Comments by "TruthWarrior" (@Truth-warrior-j3e) on "Tory MP ripped apart by Labour's Wes Streeting" video.
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No that’s not correct. She didn’t ban cannabis and neither did she grant any licence let alone a sole licence to anyone let alone her husband. She also was not ‘Drugs Minister’. Neither did she step down because of a perceived conflict of interest.
She did subsequently resign when she was the UK's Justice Minister in July 2022. She stepped down during a wave of government resignations protesting then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson's leadership. In her resignation letter, she expressed concerns about the erosion of values such as integrity, decency, and professionalism under Johnson's leadership, citing scandals like "Partygate" and the mishandling of complaints against MP Chris Pincher. Atkins, along with other ministers, felt that Johnson's leadership had become untenable, leading to their departures from government.
There was controversy surrounding Victoria Atkins, regarding her stance on cannabis regulation. Atkins, who has been openly critical of cannabis reform and regulation, is married to Paul Kenward, the managing director of British Sugar. British Sugar, under Kenward’s leadership, has been involved in growing cannabis for medicinal purposes in partnership with GW Pharmaceuticals. The cannabis is cultivated to produce Epidiolex, a drug used to treat severe epilepsy in children.
The criticism stems from the apparent contradiction between Atkins’s hardline stance against cannabis reform and the fact that her husband’s company is profiting from its regulated medical use. Some have pointed to this situation as hypocritical, given her role in shaping drug policy while benefiting indirectly from the legal cannabis industry
Concerning contract award, this was made in 2016. Atkinson did not become a minister until 2017. Unlike for example the ‘fast track’ system of PPE contracts, the granting of a licence for cannabis production is highly regulated by law and the process is strictly governed to ensure compliance by the home office. No one individual has the remit to grant such a licence.
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