The party was launched in February 2015.[3] The party fielded candidates in the 2015 general election, campaigning for a Royal Commission to review the UK's drug laws relating to cannabis and to push the economic argument for legalisation, which it argued could generate £900 million in taxation.[4] None of the candidates won a seat.
The party was deregistered by the Electoral Commission on 3 November 2016.[5] Former members of the party from Northern Ireland registered a new party with the same initials, Citizens Independent Social Thought Alliance, in February 2017 to contest the 2017 Assembly election.[2]
Lee Harris stood for CISTA in the 2016 London Mayoral election. He finished ninth out of twelve candidates, obtaining 20,537 first-round votes (0.8%).[7]
The party contested four of the 18 constituencies, with its largest share of the vote in any election that the party had contested coming in Newry and Armagh with 2.2% (1,032 first-preference votes).[8]
Following the de-registering of Cannabis is Safer than Alcohol in November 2016,[5] a new party bearing the same initials, Citizens Independent Social Thought Alliance, was registered with the Electoral Commission in February 2017,[2] one week before the close of nominations for the snap elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly. The leader of this new party is Barry Brown, who was a CISTA candidate in 2016 and 2017.
The party contested three of the 18 constituencies, with its largest share of the vote coming in Newry and Armagh with 704 first-preference votes (1.3%).
^. The Mancunian. 14 March 2015. Archived from the original on 16 March 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
^ abc"Registration - Citizens Independent Social Thought Alliance". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
^Lamiat Sabin, "Cannabis party called Cista launched in UK to campaign for drug law reform ahead of elections", The Independent, 14 February 2015
^"New UK political party wants to make cannabis an election issue". The Guardian. 25 February 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
^ abCannabis is Safer than Alcohol [De-registered 03/11/16]. The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
^BBC News Election 2015. Results for Bethnal Green & Bow, Camberwell & Peckham, Cities of London & Westminster, Dundee East, East Londonderry, Eddisbury, Esher & Walton, Glasgow Central, Glasgow North, Glasgow North East, Glasgow North West, Great Yarmouth, Guildford, Hackney South & Shoreditch, Holborn & St Pancras, Inverclyde, Islington South & Finsbury, Kensington, Leeds West, North Down, Paisley & Renfrewshire, N, Rutherglen & Hamilton West, Sheffield South East, Stoke-on-Trent Central, Streatham, Thurrock, Upper Bann, Vale of Glamorgan , Vauxhall, Wakefield, West Tyrone, Woking
^"Politics Live: Election results coverage". BBC News. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
^"NI Election 2016: Results". BBC News. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
^Electoral Office for Northern Ireland, STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED Foyle
^Electoral Office for Northern Ireland, STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED Newry and Armagh
^Electoral Office for Northern Ireland, STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED West Tyrone
^"Election 2017: West Tyrone", BBC News. Retrieved 12 June 2017
External links
Official website
Paul Birch, "The economic case for legalising cannabis", The Telegraph, 4 March 2015
Election 2015: Cannabis is Safer than Alcohol Party, BBC News, 31 March 2015
Lee Harris, the moral crusader turned cannabis activist vying to be London mayor, The Guardian, 12 March 2016
March 19, 2023
cannabis, safer, than, alcohol, cista, political, party, united, kingdom, which, advocated, legalisation, cannabis, abbreviationcistachairpersonpaul, birch, foundedfebruary, 2015dissolvednovember, 2016ideologycannabis, legalisationwebsitecista, orgpolitics, un. Cannabis Is Safer Than Alcohol CISTA was a political party in the United Kingdom which advocated the legalisation of cannabis Cannabis Is Safer Than AlcoholAbbreviationCISTAChairpersonPaul Birch 1 FoundedFebruary 2015DissolvedNovember 2016IdeologyCannabis legalisationWebsitecista wbr orgPolitics of the United KingdomPolitical partiesElections Citizens Independent Social Thought AllianceChairpersonBarry Brown 2 Founded2017IdeologyCannabis legalisationPolitics of Northern IrelandPolitical partiesElectionsThe party was launched in February 2015 3 The party fielded candidates in the 2015 general election campaigning for a Royal Commission to review the UK s drug laws relating to cannabis and to push the economic argument for legalisation which it argued could generate 900 million in taxation 4 None of the candidates won a seat The party was deregistered by the Electoral Commission on 3 November 2016 5 Former members of the party from Northern Ireland registered a new party with the same initials Citizens Independent Social Thought Alliance in February 2017 to contest the 2017 Assembly election 2 Contents 1 Electoral performance 1 1 General election 7 May 2015 1 2 London mayoral election 5 May 2016 1 3 Northern Ireland Assembly election 5 May 2016 2 Citizens Independent Social Thought Alliance 2 1 Electoral performance 2 1 1 Northern Ireland Assembly election 2 March 2017 2 1 2 2017 United Kingdom general election 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksElectoral