Leadbeater leaves Home Affairs after drug policy stand-off

Sunday 31 October 2021

Home Affairs Member Deputy Marc Leadbeater has resigned from the Committee, claiming that he has been "marginalised" by its President for his views on Guernsey's cannabis laws and indicating that he will lay a requete to bring about drug policy reform early next year.

Deputy Leadbeater was Home Affairs Vice-President last term and regained a place on the Committee after the election, despite being shunned by Home President Deputy Rob Prow.

A Director of Guernsey cannabis company, the House of Green, Deputy Leadbeater has spoken openly of his desire to reform Guernsey’s drug laws. 

He claims that he has been deliberately sidelined from Home Affairs’ Justice Framework review by Deputy Prow, who was the Head of Guernsey’s Border Agency prior to his election to the States in 2016.  

“It’s no secret that Deputy Prow did not want me on his Committee right from the off when he chose to recommend to the States others instead of me for a place on his Committee,” said Deputy Leadbeater. 

Pictured: Deputy Leadbeater is a founding member of The House of Green, which specialises in the cultivation, extraction and production of cannabis.

“I have not been happy with how the Committee has functioned so far this term because I feel that I’ve been marginalised by the President. 

“At the beginning of the term, all individual members were delegated an area of the mandate to lead on, apart that is from me. My skills and experience on the Committee were either not recognised or completely undervalued.” 

Deputy Leadbeater, who remains a Committee Member of Health & Social Care, says he aired his grievances with Deputy Prow at the beginning of September.

He is adamant that his own direct financial interests in the growing cannabis industry do not conflict him. Instead, he argues that his discussions with addicts, dealers, pharmacists and other industry bodies give him unique insights into “the problems the Bailiwick faces with substance use.” 

“It’s common knowledge that I am a Director of a local hemp business. That does not conflict me from working on areas of drug policy reform. 

Pictured: Express has asked Deputy Prow for a response to Deputy Leadbeater's comments about the pair's rift over drug policy.

“Deputy Prow is open on his long-standing stance on how we treat those who use drugs, and I am open in my belief that reform of our draconian drug laws needs to be progressed at pace. 

“This appears to me to be the reason that Deputy Prow doesn’t want me working on the drug policy working group – the group which is tasked to explore options for alternative and non-punitive approaches to the possession and use of small quantities of illegal drugs. 

“Deputy Prow says that I am conflicted, but I and many others disagree. It should be for me to determine if I have a conflict or otherwise and not Deputy Prow.” 

Relegated to the fringes of the Committee, he has now decided that he has greater chances of forcing through change from the floor of the Assembly.  

He dropped strong hints that he will put his name to proposals that would reform Guernsey’s cannabis laws. The most likely way for this to happen would be a requete – which requires seven signatories in order to have something debated in the States.  

“I don’t think that there is another Deputy that is a better fit for that piece of work on the Justice Framework than I am, so it’s disappointing that my knowledge and experience is not wanted. 

“It will not deter me from continuing to push for drug policy reform. I am already in advanced talks with a group of like-minded Deputies looking at bringing the long overdue cannabis debate to the Assembly in the first half of 2022. 

“I’m looking forward to the proposals Home & HSC bring to the States on 29 June next year too.”