‘The British Compromise’: Devolved Power and the Domestic Consumer, 1971–1997

2012/11/29 by James H. Mills · 1 citation
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Social Sciences · #Culinary Culture and Tourism #Colonialism, slavery, and trade #Anthropological Studies and Insights

paper · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199283422.003.0007

openalex publication_date 2012/11/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2025/11/06

Abstract

This chapter takes on the story of what happened when the Wootton Committee's recommendations were implemented. It seems that they advocated what R. D. Laing called ‘the British compromise’ where the law did not change but enforcement of the law did. For those growing up in the emerging multicultural communities of the UK's cities the drug seemed as familiar a part of the routine of youthful recreation in the inner cities as Asian shopkeepers and reggae music. Nevertheless the drug remained a controlled substance so consumers continued to fall foul of the law. Chapter 6 explores the clashes over cannabis between what were fundamentally different views of government between 1971 and 1997, and investigates how far they were actually of any real relevance to those controlling and consuming cannabis.

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• Kwame Nkrumah [wikipedia]

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