performance EditGeneral election 7 May 2015 Edit The party contested 32 constituencies with its largest share of the vote coming in East Londonderry with 527 1 5 Constituency Candidate Votes Bethnal Green amp Bow Jonathan Dewey 303 0 5Camberwell amp Peckham Alexander Robertson 197 0 4Cities of London amp Westminster Edouard Henri Desforges 160 0 4Dundee E Lesley Parker Hamilton 225 0 5East Londonderry Neil Paine 527 1 5Eddisbury George Antar 301 0 6Esher amp Walton Matt Heenan 396 0 7Glasgow Central James Marris 171 0 4Glasgow N Russell Benson 154 0 4Glasgow NE Geoff Johnson 225 0 6Glasgow NW Chris MacKenzie 213 0 5Great Yarmouth Sam Townley 167 0 4Guildford Gerri Smyth 196 0 4Hackney S amp Shoreditch Paul Birch 297 0 6Holborn amp St Pancras Shane O Donnell 252 0 5Inverclyde Craig Hamilton 233 0 5Islington S amp Finsbury Jay Kirton 309 0 7Kensington Tony Auguste 211 0 6Leeds W Matthew West 217 0 6North Down Glenn Donnelly 338 0 9Paisley amp Renfrewshire N Andy Doyle 202 0 4Rutherglen amp Hamilton W Yvonne Maclean 336 0 6Sheffield SE Jen Battersby 207 0 5Stoke on Trent Central Ali Majid 244 0 8Streatham Artificial Beast 192 0 4Thurrock Jamie Barnes 244 0 5Upper Bann Martin Kelly 460 1 0Vale of Glamorgan Steve Reed 238 0 5Vauxhall Louis Jensen 164 0 3Wakefield Elliot Barr 283 0 7West Tyrone Barry Brown 528 1 4Woking Declan Wade 229 0 4Source BBC News Election 2015 6 London mayoral election 5 May 2016 Edit Lee Harris stood for CISTA in the 2016 London Mayoral election He finished ninth out of twelve candidates obtaining 20 537 first round votes 0 8 7 Northern Ireland Assembly election 5 May 2016 Edit The party contested four of the 18 constituencies with its largest share of the vote in any election that the party had contested coming in Newry and Armagh with 2 2 1 032 first preference votes 8 Constituency Candidate First preference votes Foyle John Lindsay 259 0 7Newry and Armagh Emmet Crossan 1 032 2 2Upper Bann Martin Kelly 672 1 5West Tyrone Barry Brown 547 1 4Citizens Independent Social Thought Alliance EditFollowing the de registering of Cannabis is Safer than Alcohol in November 2016 5 a new party bearing the same initials Citizens Independent Social Thought Alliance was registered with the Electoral Commission in February 2017 2 one week before the close of nominations for the snap elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly The leader of this new party is Barry Brown who was a CISTA candidate in 2016 and 2017 Electoral performance Edit Northern Ireland Assembly election 2 March 2017 Edit The party contested three of the 18 constituencies with its largest share of the vote coming in Newry and Armagh with 704 first preference votes 1 3 Constituency Candidate First preference votes Foyle John Lindsay 9 196 0 4Newry and Armagh Emmet Crossan 10 704 1 3West Tyrone Barry Brown 11 373 0 82017 United Kingdom general election Edit Constituency Candidate Votes PositionWest Tyrone Barry Brown 393 0 9 7 12 See also EditCannabis classification in the United Kingdom Cannabis in the United Kingdom Cannabis political parties Drug policy reform List of British politicians who have acknowledged cannabis use List of political parties in the United KingdomReferences Edit Interview Paul Birch founder of UK party for a review into cannabis law The Mancunian 14 March 2015 Archived from the original on 16 March 2015 Retrieved 20 March 2015 a b c Registration Citizens Independent Social Thought Alliance Electoral Commission Retrieved 8 February 2017 Lamiat Sabin Cannabis party called Cista launched in UK to campaign for drug law reform ahead of elections The Independent 14 February 2015 New UK political party wants to make cannabis an election issue The Guardian 25 February 2015 Retrieved 20 March 2015 a b Cannabis is Safer than Alcohol De registered 03 11 16 The Electoral Commission Retrieved 8 January 2017 BBC News Election 2015 Results for Bethnal Green amp Bow Camberwell amp Peckham Cities of London amp Westminster Dundee East East Londonderry Eddisbury Esher amp Walton Glasgow Central Glasgow North Glasgow North East Glasgow North West Great Yarmouth Guildford Hackney South amp Shoreditch Holborn amp St Pancras Inverclyde Islington South amp Finsbury Kensington Leeds West North Down Paisley amp Renfrewshire N Rutherglen amp Hamilton West Sheffield South East Stoke on Trent Central Streatham Thurrock Upper Bann Vale of Glamorgan Vauxhall Wakefield West Tyrone Woking Politics Live Election results coverage BBC News 6 May 2016 Retrieved 6 May 2016 NI Election 2016 Results BBC News 6 May 2016 Retrieved 7 May 2016 Electoral Office for Northern Ireland STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED Foyle Electoral Office for Northern Ireland STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED Newry and Armagh Electoral Office for Northern Ireland STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED West Tyrone Election 2017 West Tyrone BBC News Retrieved 12 June 2017External links EditOfficial website Paul Birch The economic case for legalising cannabis The Telegraph 4 March 2015 Election 2015 Cannabis is Safer than Alcohol Party BBC News 31 March 2015 Lee Harris the moral crusader turned cannabis activist vying to be London mayor The Guardian 12 March 2016 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cannabis Is Safer Than Alcohol amp oldid 1126263347, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
