BY BUSINESS OF CANNABIS OCTOBER 4, 2023 IN BUSINESS OF CANNABIS EUROPE, PRESS RELEASES
A new report from a leading UK cannabis advisory company has highlighted how a failure to capture data related to race – when policing illicit adult cannabis use across Europe – risks adding to disproportionate outcomes for ethnic minorities that are apparent in countries like the UK.
The Social Impact of Cannabis Legalisation Report, published today by First Wednesdays, examines how social justice and equity outcomes for people from ethnic minority backgrounds are severely overlooked in many European countries. The problem is made worse by findings indicating that, where data is currently being collected, there are signs of racial profiling when it comes to policing illicit drug use.
The report finds there is disproportionality in UK stop and search protocol, and further highlights how organised crime, through the cannabis black market, is impacting migrants and vulnerable people via human trafficking and modern-day slavery.
Cannabis is currently the most widely-consumed illicit drug in Europe – with a recent report indicating that 22 million adults (7.7% of the EU population) say they have consumed cannabis in the last year.
