Green Party Stance and Legalisation Concerns

Aldo Mussi is a Green Party member and a Public Health Lecturer. He highlights that the Greens support a more evidence-based approach and favour decriminalisation. He points out that traditionalists do not welcome the drug due to its history of social use, but alcohol seems to be more widely acceptable.

Cannabis Regulation 

Aldo states that if regulation of cannabis or extracts derived from the plant were to be implemented, then pricing of those drugs would be a crucial factor to consider. He also points out that the medical evidence on the effectiveness of the drug needs to be looked at.

In 2014, The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said that Sativex was too expensive to be recommended for patients in England. The cannabinoid medicine is bottled as an oromucosal spray and prescribed to a select few multiple sclerosis patients by the NHS. It is derived from the cannabis plant extract.

The Government’s “Double Standards” 

Aldo mentions the “double standards” that prevail with regard to cannabis decriminalisation. In previous years, with cannabis still being illegal, doctors were prescribing it to patients unofficially. He points out that politicians like Jeremy Hunt aren’t looking at the evidence.