Petition · past parliament
Create legislation in the 2010 Equality Act to protect legal cannabis users.
Rejected
10 signatures
What the petition asks
I would like to add legislation to the 2010 Equality Act that will protect legally prescribed cannabis users in the UK from suppression, abuse, persecution, prosecution and displacement for using their legally prescribed cannabis. I would like the protection to be extended to abuse received online.
In the UK we have people who are prescribed cannabis. Because cannabis possession is illegal in the UK, these people can often feel threatened or abused for the use of cannabis that they have been prescribed from a licensed consultant. This can lead to their online identity being suppressed as well as being targeted from members of the public for using or talking about their cannabis. Nobody should be abused or suppressed for using a medicine and I would like legislation that protects patients.
Why it was rejected
It was not clear what the petition asked the UK Government or Parliament to do.
Petitions need to call on the Government or Parliament to take a specific action.
We understand that you are concerned about issues faced by users of medical cannabis, but we're not sure exactly what you'd like the Government or Parliament to do. The Equality Act 2010 makes certain characteristics protected, and makes it illegal to discriminate against an individual on the basis of these characteristics. Criminal offences, including those related to online abuse, are set out in other legislation.
In any case, we can only accept petitions about things the Government or Parliament are directly responsible for. Decisions about the policies of social media and other websites regarding drug use are a matter for individual businesses, not the UK Government or Parliament.
You could start a new petition explaining clearly what you would like the Government or Parliament to do.
We understand that you are concerned about issues faced by users of medical cannabis, but we're not sure exactly what you'd like the Government or Parliament to do. The Equality Act 2010 makes certain characteristics protected, and makes it illegal to discriminate against an individual on the basis of these characteristics. Criminal offences, including those related to online abuse, are set out in other legislation.
In any case, we can only accept petitions about things the Government or Parliament are directly responsible for. Decisions about the policies of social media and other websites regarding drug use are a matter for individual businesses, not the UK Government or Parliament.
You could start a new petition explaining clearly what you would like the Government or Parliament to do.
Timeline
| 18 Jan 2023 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 20 Jan 2023 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
10
Status
Rejected
Rejected
20 Jan 2023
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.