‘IT’S about safe use, not misuse,’ said Simon Harrison, co-ordinator for End Cannabis Prohibition Jersey, who believes that the government needs to provide better information about the use of drugs in a responsible manner, rather than banning them, which he says only creates more problems.

This is just one of a number of recommendations Mr Harrison and End Cannabis Prohibition Jersey have come up with as part of their campaign to engage with election candidates to better understand who would support reforms to cannabis and drug-related laws.

The group was formed in 2020 and gained over 2,500 members on Facebook within a week. They now have almost 4,800 members and published a number of aims on their website in March. They have set out 35 recommendations across five different themes which they would like implemented by the government.

Mr Harrison said that although they were formed over two years ago, the campaigning element has only just got under way.

‘We didn’t believe there was sufficient support within the current Assembly to get a majority if we had put ideas forward. We would get into the problem of it being shouted down and denied and then they wouldn’t want to talk about it for a couple of years.’ In the meantime, Mr Harrison said, they had set up a patient group, with over 1,400 members, to provide advice and support to medicinal cannabis patients in the Island.

Mr Harrison estimated that there were around 3,000 medicinal cannabis patients in the Island, leaving Jersey with one of the ‘highest patient per capita in the world’.

For this reason, he said, it was ‘crucial’ that the next government took a ‘progressive’ approach towards the subject.

‘We have got a blank slate here with the new candidates, so we can come in and say, look, all these elements need addressing and here are our thoughts on it,’ he said.

•Conduct a review of medicinal cannabis use

The group believes that the government needs to undertake a review of medicinal cannabis use in the Island in order to better understand patient issues and barriers to access – all of which Mr Harrison said would help to increase the quality of the industry in the Island.

He added that feedback from their patient support group often centred around the high costs of repeat prescriptions.

‘A lot of patients are finding it too expensive at the moment. It is costing patients several hundred to several thousand a month, if not more, let alone the consultation fees and everything on top of that, so that’s difficult. People are choosing between food, heating, electricity or their medicine.

‘The monthly upfront charge is a hefty payment, especially for those on health benefits, who more often than not are the ones with long-term health problems.’ He said that the government ‘does not have a clear picture’ on what is going on in the Island and suggested a Scrutiny or government review.

‘They could talk to patients, talk to consultants, talk to people in the industry and get a clearer picture of what is going on. Gather the data and then be able to address the issues and find solutions. Whether there are mechanisms that can be put in place to help low-income patients and those with the greatest needs.

‘We could look at delivery methods. Maybe we could have a hospital cannabis clinic. We have got this project and if you want to be a centre of excellence, then that is something we need to consider.’

• Nurture the cannabis cultivation industry

The Rural Economy Strategy 2017–21 recommended the development of high-value alternative crops and recognised the potential of cannabis cultivation to diversify the Island’s economy. This has led to five different companies being granted medicinal cannabis licences in the Island. However, none are yet to start growing their own crop.

Mr Harrison said: ‘When it comes to the cultivation industry side, it is a case of we started this process, we have got the licences, we have got the structure. We still are an early adopter of this type of industry, so if we want to make the most of it, we really need to support it and encourage it and get behind it.’ Mr Harrison said that the group has called on the government to continue ‘embracing the opportunities’ presented by an early entry in the medicinal cannabis market and to not ‘fall behind other jurisdictions’.

‘We have got five companies already, with another two to come on stream. So I think we are getting maxed out, as each one has a large footprint. However, we need to ensure they have the opportunity to flourish.

‘No one has started growing yet. To set up these facilities it costs several million: they cannot set up, build it, then apply for the licence and be turned down. They also have to go through a few growing cycles first to prove they can do it consistently before they hit the market.

‘We can also look at growing methods, different strains and genetic testing. We cannot compete with the quantity of other countries but there is the potential for us to produce a high-quality product.’

• Prioritise the new Drug and Alcohol Strategy

A new Drug and Alcohol Strategy has been on the cards for a number of years.

However, it has been delayed because of staffing problems and will have to be completed during the next government’s term of office.

Mr Harrison said this piece of work was ‘crucial’ to the next government’s term.

‘We need to emphasise to the candidates that this is really important. We have got some of the greatest alcohol consumption in the world, not to mention our drug use.

So to not have any messaging going out about substance use, not misuse... Previously it had only been about misuse, when it becomes problematic. But we would like to see things such as safe drinking methods, safe drug methods. If pills are your thing, teaching people to just take a little bit, measure your doses, offering testing facilities at festivals.’ He added: ‘We cannot stop people using drugs. Ideally no one would do anything but they do, and actually tobacco and alcohol are our worst drugs, which people use regularly, and we need to view this sensibly and be taking a harm reduction philosophy.’ Mr Harrison said there also needed to be ‘greater access’ to information about drugs.

‘There is only one page of the government website which talks about drugs and we believe that was written in 2011. There was the parents’ guide to drugs, which was deleted from the website in October last year, so information is disappearing when it should be doing the complete opposite.

‘If you are a medicinal cannabis patient or a cultivator, you won’t find anything on the website.’

• Decriminalise the possession of cannabis If you are caught with less than 15g of cannabis or cannabis resin, it is currently dealt with at a parish hall inquiry by way of a written caution for your first offence, as well as a second offence if more than a year has passed since the first. Subsequent offences and offences over 15g result in a court appearance.

Mr Harrison said that the proposed Crime (Prejudice and Public Disorder) Law included an amendment to the Misuse of Drugs Law which would introduce a £200 fine for the repeat possession of class B and C drugs that a Centenier could levy at a parish hall inquiry.

‘The important part here,’ he said, ‘is that it is not going on your criminal record, so it is effectively decriminalisation.

‘The amendment went out for consultation in 2019 but has been delayed. With this on the books, it is making sure it passes through the Assembly and maybe we can look at bringing amendments to tidy it up.

For example, cannabis oil and edibles are considered class A, and we would like to see those brought back down.

‘This is just for under 15g, although there is a discussion to be had as to whether that amount should be raised, to as high as 30g.’ He added: ‘Obviously we wouldn’t want a fine, but this is a step in the right direction and it is something which was already on the books.

‘Decriminalisation should only ever be seen as a stop-gap. You stop the criminal penalties, which is fantastic, as it is ridiculous that you get tarred with a life-long criminal record which could stop you travelling and prevent job opportunities.’

• Investigate the legalisation of cannabis According to the group’s website, given the rising number of jurisdictions which have legalised cannabis or plan to do so, ‘it is simply a matter of time before Jersey follows suit’.

Mr Harrison said it was important the Island worked in collaboration with its neighbours on this topic.

‘We have obligations under the UN conventions which tie all world drug laws together,’ he said.

‘We all have the same issue, so we should not be doing it in isolation, we should be talking about it and working on it together.

We have a stronger chance working together as a united front rather than trying to do it in isolation.’ He added: ‘Legalisation allows you to put in age controls, expulsion of criminal records, appropriate taxation, but not too much that the black market still flourishes.’

With the Island’s medicinal cannabis industry continuing to grow, a campaign group pushing for reform of the Island’s drug legislation airs its views in the run-up to the general election. Jake Stolte reports

‘‘ We cannot stop people using drugs. Ideally no one would do anything but they do, and actually tobacco and alcohol are our worst drugs, which people use regularly, and we need to view this sensibly and be taking a harm reduction philosophy - Campaign co-ordinator Simon Harrison