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The Koalas connected with Richard to talk about his work with regard to his educational approach to guidance policies for UK police forces on medical cannabis issues and especially, yes you guessed it, driving.
How do UK police forces manage medical cannabis patients. Not very well at the moment says Richard, like everybody else it means more education is needed and a better understanding of the legislation and how it can be applied with as much common sense as possible.
It’s the same old story and the fault lies squarely in Westminster who seem to be the only people not interested in the conversation.
Common sense, clarity & consistency would be the perfect trifecta.
Richard List QPM is a retired British police officer who served for 30 years, most notably as a Detective Chief Superintendent and Head of the Drug Squad with Thames Valley Police. He is widely recognized for authoring the official UK police guidance on medical cannabis and serving as the National Secretary of the Association of Police Controlled Drug Liaison Officers.
Policing Career
- Senior Leadership. He served as Detective Chief Superintendent, acting Assistant Chief Constable, and Local Policing Area (LPA) Commander for Aylesbury Vale.
- Specialist Operations and Intelligence. In 2013, he was appointed head of Thames Valley Police’s force intelligence and specialist operations unit. He also designed and implemented the force’s approach to tackling serious and organised crime, cyber crime, and economic crime.
- Drug Squad Head. He previously led the Thames Valley Police Drug Squad, building extensive expertise in narcotics enforcement and controlled substance regulations.
Medical Cannabis Policy and Current Roles
- Patient Advocacy Approach. He created the policing framework known as “Patient First, Suspect Second” to help officers distinguish between illegal recreational use and legitimate prescribed medical cannabis patients.
- National Liaison and Academia. As outlined on Richard List’s LinkedIn profile, he serves as the National Secretary of Controlled Drug Liaison Officers and represents the NPCC and Care Quality Commission (CQC). He also holds academic roles as an Honorary Senior Fellow and Visiting Lecturer at the University of Buckingham and an Associate Lecturer at Bucks New University.
Honours and Recognition
- Queen’s Police Medal (QPM). He was awarded the QPM in the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours list for distinguished police service.
- Shrievalty Award. He received a 2019 Shrievalty Award recognizing his leadership and work combating organised and economic crime across the Thames Valley
