List of British politicians who have acknowledged cannabis use
{{Short description|None}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2017}}File:Theodor von Hörmann Hanfeinlegen.jpg of raw hemp in a stream]]
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants with species that have long been used for fibre (hemp), for medicinal purposes, and as a drug. Industrial hemp products are made from cannabis plants selected to produce an abundance of fiber and minimal levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive molecule that produces the "high" associated with cannabis as a drug.
Pre-prohibition
Cannabis may have been known in Britain as far back as the Bronze Age (ca. 2800 BP) when pieces of textiles and string were found at a site at St. Andrews in Scotland. Microscopic inspection showed that the fibres of these items appeared to have several different characteristics to those of flax.{{cite journal|last=Ryder|first=M. L.|year=1993|title=Probable hemp fibre in Bronze Age Scotland|journal=Archeological Textiles Newsletter|issue=17|pages=10–13}}
The first hard evidence of hemp in England are seeds that have been identified as cannabis sativa found in a Roman well in York.{{cite book|first=John Peter|last=Wild|date=April 2003|title=Textiles in Archaeology|url=https://archive.org/details/textilesinarchae0000wild|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/textilesinarchae0000wild/page/22 22]|publisher=Shire Publications|location=United Kingdom|isbn=978-0-85263-931-3}} Palynologists then find an increasing pollen curve in sediments, dating from the early Saxon period and peaking between 800 AD and 1200 AD.{{cite journal|last1=Fleming|first1=M. P.|last2=Clarke|first2=R. C.|year=1998|title=Physical evidence for the antiquity of Cannabis sativa L. (Cannabaceae)|journal=Journal of the International Hemp Association|issue=5|pages=80–92|url=http://www.goa-shoom.net/botanica/Fleming%20and%20Clarke_antiquity%20of%20Cannabis%20sativa%20L_IJHA%201998.pdf}} Hemp cultivation was widespread and appears to have been concentrated around the coastal areas of Britain which would indicate its importance for making nets, sail-cloth and rope.{{cite journal|last1=Whittington|first1=Graeme|last2=Edwards|first2=Kevin J.|date=December 1990|title=The cultivation and utilisation of hemp in Scotland|journal=Scottish Geographical Journal|volume=106|issue=3|pages=167–173|doi=10.1080/00369229018736795}}
However, to satisfy the increased demand for rope and sailcloth for King Henry VIII's new navy, he decreed (1533) that all landholders set aside one-quarter acre for the cultivation of flax or hemp for every sixty acres of land that they tilled in order to provide the necessary fibre. Queen Elizabeth I reintroduced the law (1563 AD) to expand her navy and imposes a £5 fine for any eligible landlord who failed to comply. From then on the demand increased and the hemp industry became very important to the British economy. Indeed, it was their need to improve the supply of this strategic raw commodity that come the 1630s the British sped up their colonization of the new world.Deitch, Robert (2003) Hemp: American history revisited: the plant with a divided history. page 12. Algora Publishing. Accessed 2010-01-16
Furthermore, cannabis also became an important medicine. There are claims that Queen Victoria took tincture of Cannabis to ease the pain of childbirth but these have been disputed.A pharmacy of her own: Victorian women and the figure of the opiate by Aikens, Kristina, Ph.D., TUFTS UNIVERSITY, 2008, 276 pages; 3304089{{Cite journal|last=Berridge|first=Virginia|date=2003-01-01|title=Queen Victoria's Cannabis Use: Or, How History Does and Does Not Get Used in Drug Policy Making|journal=Addiction Research & Theory|volume=11|issue=4|pages=213–215|doi=10.1080/1606635031000135604|s2cid=144282616 |issn=1606-6359|url=https://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/id/eprint/16087/1/Berridge_2003_Queen_Victorias_cannabis_use.pdf }}
| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan=2 width=180|Name ! width=80|Lifetime ! width=380|Notable positions held ! width=80|Party ! class=unsortable|Ref. |
| valign="top"
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Independent}}" | | data-sort-value="Urquhart" | David Urquhart | align="center"|{{sort|1805–1877|1805–1877}} |
;Parties:
{{legend2|#EEEEEE|Independent|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
Legislation
In order that Britain could ratify international treaties which it signed up to, it added tincture of cannabis to the list of drugs which already required an importation or exportation licence, granted by the Home Secretary. This took the form of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1920 (10 & 11 Geo. 5. c. 46).
