Cannabis Law Reform

Cannabis Law Reform
File:Clearlogo.jpg
Leader	Peter Reynolds
Founded	2011
Headquarters	PO Box 674 Salfords Redhill Surrey RH1 9BN
Ideology	Legality of cannabis Drug policy reform
Political position	Liberal
Colours	Green
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Local government	0 / 21,871
Website
http://clear-uk.org
Politics of the United Kingdom Political parties Elections

Cannabis Law Reform (CLEAR, formerly the Legalise Cannabis Alliance) is a United Kingdom political party which campaigns against cannabis prohibition .

It was registered on 24 March 2011, and emerged from and replaced the Legalise Cannabis Alliance pressure group, which had operated as a political party until 2006.

The change of name and the change from pressure group back to political party followed a vote by the membership, which also changed the logo and the constitution.

The party leader is Peter Reynolds, and the party have announced that they will be fielding candidates in both local government and parliamentary elections.

The party commissioned a report by the Independent Drug Monitoring Unit, published on 14 September 2011, stating that a taxed and regulated cannabis market would save the exchequer £6.7 billion.

Aims and Objectives

CLEAR has five aims/objectives:

1. To end the prohibition of cannabis.

2. To promote as a matter of urgency and compassion the prescription of medicinal cannabis by doctors.

3. To introduce a system of regulation for the production and supply of cannabis based on facts and evidence.

4. To encourage the production and use of industrial hemp.

5. To educate and inform about the uses and benefits of cannabis.

Campaigns

"CLEAR is running and setting-up several campaigns".

Medicinal Cannabis

"CLEAR is firmly committed to an end to the prohibition of cannabis in general but the" 'spearhead' of their "campaign is medicinal use."

Press Complaints Commission

"CLEAR is pledged never to let misinformation, lies or propaganda about cannabis be published in the press without calling the publishers to account" CLEAR reinforces this by using the Press Complaints Commission.

Celebrity, Arts & Entertainment

"Jason Reed, a member of the CLEAR Executive Committee, heads" the "campaign for high profile support of the cause."

Wales

CLEAR say they have "a strong presence in South Wales guided by Des Humphrey, a medicinal user and one of" their "most determined campaigners." CLEAR "are learning to work with the devolved administration" "particularly now that health is under the control of the Welsh Assembly". CLEAR aims "to lobby hard on the therapeutic and financial benefits of medicinal cannabis."

Scotland

"CLEAR needs representation and support in Scotland." They "plan to lobby the devolved Scottish NHS on the therapeutic and financial benefits of medicinal cannabis."

Social Media

"The CLEAR Facebook page is a very important focus for" the party's "daily activity and has been vital during the development" their website.

Comment Warriors

CLEAR asks people to comment on online cannabis-related articles from various newspapers by calling for "Comment Warriors" on their Facebook page.

Postcard Campaign

CLEAR claims to have a "ready-to-go campaign leaflet which portrays an astounding truth about cannabis in a dramatic way and doubles up as a postcard which can be sent to the prime minister or an MP as a personal message." Like the Radio Advertising campaign, CLEAR are seeking funding for this and "may roll it out as part of" their "first election campaign."

Legal Remedies

CLEAR claim to run a legal remedies campaign.

Members of Parliament

"The only people in Britain who can change the law are MPs. They are, therefore, CLEAR’s most important audience." CLEAR state that they will publish "a database of every MP, his or her position on cannabis, cross-referenced with CLEAR membership by constituency." CLEAR encourages people to write "regularly" to their MP to "make him/her realise that" one will "not vote for someone who supports prohibition." CLEAR provides template letters addressing "the cannabis issue from the starting point of one of the key issues featured on the CLEAR home page."

Election Campaigns

"CLEAR is registered as a UK political party." and claims that it gives them "credibility, respectability and, during elections, a right to fair coverage in the media." They "do not seek to win seats in parliament" because they say that they "are concerned with only one issue." CLEAR seeks "to support politicians who will support a safer, more responsible policy of tax and regulation of cannabis."

Legalise Cannabis Alliance

2005 election campaign logo

The Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA) campaigned for the legalisation of cannabis for all purposes, including medicinal use, as biomass, hemp-based products, and recreational drug use, and fielded candidates in elections to the House of Commons and to local government

The party had origins in a pressure group formed in Norwich following imprisonment of Alun Buffry, but was registered as a political party in March 1999 after Howard Marks had stood as a legalise cannabis candidate in four different constituencies in the 1997 general election: Norwich North, Norwich South, Southampton Test and Neath

In the same general election Buster Nolan described himself as the New Millennium, New Way, Legalise Cannabis candidate in the Braintree constituency

The group formed following Alun Buffry’s imprisonment was initially named, however, as the Campaign to Legalise Cannabis International

It met in Jack's Yard, Magdalen Street, Norwich, and was the Legalise Cannabis International Association (CLCIA) before becoming the LCA

The party used a cannabis leaf image as its emblem and Cannabis : legalise and utilise served as its election manifesto, which supported Jack Herer's claims in the book The Emperor Wears No Clothes about the potential of cannabis as a source of renewable fuel

The first official LCA candidate in a parliamentary election was former mayor of Carlisle Colin Paisley in the November 1999 by election in the Kensington and Chelsea constituency

He took 141 (0.7%) of the votes

The second was Derrick Large in the May 2000 Romsey byelection, who took 417 (1.1%) of the votes

Alun Buffry was the party's nominating officer

In local elections in 2000, the party stood five candidates in Norwich and one in Peterborough, and the party stood frequently in local elections.

