A Labour minister has rejected Sir Sadiq Khan’s calls for the partial decriminalisation of cannabis, stating that the government’s stance “remains unchanged”.

London’s mayor backed a report by the London Drugs Commission (LDC), which recommends that natural cannabis be removed from the Misuse of Drugs Act.

The LDC, set up by Sir Sadiq in 2022 and chaired by former lord chancellor Lord Charlie Falconer, found the current laws on cannabis were “disproportionate to the harms it can pose” following a study of how the drug is policed around the world.

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook said that whilst the London mayor is “entitled to his view on the matter”, there is no intention to reclassify the class B drug.