THE St Helier politician behind last year’s narrowly-defeated bid to decriminalise personal possession and recreational use of cannabis has welcomed new proposals from the Health Minister that could fundamentally shift how the drug is controlled in Jersey.
Deputy Tom Coles described the nearly-100-page-long proposition lodged by Deputy Tom Binet on Friday as “very well thought through”.
It will see States Members debate several possible routes regarding the future regulation of cannabis in the Island, including potentially ceasing prosecution for offences stemming from personal possession and associated cultivation of small quantities of the drug.
One of the options could even see Jersey-based cannabis cultivators commissioned under strict licences to supply a trial of “government-controlled production and sale of non-medical cannabis to understand and evidence whether safe and responsible regulation delivers public health benefits”.
In 2024, Deputy Coles lodged a proposition to decriminalise the personal possession and recreational use of cannabis for adults, which was narrowly defeated.
States Members did, however, agree that the Council of Ministers should bring forward proposals for potential approaches to the decriminalisation, legalisation and regulation of non-medical cannabis.
Reacting to the Health Minister’s proposition, Deputy Coles said: “It’s giving very good options for what other Members might feel is a satisfactory outcome, and also indicating that there are many ways we can move forward with how we approach personal possession of cannabis.”
He noted that trialling the government-controlled production and sale of non-medical cannabis would require “a lot more work” than the other options.
“The sooner that work gets started, if that’s what the Assembly decides, then great – because the sooner it starts the sooner it can continue,” Deputy Coles added.
“You’ve just got to hope that after the next election, the people who are voted in want to maintain that momentum.”
The earliest chance for the proposals to be debated will be during the States sitting on 3 February next year – around four months before Islanders go to the polls.
Deputy Coles acknowledged that, even if Members voted to move forwards with the changes, “it could all drop dead in June” if the next government did not wish to progress the work.
“We would hope that people would stick to the plans, because obviously there is going to be a lot of time, a lot of money, a lot of resources put into this from February if it’s adopted.”
