A lot is true but some things have already happened especially with regard to the Police and Court costs.
Not every constabulary in England/Wales is openly admitting to a form of gedoogbeleid (putting up with cannabis use and even dealing like some areas of NL) in the same way as Durham – and perhaps they can afford to as few people especially Southerners know exactly where Durham is. Some in relatively affluent areas like Thames Valley are saying they have deprioritised cannabis enforcement but that has been happening since over 25 years ago.
In Suffolk and Norfolk cops don’t admit to going “soft” (nor in other rural areas) as they have previously had problems with major dealing networks moving in but in reality the only ways to get nicked for pot here are doing something else sketchy whilst on and other drugs (such as driving a defective vehicle without correct insurance/license), growing it on large scale / bridging out the electric meter for lamps (which is fucking dangerous and UK Power Networks will notice its happening as they are currently dealing with power shortages and replacing old cable across their service area).
Even in the late 80s/early 90s the chaps who ran the main cannabis dealing area in Reading (usually two black dudes and a Scouser) would turn younger folk away if they suspected them to be under 16 (the legal age for buying cigarettes back then).
Legalisation / decriminalisation would help but it would be selfish and disruptive (and likely to go badly wrong) if confined to the UK alone or worse with disagreement between England and Wales / Scotland / NI and different laws across borders.
The whole EU (and CH, NO which are in Europe but not in the EU) should agree a common date. That way there is little risk of “drugs tourism / concentration of dealing networks in one area”.
There are currently also a lot of people from foreign countries arriving in Europe who often know a bit about growing things; and young folk in Europe who do not have enough thins to do to keep them occupied. Doing this properly (which also means oversight by European public sector workers and not simply letting USA influenced commercial businesses take over everything) could reduce more than one social problem.