Secondary legislation was introduced to ensure better standardization and quality of cannabis tincture. This was achieved by tight legislative control over sourcing the raw materials, processing and distribution. An effect of this control was to restrict the use of tincture to purposes that were strictly medical or scientific. Other forms of cannabis were not affected.
One of the regulations to maintain quality is briefly alluded to by Maud Grieve in her book A Modern Herbal, where she mentions in the section about Indian Hemp that "two-year-old ganja is almost inert, and the law requires it to be burnt in the presence of excise officers."{{cite book|last=Grieve|first=Maud|year=1931|title=A modern herbal|page=396|publisher=Johnathan Cape Ltd.}}
The League of Nations was put in charge of international drug control after World War One. Cannabis was not initially subject to international control but was controlled as part of the 1925 Geneva Opium Conventions. Control came about due to the local situation in Egypt and the desire of the new leaders of the country to embarrass their former British rulers by claiming that its use had led to widespread insanity.{{Cite book|url=http://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/id/eprint/1593439|title=Demons: Our changing attitudes to alcohol, tobacco, and drugs|last=V|first=Berridge|date=2013-01-01|website=researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk|isbn=978-0-19-960498-2 |access-date=2017-04-27}} Due to its importance as a medicine and its other industrial uses, this proposal was reduced to prohibiting the unlicensed possession of cannabis. Britain ratified this agreement by amending the Dangerous Drugs Act 1920 with the Dangerous Drugs Act 1925 (15 & 16 Geo. 5. c. 74) which added some other of cannabis hitherto ignored. Namely, cannabis resin, cannabis oil (hash oil), cannabis leaf, flower-heads and the raw plant itself. However, whole seeds, seed oil (hemp oil) and fibre are not included. They can still be used for baiting fish, feeding birds, cooking, making strong ropes and high quality paper. In order that the government could avoid paying out compensation, enforcement of the act was delayed until 1928, thus giving people time to legitimately dispose of their stock which contravenes the new Bill.{{cite book|first1=Nicholas|last1=Dorn|first2=Karim|last2=Murji|first3=Nigel|last3=South|date=20 December 1991|title=Traffickers: drug markets and law enforcement|url=https://archive.org/details/traffickersdrugm00dorn|url-access=limited|pages=[https://archive.org/details/traffickersdrugm00dorn/page/n196 178]–179|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-03537-8}}
Following the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961) the cultivation of cannabis ceased in the UK.
Cannabis tincture was finally removed from the British National Formulary in 1971 by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
During prohibition
{{Dynamic list}}
These are the politicians that have admitted to recreational use following prohibition include, Members of Parliament, Secretaries of State and other Ministers, Peers, and Mayors as well as members of devolved legislatures.
| class="wikitable"
|+Key | align="center" colspan=2 |{{Legend2|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|Conservative|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}{{nb5}}{{Legend2|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|Labour|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}{{nb5}}{{Legend2|{{party color|Scottish National Party}}|SNP|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}{{nb5}}{{Legend2|{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}|Liberal Democrats|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}{{nb5}}{{Legend2|{{party color|Plaid Cymru}}|Plaid Cymru|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} |
File:David Cameron official.jpg, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]]
File:Official portrait of Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP crop 2.jpg, former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party]]
File:Boris Johnson official portrait (cropped).jpg, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and former Mayor of London]]
File:Official portrait of Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP crop 2.jpg, former Deputy Prime Minister]]
File:Jacqui Smith, September 2009 cropped.jpg, former Home Secretary]]
File:Nicola Sturgeon election infobox.jpg, former First Minister of Scotland]]
| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan=2 width=180|Name ! width=80|Lifetime ! width=380|Notable positions held ! width=80|Party ! class=unsortable|Ref. |
| valign="top"
