Legalise Cannabis party CISTA fined £7,000 after failing to send its paperwork to Electoral Commission

Cannabis Is Safer Than Alcohol did not file its financial return despite offers of assistance

The party wants a Royal Commission to review UK drug laws

A political party that campaigns for the legalisation of Cannabis has been fined £7,000 after failing to do any of its required financial paperwork.

The Electoral Commission says it offered Cannabis Is Safter Than Alcohol (CISTA) help to send it the right documents “despite our efforts” no financial returns were received.

The party, which has been registered since February 2015, contested 32 constituencies across the UK at the 2015 general election. It candidates general gained between 0.3 and 1.5 per cent of the vote.

Its main policy is to set up a Royal Commission to review the UK’s drug laws.

“We have fined 'Cannabis Is Safer Than Alcohol' a total of £7,000 for failing to deliver any of the required financial returns since they registered with us,” the Electoral Commission said in a statement.

“We have issued these fines because despite our efforts to assist Cannabis Is Safer Than Alcohol to comply with their legal responsibilities, they have failed to deliver any of the financial returns required.”

The party is registered separately in Northern Ireland and Great Britain and both branches were fined £3750 each.

The Independent contacted CISTA for a response to this story but has not immediately heard back.