Guernsey's former Chief Minister calls to legalise cannabis across the Channel Islands

• ITV Channel's Clare Burton speaks to Deputy St Pier about his position

Guernsey's former Chief Minister is calling on the Channel Islands governments to legalise cannabis use.

Deputy Gavin St Pier says that 'we need to recognise the reality' and 'follow other jurisdictions to move to a position where they can regulate, tax and license it'.

He believes that the governments should follow what is happening around the world.

He said that "the experiment with prohibition which has been running for about 50 years simply hasn't worked."

Mr St Pier also claimed that the rise in licensed pharmaceutical products for medicinal purposes has created an "unsustainable" situation where cannabis is "a legal product if it's used in one way and illegal if it's used in another".

He added that it would generate "a few million pounds" a year for each island in tax revenue and would reduce the costs to police an illegal activity.

However, Mr St Pier acknowledged that it must be done in a safe way with the islands learning from other countries in how to manage the use of cannabis.

He believes the problem is not going to go away and there is a need to deal with it in a way that is in the best interests of the community.