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" | | data-sort-value="Ainsworth" | Peter Ainsworth | align="center"|{{sort|1956–2021|1956–2021}} | Conservative |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Blears" | Hazel Blears | align="center"|{{sort|1956|b. 1956}} | Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government | Labour |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Burnham" | Andy Burnham | align="center"|{{sort|1970|b. 1970}} | Secretary of State for Health | Labour |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Cameron" | David Cameron | align="center"|{{sort|1966|b. 1966}} | {{Nowrap|Foreign Secretary from 2023 to 2024 | Conservative |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Clarke" | Charles Clarke | align="center"|{{sort|1950|b. 1950}} | Labour | align="center"|{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article2102825.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516013547/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article2102825.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 May 2008|title=Puffing politicians: list of cannabis confessions|date=19 July 2007|access-date=19 January 2010|work=The Times|publisher= News Corporation|first=Jenny|last=Booth | location=London}} |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Cleverly" | James Cleverly | align="center"|{{sort|1969|b. 1969}} |{{Nowrap|Home Secretary | Conservative |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Coaker" | Vernon Coaker | align="center"|{{sort|1953|b. 1953}} | Minister of State for Schools | Labour |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Cooper" | Yvette Cooper | align="center"|{{sort|1969|b. 1969}} | Secretary of State for Work and Pensions | Labour |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Scottish National Party}}" |
| data-sort-value="Crawford" | Bruce Crawford | align="center"|{{sort|1955|b. 1955}} | Cabinet Secretary for Parliamentary Business and Government Strategy | SNP |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Darling" | Alistair Darling, Baron Darling of Roulanish | align="center"|{{sort|1953–2023|1953–2023}} | Labour |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Davidson" | Ruth Davidson | align="center"|{{sort|1978|b. 1978}} | Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party | Conservative |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Scottish National Party}}" |
| data-sort-value="Ewing" | Fergus Ewing | align="center"|{{sort|1957|b. 1957}} | Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity | SNP |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Fabricant" | Michael Fabricant | align="center"|{{sort|1950|b. 1950}} | Lord Commissioner of the Treasury | Conservative |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Flint" | Caroline Flint | align="center"|{{sort|1961|b. 1961}} | Minister of State for Europe | Labour |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Galbraith" | Thomas Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde | align="center"|{{sort|1960|b. 1960}} | Leader of the House of Lords | Conservative |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Gove" | Michael Gove | align="center"|{{sort|1967|b. 1967}} | Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government | Conservative |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Hancock" | Matt Hancock | align="center"|{{sort|1978|b. 1978}} | Secretary of State for Health and Social Care | Conservative |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Harman" | Harriet Harman | align="center"|{{sort|1950|b. 1950}} | Leader of the House of Commons | Labour |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Hewitt" | Patricia Hewitt | align="center"|{{sort|1948|b. 1948}} | Secretary of State for Health | Labour |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Hunt" | Jeremy Hunt | align="center"|{{sort|1966|b. 1966}} | Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs | Conservative |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Hutton" | John Hutton, Baron Hutton of Furness | align="center"|{{sort|1955|b. 1955}} | Secretary of State for Defence | Labour |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Scottish National Party}}" |
| data-sort-value="Hyslop" | Fiona Hyslop | align="center"|{{sort|1964|b. 1964}} | Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs | SNP |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Jenkin" | Bernard Jenkin | align="center"|{{sort|1959|b. 1959}} | Shadow Secretary of State for Defence | Conservative |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Johnson" | Boris Johnson | align="center"|{{sort|1964|b. 1964}} | Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2022 | Conservative | align="center"|{{cite web|url=http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/1446705.boris_i_took_cocaine_and_cannabis/|title=Boris: I took cocaine and cannabis|date=4 June 2007|access-date=16 January 2010|work=Oxford Mail}} |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Jones" | Jon Owen Jones | align="center"|{{sort|1954|b. 1954}} | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of the Welsh Office | Labour |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Kelly" | Ruth Kelly | align="center"|{{sort|1968|b. 1968}} | Secretary of State for Transport | Labour |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Kendall" | Liz Kendall | align="center"|{{sort|1971|b. 1971}} | Shadow Minister for Care and Older People | Labour | align="center"|{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jul/22/jeremy-corbyn-could-lose-frontbenchers-if-elected-labour-leader | title=Liz Kendall and Yvette Cooper would not serve in Jeremy Corbyn shadow cabinet | website=TheGuardian.com | date=23 July 2015 }} |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Khan" | Sadiq Khan | align="center"|{{sort|1970|b. 1970}} | Mayor of London | Labour | align="center"|{{citation|title=Sadiq Khan Admits: Yes, I've Smoked Cannabis|date=22 June 2018|publisher=LBC|url=https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/james-obrien/sadiq-khan-admits-yes-ive-smoked-cannabis/}} |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Kinnock" | Stephen Kinnock | align="center"|{{sort|1970|b. 1970}} | Labour |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Kramer" | Susan Kramer, Baroness Kramer | align="center"|{{sort|1950|b. 1950}} | Minister of State for Transport | {{Nowrap|Liberal Democrat}} |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Lamont" | Norman Lamont, Baron Lamont of Lerwick | align="center"|{{sort|1942|b. 1942}} | Conservative |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Leadsom" | Andrea Leadsom | align="center"|{{sort|1963|b. 1963}} | Leader of the House of Commons | Conservative |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Letwin" | Oliver Letwin | align="center"|{{sort|1956|b. 1956}} | Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | Conservative |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Scottish National Party}}" |
| data-sort-value="Marwick" | Tricia Marwick | align="center"|{{sort|1953|b. 1953}} | Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament | SNP |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Maude" | Francis Maude, Baron Maude of Horsham | align="center"|{{sort|1953|b. 1953}} | Minister for the Cabinet Office | Conservative |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Scottish National Party}}" |
| data-sort-value="Maxwell" | Stewart Maxwell | align="center"|{{sort|1963|b. 1963}} | Minister for Communities and Sport | SNP |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="McNulty" | Tony McNulty | align="center"|{{sort|1958|b. 1958}} | Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform | Labour |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="McVey" | Esther McVey | align="center"|{{sort|1967|b. 1967}} | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | Conservative |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Mowlam" | Mo Mowlam | align="center"|{{sort|1949–2005|1949–2005}} | Leader of the House of Lords | Labour |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Norman" | Archie Norman | align="center"|{{sort|1954|b. 1954}} | Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions | Conservative |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Raab" | Dominic Raab | align="center"|{{sort|1974|b. 1974}} | Deputy Prime Minister | Conservative |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Scottish National Party}}" |
| data-sort-value="Robison" | Shona Robison | align="center"|{{sort|1966|b. 1966}} | Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport | SNP |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Smith" | Jacqui Smith | align="center"|{{sort|1962|b. 1962}} | Labour | align="center"|{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6907040.stm|title=Top ministers admit cannabis use|date=20 July 2007|access-date=16 January 2010|publisher=BBC News}} |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Scottish National Party}}" |
| data-sort-value="Sturgeon" | Nicola Sturgeon | align="center"|{{sort|1970|b. 1970}} | SNP | align="center"|{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1720647.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604152221/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1720647.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 June 2011|title=Half of SNP cabinet used cannabis|date=29 April 2007|access-date=20 January 2010|work=Sunday Times|publisher=Times Newspapers Ltd | location=London | first=Tom | last=Gordon}} |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Swinson" | Jo Swinson | align="center"|{{sort|1980|b. 1980}} | Leader of the Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrat |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Taylor" | Matthew Taylor, Baron Taylor of Goss Moor | align="center"|{{sort|1963|b. 1963}} | Liberal Democrats Treasury Spokesman | Liberal Democrat |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Umanna" | Chuka Umunna | align="center"|{{sort|1978|b. 1978}} | Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills | Liberal Democrat |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Willetts" | David Willetts, Baron Willetts | align="center"|{{sort|1956|b. 1956}} | Minister of State for Universities and Science | Conservative |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Plaid Cymru}}" |
| data-sort-value="Wood" | Leanne Wood | align="center"|{{sort|1971|b. 1971}} | Member of the National Assembly for Wales | Plaid Cymru |
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| data-sort-value="Yeo" | Tim Yeo | align="center"|{{sort|1945|b. 1945}} | Conservative |
See also
{{Portal|Cannabis|Law|Politics|United Kingdom}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Cannabis in the United Kingdom}}
{{Cannabis resources}}
{{UnitedKingdomMPs}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:British Politicians Who Admit To Cannabis Use}}