MP's launches legal cannabis plans

Former Welsh Health Minister Jon Owen Jones is attempting to push through a bill to legalise the sale of cannabis.

The Cardiff Central MP wants to decriminalise the drug for recreational and medicinal use.

He published a private member's bill on the issue in Westminster on Thursday morning after being granted parliamentary time to put his case forward.

It is working to create huge profits on which an international drug cartel works

Jon Owen Jones MP

He is now set to put the bill before parliament on Friday, 26 October.

But it has no chance of becoming law but Mr Jones he said the thirty year campaign to stamp out cannabis use simply has not worked.

"It is simply channelling billions of pounds into the criminal network which use the money to practice their nefarious deeds - including pushing harder drugs," said Mr Jones.

Mr Jones, who narrowly retained his parliamentary seat in Cardiff from the Liberal Democrats at the general election, has previously confessed to smoking as a student.

The MP said making cannabis illegal was sending the "wrong signals" to young people.

"When half the young people between 19 and 24 take this drug and the law says this drug is bad so they obviously don't believe the law is wrong."

"They are very right not to believe it because frankly the law is wrong."

Licensed joints

He wants the drug licensed for sale alongside alcohol at premises such as off licences because, he says, it is less harmful than tobacco and alcoholic drinks.

He has said government policies toward cannabis were not working despite towing the party line as Welsh Health Minister between 1998 and 1999.

Announcing his intention to put the bill forward in July, he told BBC Wales: "I always thought this privately.

Mr Jones says many young people smoke cannabis

"But my role was to mitigate against the effects of drug use rather than to prosecute people.

Mr Jones is to present his bill at a news conference in Westminster and put it before the House later in the day.

The best the former teacher can hope for from parliament is to hold what he has called "an adult debate" on the issue of cannabis decriminalisation.

Legalisation calls

In the summer, Conservative MP Peter Lilley also called for the drug's legalisation in an effort to break the criminal link between hard and soft drugs.

Mr Jones said in his defence at the time: "It produces huge profits for organised crime which is able to use those profits to sell other, much more harmful drugs to people.

"It is working to create huge profits on which an international drug cartel works and that undermines civic society."

Some scientific evidence has emerged to suggest cannabis may be useful in treating a wide range of conditions.

Some tests have indicated it could help reduce side effects of chemotherapy treatment given to cancer patients.

Official Home Office figures show a third of adults in England and Wales have used the drug.