Drugs Minister banned from talking about pot — as husband runs giant cannabis farm

[DGRossetti]

www.thesun.co.uk/news/6278243/drugs-minister-banned-from-cannabis-discussion/

Conservative MP Victoria Atkins has been left red-faced after failing to mention her husband Paul Kenward's involvement with Britain's largest cannabis farm when she was appointed drugs Minister last November

DRUGS Minister Victoria Atkins has been banned from talking about marijuana for the Government because her husband runs a giant cannabis farm.

Ms Atkins is married to Paul Kenward, who is managing director of British Sugar.

The company grows marijuana in Wissington, Norfolk, under a licence from her department the Home Office. The crops are being used in an epilepsy drug in the US.

It emerged Ms Atkins, who began her job last November, failed to mention her husband’s involvement in cannabis growing in MPs’ interests.

Guidelines say family interests should be declared if relevant to a ministerial responsibility.

Steve Moore, of drug policy think-tank Volteface, said: “We have the ridiculous situation of the drugs minister being unable to speak in Parliament or make decisions on one of the most important parts of her job.”

Mr Kenward’s licence was issued in 2016 before his wife became a minister.

Ms Atkins has been a staunch opponent of legalising cannabis and, as a barrister, prosecuted drug offenders.

The Home Office said she had “voluntarily recused herself from policy or decisions relating to cannabis”.

Sheer stupidity - nothing wrong with growing medicinal cannabis, you can't get high on the medicine. Exactly the same as producing opioids.

There should be penalties for the non-disclosure. If you were filling in a tax return, or benefit form, it would be fraud and dealt with accordingly.

The level of stupidity needed to think that she would get away with it, is worrying.

Er surely that's a big ole conflict of interest?

Would you expect a farming minister to declare an interest if his wife grew carrots?

If she had advocated legalising cannabis this story would be relevant. As it is, this is a lot of fuss about nothing. It isn't as if he runs an illegal cannabis farm. He is MD of a company that legally grows a non-psychoactive variety of cannabis as a tiny part of the company's business, dwarfed by their interests in sugar.

I can see clear potential for a conflict. As her husband works for one of presumably a very small number of govt licensed groweres, were she to advocate for eg medical cannabis, his firm stands to benefit.

Yes, there is a potential conflict of interest. That is why she is precluded from talking about marijuana for the government. However, she has consistently opposed any legalisation of cannabis so there is nothing in her record to date to suggest that her actions have in any way been influenced. If she had already advocated medical cannabis this story would have legs. She hasn't so it doesn't.