Southern, Stephenson, R Ward. Constables Jehan, Johnson and Shenton-Stone.
AGAINST (19): Deputies Ahier, Bailhache, Gorst, Howell, Le Hegarat, Luce, Millar, Moore, Tadier, B Ward, Warr and Wilson. Constables Crowcroft, Honeycombe, Jackson, Labey, Le Sueur, Lewis and Mezbourian.
Deputy Moz Scott abstained, while Deputy Ozouf and Constables Troy and Vibert missed the vote, as above.