In the 2001 general election the party had candidates in 13 constituencies, and their best result was in Workington, where John Peacock took 1040 (2.5%) of the votes.

In January 2004 cannabis prohibition in the UK was relaxed

Cannabis had been a class B substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, but became a Class C substance, and many people saw this change as approaching decriminalisation

In the 2005 general election the LCA stood 18 candidates in 21 constituencies

This was eight more than in the 2001 general election, but included only six that had been contested in that previous election

In all these six constituencies the LCA suffered a fall in its share of the vote, and the average share across 21 constituencies was well down from that across the previous 13

Their best results were in Orkney and Shetland, Worthing East and Shoreham and Leigh

In Orkney and Shetland, Paul Cruickshank took 1.8% of the votes

Thomas Hampson in Leigh and Chris Baldwin in Worthing East and Shoreham both took 1.5% of the votes.

In the 2005 general election the LCA stood in seven Welsh constituencies, fielding enough candidates to qualify for a party political broadcast which aired on Welsh television and was also viewable in other areas of the country due to cable television and Freeview

As well as calling for the legalisation of cannabis, the manifesto in Wales included campaigning against GM food, for lower fuel tax for haulage and transport firms, and support for recycling and renewable energy

The party met with then Home Secretary and Norwich South MP Charles Clarke in March 2006 to put their case for the legalisation of cannabis

The LCA voted to de-register as political party at a conference in Norwich on 11 November 2006 and to continue as a pressure group

In 2011, however, a majority of the members voted to re-register as a party, and later 31 members voted and a majority of 19 elected Peter Reynolds as the leader, with Stuart Warwick as deputy leader and Janice Wells as treasurer

Members also voted to rename the group as the Cannabis Law Reform party, and it is now known also as CLEAR

LCA election results

Election	Constituency or constituencies	Candidate or candidates	Votes	Share (%)	Change
1999 Kensington and Chelsea byelection	Kensington and Chelsea	Colin Paisley	141	0.7	N/A
2000 Romsey byelection	Romsey	Derrick Large	417	1.1	N/A
2001 general election	Braintree	Michael Nolan	774	1.5	N/A
	Calder Valley	Philip Lockwood	672	1.4	N/A
	Carlisle	Colin Paisley	554	1.6	N/A
	Chelmsford West	Herb Philbin	693	0.9	N/A
	East Worthing and Shoreham	Chris Baldwin	920	2.1	N/A
	Edinburgh South	Margaret Hendry	535	1.4	N/A
	Hull North	Carl Wagner	478	1.7	N/A
	Milton Keynes South West	Patman Denning	500	1.1	N/A
	North East Fife	Leslie Von Goetz	420	1.2	N/A
	Norwich South	Alun Buffry	620	1.5	N/A
	Penrith and the Border	Mark Gibson	870	2.0	N/A
	Romsey	Derrick Large	601	1.2	+0.1
	Workington	John Peacock	1040	2.5	N/A
2005 general election	Canterbury	Rocky van de Benderskum	326	0.7	N/A
	Carlisle	Lezley Gibson	343	1.0	-0.6
	Carmarthen East and Dinefwr	Sid James Whitworth	343	0.7	N/A
	Carmarthen West and Pembrokeshire South	Alex Daszak	343	0.6	N/A
	Conwy	Tim Evans	193	0.6	N/A
	East Surrey	Winston Matthews	410	0.8	N/A
	East Worthing and Shoreham	Chris Baldwin	677	1.5	-0.6
	Great Yarmouth	Michael Skipper	389	0.9	N/A
	Hull East	Carl Wagner	182	0.6	N/A
	Hull North	Carl Wagner	179	0.6	-1.1
	Leigh	Thomas Hampson	415	1.5	N/A
	Neath	Pat Tabram	334	0.9	N/A
	Norwich South	Don Barnard	219	0.5	-1.0
	Orkney and Shetland	Paul Cruickshank	311	1.8	N/A
	Penrith and the Border	Mark Gibson	549	1.2	-0.8
	South Dorset	Vic Hamilton	282	0.6	N/A
	Swansea West	Steve Pank	218	0.7	N/A
	Vale of Clwyd	Jeff Ditchfield	286	0.9	N/A
	Workington	John Peacock	381	1.0	-1.5
	Worthing West	Chris Baldwin	550	1.2	N/A
	Ynys Mon	Tim Evans	232	0.7	N/A

Top Gear appearance

In 2003 a party representative appeared on Top Gear's "Fastest political party" show, coming second out of six, behind the Liberal Democrats

External links

• Official website
• Facebook page
• Why The Legalise Cannabis Alliance is now CLEAR, Peter Reynolds, Know Drugs website, accessed 11 October 2011