In more parts of the world than ever before, constructive conversations within political circles are increasingly focusing on the benefits of modernizing cannabis laws and regulations. Several countries have now adopted adult-use cannabis legalization measures, and even more have adopted medical cannabis legalization measures. The success of those policy changes is increasing the momentum for other nations to do the same.

One country where cannabis policy conversations are increasing is the United Kingdom, where medical cannabis is legal, but wider adult-use cannabis reform has remained elusive. In the case of medical cannabis, the UK’s laws and regulations could still be greatly improved.

Daisy Cooper is a British Liberal Democrat lawmaker in the United Kingdom and has served as a Member of Parliament since 2019. Ms. Cooper has served as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats since 2020 and as the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson since 2024. She recently appeared on Leading Britain’s Conversation and spoke about the benefits of cannabis legalization:

‘This so-called war on drugs isn’t working.’
@libdemdaisy confirms the Lib Dems want cannabis legalised, and insists they got there before the Greens. pic.twitter.com/Pd6iZJGjyD

— LBC (@LBC) April 27, 2026

The Lib Dems need to continue touting the benefits of cannabis legalization, not only because it is sound public policy, but also to further establish their party’s support for cannabis reform in the public sphere. A recent survey conducted by YouGov found a significant disconnect between Britons’ perception of the level of support for cannabis legalization within the Lib Dems and the actual level of support.

When asked, “As far as you are aware, which of the following political parties support the full legalisation of cannabis?” a majority (52%) answered that they did not know which political parties supported full legalization out of the options of Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Reform UK, or Greens. “N/A: None of these parties support the legalisation of cannabis” was also an option for participants to select.

“The only party that a substantial number of Britons think backs legalisation are the Greens, with 31% of Britons saying so.” wrote YouGov about the results. “The only party that pledged to legalise cannabis at the 2024 general election were the Liberal Democrats, but only 7% of Britons believe the party holds that stance.”

The survey involved a total of 2,053 participants and was conducted between March 31st and April 1st, 2026. The survey asked several other cannabis-related questions. When asked, “Have you or have you not ever used cannabis in any form?” a total of 37% of respondents indicated that they had at least once in their lifetime, with an additional 2% answering that they would “prefer not to say.” By comparison, 41.5% in Canada report having consumed cannabis during their lifetime, and 44.2% in the United States have reported doing so.

Participants were also asked, “Generally speaking, to what extent would you support or oppose the legalisation of cannabis in the UK?” A total of 47% of participants answered “Strongly / tend to support” and 43% answered “Strongly / tend to oppose.” The remaining participants answered, “Don’t know.”

YouGov drilled down further on the legalization views by asking participants, “And when put this way, with regard to cannabis, which of these statements comes closest to your own view?” Below is a breakdown of how participants answered:

• 35% answered “The sale and possession of cannabis should remain a criminal offence as it is now”
• 33% answered “The sale and possession of cannabis should no longer be illegal (sometimes called ‘legalisation’)
• 23% answered “The sale and possession of cannabis should remain illegal but should be regarded as a minor offence, such as parking in the wrong place, rather than a criminal offence (a policy sometimes called ‘decriminalisation’)
• 9% answered “Don’t know”

Adult-use cannabis legalization in the United Kingdom could generate as much as £1.5 billion in revenue and savings, according to a report published last year by the advocacy group Transform Drug Policy Foundation. The report determined that over £1.2 billion would be generated from taxes and fees annually, and an additional £284 million would be saved annually by the nation’s criminal justice system no longer enforcing cannabis prohibition policies. Transform Drug Policy Foundation also determined that “up to 15,500 full-time jobs could be created in cultivation, manufacturing, retail & related services, (depending on the model implemented).”

A previous analysis published by UK-based advocacy group CLEAR determined that legalizing cannabis for adult use in the United Kingdom and taxing and regulating sales could generate as much as £9.5 billion per year based on their proposed model.