Damien Egan, Mayor of Lewisham
(Picture: Lewisham Council)Decriminalising cannabis possession for young Londoners could help fix a “broken system” and create a safer city, the borough mayor behind the plans has said.
Damien Egan, the Mayor of Lewisham, said the “only people that are winning” in the Government’s current War on Drugs are “organised criminal gangs” as he called for an “evidence-based” debate on the benefits of decriminalisation.
His comments come after Sadiq Khan last month confirmed Lewisham would be among three boroughs - along with Bexley and Greenwich - being considered for a “drug diversion” pilot scheme. Mr Egan has previously given his backing to the plans and indicated he would be happy to see Lewisham used as a “test-bed” for the policy.
Under the plans, anyone aged under 25 who is caught with cannabis would referred for a programme of drug awareness sessions rather than being arrested for a criminal offence.
A poll on Wednesday showed the majority of Londoners back Sadiq Khan‘s pilot scheme.
As a Class B drug, the maximum prison sentence for possessing cannabis is currently five years. Some 1,800 people aged under 25 in Lewisham had criminal proceedings brought against them for drug possession between 2016 and 2020, with 90 per cent relating to cannabis possession.
Mr Egan told the Standard that the figures showed it is time for a rethink.
“For a young person in Lewisham it is hard enough to find a job that’s secure and making sure you can pay bills,” he said. “Doing that with a criminal record makes it even more difficult.
“Under a diversion scheme, we would look to try and capture some of the young people who are going down the route of criminal activity and give them the treatment they need. I want to see these young people going on to get jobs, pay their taxes and lead a more fulfilling life.”
The scheme would be based on a successful model rolled out in October 2020 by Thames Valley Police. Officers in the force “defer” arrests of under-18s if they complete a six-week drug awareness course.
According to the force’s latest figures, 88 per cent of young people had engaged with the service.
Mr Egan acknowledged that the leak of the policy announcement last month had prompted a backlash, with critics falsely claiming that Sadiq Khan was proposing the decriminalisation or legalisation of all drugs.
“Some politicians weren’t looking at the facts,” he said. “There were some really ill-informed, closed minded views because people had heard the word drugs or cannabis. I am asking people to have an open mind and follow the evidence.”
He noted that similar schemes in Durham and the Thames Valley had proved successful in engaging young people using cannabis. However, he said the discussion of drug policy remains a “taboo” in Westminster – with politicians loathe to be perceived as “weak on crime”.
Despite tough talk from MPs, Mr Egan said that the public were “much more open” to having a conversation about decriminalisation than many politicians might assume.
“When you take the time to talk through what we’re doing, most people I speak to think it’s a common sense approach,” he added.
“We have had a few critical emails from people in the borough, but I can count them on one hand.”
Critics of the policy have noted the link between psychosis and super-strength ‘skunk’ that is increasingly common on the streets of London. Skunk has a far higher proportion of THC – the psychoactive component of cannabis – and has been linked to paranoia, delusions and hallucinations.
Professor Robin Murray, a psychiatrist at King’s College London, warned that the policy would need to be carefully managed to avoid normalising cannabis use among younger people.
He cited a 2015 study of 780 people living in South London by leading psychologist Marta Di Forti, which found that those who smoked skunk daily were five times more likely to develop psychosis than those who avoid the drug.
“People need to know that decriminalisation could see consumption and potency increase,” Prof Murray, 77, told the Standard. “It’s similar to alcohol. The more people drink, the more casualties we have.”
Educating young people about the risks to their mental health by smoking cannabis would be key to a successful diversion scheme, he added.
Mr Egan admitted that he is “concerned” about skunk but suggested the policy could actually deter young people from using it by educating them about what they are consuming.
“Cannabis is a lot stronger than it was in the past – but to me this is an even more important reason for a diversion scheme,” he said. “Teenagers don’t even know what they’re taking as it’s an illegal market.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has stopped short of giving his full backing to the scheme, telling reporters last month he was “not in favour of us changing the law or decriminalisation”. His position echoed that of Boris Johnson, whose spokesperson said “decriminalisation would leave organised criminals in control”.
Pressed on whether he had Sir Keir’s backing, Mr Egan said: “The impression that I get is that he is open minded and will look at the evidence around the pilot.”
Mr Egan is currently working with Sadiq Khan on drawing up the proposals, with funding and resources likely to be secured through the Mayor’s Office for policing and (MOPAC).
He said that in the long-term, a successful decriminalisation scheme for young Londoners “would probably save money”.
“A young person becoming involved in criminal activity incurs a social and financial cost,” he added. “If this were to end in a custodial sentence, there would be a huge amount of money involved.
“Taking young people out of this cycle has a huge social value and saves money as well. It is a win-win.”
