AGM of the Group: 17th July 2019
APPG for Drug Policy Reform – AGM minutes
5pm Wednesday 17th July 2019
Attendees:
Officers – Crispin Blunt MP, Jeff Smith MP, Baroness Meacher, Ronnie Cowan MP
Parliamentarians – Paul Sweeney MP, Lord Hylton, Baron Low, Huw Merriman (staff)
Secretariat – Mike Trace, Frank Warburton, Tarsilo Onuluk, Alex Worrell
Apologies:
Officers – Caroline Lucas MP
Parliamentarians – Kirsty Blackman MP, David Drew MP, Lord Judd, Steve Baker MP, Chris Law MP, Lord Ramsbotham, Baroness Finlay, Scott Mann MP
Secretariat – Hanna Head
Item 1 – Welcome and apologies
CB introduced the meeting and passed on apols.
Item 2 – Minutes of last quarterly meeting
CB introduced the minutes from last quarterly meeting (21/05/19), which was in conjunction with the Cross-Party Group on Drugs, Alcohol and Justice, to approve.
CB suggested reference to drug consumption rooms (DCRs) in previous minutes be amended to refer to overdose prevention centres. MM, JS and RC contributed to a discussion on whether this should be done in light of how DCRs is still the commonly used term. It was decided to amend the minutes to reflect that the suggestion to use different name had been made, with group to make joint decisions in the future about as and when each term is used.
Item 3a – Election of Officers
CB proposed that JS be re-elected as co-Chair. MM seconded.
CB proposed that MM be re-elected as co-Chair. JS seconded.
MM proposed that CB be re-elected as co-Chair. JS seconded.
JS proposed that RC be re-elected as vice-Chair. MM seconded.
MM proposed that Lord Norton be re-elected as vice-Chair. CB seconded.
JS proposed that CL be re-elected as vice-Chair. CB seconded.
JS nominated PS to be elected as an additional vice-Chair. All in favour.
Item 3b – Approval of income and expenditure statement
FW explained what main items of expenditure had gone on – consultancy fees and Chatham House time. £1000 was given to the APPG by Health Poverty Action. Some money left after OSF international project had been delivered.
See the financial report here.
It was agreed that only the co-Chairs should have access to the APPG’s bank account.
Items 4 and 5 – review of 2018/19 work plan and discussion of 2019/20 work plan.
MT gave a summary of our work planning year (July 2018 – July 2019), indicating we have broadly achieved our organisational objectives.
One area we should come back to is membership expansion – group had indicated we should try to grow membership list and get more members regularly active. We are yet to do a membership drive. MT gave a summary of the activity report and group referred to written version. Emphasised progress with credibility and good relationships.
MM made the point that our progress and good relationships are not all new and we also have the strength of longevity and continuity.
MT brought discussion to proposals around how we operate in the coming years. Looking at the external environment, the drug policy reform agenda is gaining potential in a number of ways, with a growing number of groups inside parliament and trying to talk to parliament focusing on the issue. Some risk of these groups becoming unhelpfully disparate.
MT suggested the APPG could function as a convener and accelerator of work that some other groups are doing. Part of this could be inviting stakeholders and actors from those groups to our meetings.
CB suggested CDPRG will signpost Conservative MPs interested in Drug Policy Reform into our APPG.
MT made point about the need to strengthen and deepen membership and how relationship with other party/lobbying groups could help.
MM highlighted that groups receiving money from cannabis companies needed to be handled sensitively for certain audiences.
JS introduced format of LCDPR – the emphasis on member/supporter led campaigning to influence Labour’s policy.
RC raised concerns about maintaining a distinction between the work of the party groups and the cross-party work.
MM expressed the view that the APPG’s role is to set the agenda – the party groups can feed in as and where appropriate.
