Request for copies of the ACMD Annual Reports

Summary

The requester asked for ACMD annual reports from 2013 to 2020, but the Cabinet Office disclosed only the 2013 report as it is publicly available and confirmed that no separate reports were produced for subsequent years due to changes in the council's remit.

Key Facts

• The last ACMD annual report was published in 2013.
• No separate ACMD reports were produced between 2014 and 2020.
• ACMD activities are now largely integrated into the Substance Misuse Strategy Steering Group.
• A new report covering responses on industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis was scheduled for publication in 2021.
• The 2013 report recommended not renewing the banning order on MDAI, which was later made illegal under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016.

Data Disclosed

• 2013
• 2014
• 2015
• 2016
• 2017
• 2018
• 2019
• 2020
• 2021
• 2013-GD-0031.pdf
• Misuse of Drugs Act 1976
• Psychoactive Substances Act 2016
• Freedom of Information Act 2015
• Section 20
• 1612510

Exemptions Cited

• Section 20 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (information already reasonably accessible)

Original Request

As per legislation (Misuse of Drugs Act 1976, Section 1), the ACMD (Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs) are required to annually provide a report and lay before Tynwald. Please supply copies of the report for the years: 2013 - 2014 2014 - 2015 2015 - 2016 2016 - 2017 2017 - 2018 2018 - 2019 2019 - 2020 If these are provided by a link to a public space that would be satisfactory but full PDF copies in response to this request are preferential. If there is a cost associated with accessing the reports, please contact me and I will arrange reasonable and justified payment.

Data Tables (2)

Full Response Text

Government Office Douglas Isle of Man IM1 3PN Telephone: (+44) 01624 686244 Website: www.gov.im/co

Our ref: 1612510 25 January 2021

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 23 December 2020 and which states:

"As per legislation (Misuse of Drugs Act 1976, Section 1), the ACMD (Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs) are required to annually provide a report and lay before Tynwald. Please supply copies of the report for the years: 2013 - 2014 2014 - 2015 2015 - 2016 2016 - 2017 2017 - 2018 2018 - 2019 2019 - 2020 If these are provided by a link to a public space that would be satisfactory but full PDF copies in response to this request are preferential. If there is a cost associated with accessing the reports, please contact me and I will arrange reasonable and justified payment."

Our response to your request is as follows: While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, under section 20 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible to you, whether free of charge or on payment of a fee. Some of the information that you have requested is already accessible as it is available on the internet. The last Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) annual report was published in 2013 and can be found here: 2013-GD-0031.pdf (tynwald.org.im) While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Cabinet Office does not hold some of the information that you have requested. ACMD activities are limited and focus on sharing any emerging concerns in regard to patterns of use or impact of drugs that are or are likely to be misused that any member becomes aware of as part of their professional role. Five ACMD members are

also members of the Substance Misuse Strategy Steering Group and are able to provide professional expertise and observation directly into the strategy process.
ACMD is convened as required to provide advice to government on specific drug related issues, for example, medicinal cannabis and industrial hemp. The last report published by ACMD was for 2013. This consists of a summary of substance misuse strategy workstreams, a reference to the British Irish Council substance misuse workstream and a recommendation that the banning order on MDAI (a novel psychoactive substance then legal in the UK) should not be renewed. No rationale for this recommendation was provided. The first two items listed now come within the remit of the Substance Misuse Strategy Steering Group and do not require a summary in an ACMD report (since ACMD are not responsible for them). Despite ACMD’s recommendation, the banning orders for MDAI continued to be renewed until it, along with other novel psychoactive substances, became illegal under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016. In view of the fact that ACMD does not deliver work programmes and its input is now largely through the Substance Misuse Strategy structures and processes, a separate report has not been provided in recent years. A report will be published in 2021 to provide copies of the responses submitted by ACMD to the consultations on industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis, noted above. Please quote the reference number 1612510 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded. If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im.

Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi. I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely