Ex-head of MI5 calls on government to decriminalise and regulate cannabis [View All]

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

Thursday November 17 2011 22.32 GMT

The former head of MI5 believes the "war on drugs" has proved fruitless and it is time to consider decriminalising the possession and use of small quantities of cannabis.

Eliza Manningham-Buller has backed calls for the government to set up a commission to examine how to tackle the UK's drug culture and consider the highly controversial move of relaxing the law.

She was speaking at a meeting held by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Drug Policy Reform on Thursday where senior government representatives met experts from across the world to consider ways of combating the issue.

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Manningham-Buller said there was too much of a knee-jerk opposition to changing drug policy but it is an issue that needs to be at the forefront of national debate.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/nov/17/cannabis-drugs-decriminalise-mi5