30% drop in cannabis users penalised by police forces

THE number of cannabis users penalised by the police has fallen by almost a third in three years amid fears that the drug is being decriminalised by the back door.

Police in England and Wales recorded 101,905 offences of cannabis possession in 2014- 15, compared with a peak of 145,400 in 2011-12 – a fall of 30 per cent.

The latest figures include offenders given penalty notices and cautions, and not just those prosecuted. It suggests the fall cannot be explained by police opting for quick cautions over lengthy prosecutions.

At the same time, there has been an explosion in cannabis use among the young, with just over one million aged between 16 and 24 admitting to using the Class B drug in 2014-15, according to the Office for National Statistics. That is a rise of 21 per cent on 2012-13.

The increase has alarmed anti- drugs campaigners, who fear the authorities are increasingly turning a blind eye despite the dangers of cannabis including mental health and addiction problems.

The figures emerged after the Mail revealed that police in at least four forces – Derbyshire, Dorset, Durham and Surrey – have signalled that cannabis smokers and growers are no longer their priority.

Yesterday’s figures, obtained through Freedom of Information requests, showed the largest drop in recorded cannabis offences was in Leicestershire, down by 57 per cent.

Close behind was Merseyside, where offences fell by 55 per cent. Local Superintendent Mark Harrison said the fall was due to a reduction in the practice of ‘stop and search’. Gloucestershire Police, which recorded a 49 per cent drop, said a lack of resources was to blame. The Metropolitan Police recorded 38 per cent fewer cannabis possession offences.

Policing minister Mike Penning said: ‘All crimes reported to the police should be taken seriously, investigated and, where appropriate, taken through the courts and met with tough sentences.’

‘Turning a blind eye’