Will the UK Legalize Marijuana Before 2020?

Pot usage has been growing around the world for years, but will the UK legalize marijuana anytime soon? PaddyPower is allowing their members to bet on it!

In many regards, marijuana is now a part of mainstream culture. Despite years of anti-pot campaigns from a number of dubious individuals and corporations with hidden agendas in mind, the leafy green has survived, and is readily available in most parts of the world. Many countries have taken a look at the effects and made the decision to either decriminalize or outright legalize pot, while others will still throw you in a jail cell for smoking a joint.

One country that has yet to change their laws on the legality of marijuana is the UK. That hasn’t stopped the Brits from enjoying a toke or two of the ganja, as the entire weed industry here is said to bring in over £6.8 billion per year. Advocates of the UK legalizing marijuana estimate it could bring somewhere between £750 million and £1 billion for the nation every year if taxed. After Brexit, this money might be needed.

So will the UK legalize marijuana anytime soon? It remains to be seen. Pot is still listed as a Class B drug here, meaning it’s far from legal but generally speaking won’t result in any serious consequences if caught with a small amount. Nonetheless, marijuana arrests in the UK account for 67% of all police drug related offenses.

Will the UK legalize marijuana before 2020? Bet on it!

The Home Office has repeatedly stated they have no plans to legalize the dank, but in time their stance may change. A recent petition calling for legality made UK gambling news after receiving over 150,000 signatures which prompted a response from the government. After painstaking research, they responded by saying, “Substantial scientific evidence shows cannabis is a harmful drug that can damage human health. There are no plans to legalise cannabis as it would not address the harm to individuals and communities.”

Cue skeptical hippo face. It’s not entirely clear what studies indicate this alleged harm, but for now they aren’t budging. As time goes on however, they may follow the trend that countries such as Uruguay, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and many others have taken by allowing their citizens to enjoy the chronic in peace. That’s about as many nicknames for pot fit into one article as possible.

As one of the best online sportsbooks in the UK, PaddyPower is known for offering some out of the box novelty bets, and that’s what you’ll find here. You can actually bet on whether pot gets legalized in the UK before 2020, and the odds are worth taking a look at. They currently list the odds for Yes on whether it will be made legal at 12/1.

Will the UK legalize marijuana before 2020? Could certain upcoming elections affect this decision? Tell us what you think by leaving a comment below, and make sure to check out one of the best gambling sites in the world, PaddyPower, to place you bet and find more amazing novelty bets like this one.