The Home Office has delivered a stinging rebuke to Sadiq Khan after the London Mayor backed calls to decriminalise cannabis, with Yvette Cooper’s department bluntly declaring it has “no intention” of changing drug laws.
Khan’s push to scrap criminal penalties for personal cannabis use was dismissed as “ridiculous” and “pie-in-the-sky” by critics, who accused him of wanting to add “the stink of cannabis” to London’s streets while violent crime soars.
The Mayor’s London Drugs Commission, chaired by former Labour Justice Secretary Lord Falconer, claimed current cannabis laws “cannot be justified” and are used to “disproportionately” target black communities through stop and search.
But the Home Office shot down the proposals within hours, making clear that cannabis would remain a Class B drug with criminal sanctions for possession – a humiliating slapdown for Khan’s progressive agenda.
We have no intention of reclassifying cannabis,” a Home Office spokesperson said firmly, adding they would “continue to work with partners” to “drive down drug use” and “make our streets safer.
The brutal rejection sparked fierce criticism of Khan, with City Hall Tories leader Susan Hall launching a scathing attack on the Mayor’s priorities.
In the midst of a crime wave, as our streets become more and more antisocial, the Mayor’s bright idea is to add the stink of cannabis into the mix – legally,” Hall told GB News.
She added: “How he expects officers to differentiate between legal and illegal amounts on the spot is beyond me, and that’s before you consider what else someone might be carrying.
The commission’s report had argued that criminalising cannabis possession wastes police resources and damages community relations, particularly with young black men who face disproportionate enforcement.
Cannabis laws have been used to stop and search black communities disproportionately,” the report stated, claiming current enforcement “damages police-community relations” without reducing drug use.
But critics seized on Khan’s mental health campaigning to highlight what they see as rank hypocrisy.
He talks a big game about mental health and here he is pushing a drug that we know makes it far worse,” Hall said. “Simply ridiculous pie-in-the-sky ideas from a man who cannot get a grip on London’s real needs.”
The timing of Khan’s cannabis push has raised eyebrows, coming as London grapples with persistent violent crime and anti-social behaviour that has left many residents feeling unsafe.
While Londoners are crying out for action on knife crime and street robberies, the Mayor’s focusing on making it easier to smoke weed,” one Met Police source said. “It’s completely tone-deaf.”
Former police officer Norman Brennan slammed the proposals as “madness,” warning they would make officers’ jobs impossible.
We’re already struggling to police drug dealing and county lines. Now Khan wants us to somehow judge on the street whether someone’s got a ‘personal’ amount? It’s unworkable,” he said.
The commission had recommended replacing criminal sanctions with civil penalties like fines or education courses for those caught with small amounts of cannabis for personal use.
Lord Falconer argued: “The current sentencing for those caught in possession of natural cannabis cannot be justified. We’re criminalising thousands of young people for something that should be treated as a health issue.
But the Home Office’s swift rejection suggests the Labour government has no appetite for being seen as soft on drugs, despite Khan’s position as one of the party’s most prominent figures.
This is embarrassing for Sadiq,” a Labour insider admitted. “He’s clearly misjudged the mood. Yvette Cooper isn’t going to risk looking weak on law and order for his pet project.
The proposal has also exposed divisions within Labour, with many MPs privately supporting reform but unwilling to say so publicly for fear of voter backlash.
“Most of us know cannabis criminalisation doesn’t work,” one backbencher said. “But try explaining that to constituents worried about drug dealers on their streets.”
Khan’s office defended the recommendations, with a spokesperson saying: “The Mayor commissioned this independent report to examine evidence-based approaches to reducing drug-related harm. He will consider its findings carefully.”
But the damage appears done, with Khan looking isolated and out of touch just as he seeks to present himself as tough on crime ahead of potential future ambitions.
Sadiq thought he was being progressive and forward-thinking,” said political analyst Robert Jenkins. “Instead he’s given his opponents a massive stick to beat him with.”
The Metropolitan Police Federation remained diplomatically neutral but sources suggested rank-and-file officers opposed the plans.
“Our members want clarity and support, not mixed messages about what is and isn’t illegal,” one representative said. “This would have made an already difficult job even harder.”
Mental health charities also expressed concerns, with some warning that decriminalisation could increase cannabis use among vulnerable young people.
While we support treating drug use as a health issue, we can’t ignore cannabis’s links to psychosis and depression,” said Dr Sarah Mitchell from Mind. Any reform needs to prioritise mental health support.
The controversy has delighted Khan’s critics, who see it as evidence of misplaced priorities as London faces multiple crises.
Knife crime up, theft up, anti-social behaviour through the roof – and Sadiq’s worried about people getting criminal records for carrying weed,” scoffed one Conservative London Assembly member.
Even some who support cannabis reform questioned Khan’s strategy, suggesting he’d handed opponents easy ammunition while achieving nothing.
He’s managed to annoy the government, delight his enemies, and cannabis laws won’t change one bit,” said drug reform campaigner Peter Thompson. “Complete own goal.”
The swift slapdown from the Home Office sends a clear message: whatever Khan’s progressive ambitions, the government won’t risk appearing soft on drugs, even cannabis.
As one Westminster insider put it: “Sadiq needs to read the room. Middle England isn’t ready for legal weed, and neither is the Labour leadership.
Hall delivered the final blow: “The Mayor should get a grip on London’s real needs rather than pushing ridiculous ideas that even his own party won’t support.
With violent crime dominating headlines and the Home Office firmly opposed, Khan’s cannabis crusade appears dead on arrival – another reminder that being Mayor of London doesn’t mean you can change national drug policy, no matter how progressive your commission’s recommendations.