LL expressed the view that a non-party group like this can be looked to do the heavy lifting in terms of dealing with Ministers and similar.MT introduced our proposed areas of focus for coming planning year:
• Medical cannabis
• Legalisation of adult recreational cannabis use
• Extending harm reduction (things like DCRs/OPCs and pill testing)
• ‘Paradigm shift’ – pushing Government to get out of its position of assuming that the current approach can/will work – whether through Royal/Parliamentary commission or some other mechanism
LH raised question about our proposed position on recreational cannabis – would we be asking for tight safeguards and regulation? All in agreement that we would be.
[At this point Lord Low gave apologies and had to leave the meeting.]
MM suggested part of our focus could be to try and get Carol Black review’s terms of reference changed – then she and her advisors may be able to do something useful with the review.
CB suggested that the specific ask for point 2 (legalisation of adult use) should be for Government to form a taskforce to assess the merits of approaches in other countries with a legalised cannabis market.
MM suggested if this was the case we should push Government to look at models which appear to have been done responsibly and to have had beneficial results.
CB made point about considering all available evidence - we can learn lessons from the bad models too.
MT said question came down to whether this group calls for what’s currently proposed (to push all political parties to support the end to prohibition of cannabis for adult recreational use, and to promote the creation of a regulated regime prioritising consumer safety and public health), or for a Government taskforce to assess the merits?
CB explained reasoning behind calling for a Government taskforce.
MM outlined concerns with what the taskforce might consider – many of the cannabis regulatory models that are successful are more new, this might not play well for us.
CB asked if as a starting point the group all agreed that prohibition is the wrong policy. Group indicated that they did.
MT noted that we know the what (regulated legal market), and we need to find the how. Not necessary to commit to a specific mechanism (such as Government taskforce) in the scope of this meeting. But all in agreement that calling for an end to cannabis market’s prohibition for adults should be a focus.
Discussion moved on to medical cannabis. RC noted we should not absolve ourselves of responsibility because of the existence of the APPG on Medical Cannabis under Prescription.
MM – mentioned some areas of progress e.g. Mike Barnes clinic, but noted the problem is still finding consultants willing to prescribe.
RC raised issue of pharmacists unwilling to dispense even if clinicians prescribe. Issue with Miller & Miller company’s license to import Bedrolite – instances of product being marked up before being sold to families.
CB raised last year’s proposal of this APPG forming a sub-committee to focus on medical cannabis. Suggested we should revisit that, led by those with medical backgrounds. Agreement in the room that we should get in touch with APPG on Medical Cannabis under Prescription.
[At this point Lord Hylton gave apologies and had to leave the meeting.]
TO noted the political sensitivity around campaign to legalise cannabis for medical use last year led members to agree to keep it separate from wider drug reform but the circumstances now had changed.
CB suggested our group seek a co-Chairs meeting with that APPG’s chairs, to consider how we move forward following the change in circumstances? This was an agreed action.
MT made a suggestion in terms of changing group’s way of operating – we should produce more written materials e.g. briefing notes and letters to Ministers and parliamentary colleagues about what we think should be done. All agreed.
Item 6 – AOB
MT and FW updated group on progress towards making a joint bid for funding from OSF with Portuguese organisation Unite. Discussions continue. Noted RC is a Unite member.
MT resolved to use both names for DCRs/OPCs in the letter and send this week to Sajid Javid. All agreed.
Item 7 – Time and date of next meeting
5pm on Monday 7th October agreed for next quarterly APPG meeting.
Additional event for 3rd September proposed by Transform. MT noted it would be a good opportunity to talk with experts about medical cannabis issue.
Secretariat to finalise this with Transform and send round a save the date to Parliamentarians ASAP.
Action points:
1. Amend minutes of 21st May 2019
2. Send AGM Result Form to APPG Registrar
3. Seek meeting with co-chairs of APPG for Medical Cannabis
4. Amend Home Office letter and send
5. Take forward joint event with Transform for 3rd September
6. Book a room for meeting at 5pm on Monday 7th October