Jailed Green Party drug chief released
Green Party spokesman for drugs issues, Shane Collins, has had his conviction for cultivating cannabis quashed.
He has been released on appeal after a few days in jail, on the grounds that the cannabis he grew in his home was entirely for personal use.
Mr Collins said he was relieved to be out of Brixton prison and stated that recent events would stiffen his resolve to campaign for liberalisation.
Although unelected, Shane Collins is one of the most prominent members of the Green Party and is regularly asked to comment on drugs policy in the media. The Party widely criticized his arrest.
Deputy London Mayor, Jenny Jones commented on his arrest saying, ‘this is ludicrous when we’re on the point of changing the law. It’s even worse when the UK has its highest prison population ever. The criminal justice system is under huge pressure, yet we’re being heavy-handed on victimless crime.’
Other Prominent figures from within the Party members also attacked the law claiming that Shane Collins’ case highlighted the need for changes to the law and that it indicated poor priorities within the police force.
Reflecting on his experience Mr Collins said: ‘A civilised society in the 21st century should simply not be even thinking of jailing someone for doing something that causes no harm to anyone. And the police should not be having to invest scarce resources in things like this, when there are real crimes like burglary and robbery to tackle.’
