‘It’s not a police priority. Class A drugs and alcohol are a far bigger issue’

The sweet sickly smell is unmistakable, that and the cloud of smoke wafting above the heads of the crowds flocking to one of London’s most popular street markets.

There, on the edge of the Regent Canal, next to bustling Camden Market, small groups of young people sit languidly in the summer sun, sharing cannabis joints. Whether outside bars and concert venues, in festival fields, or even on the street, seeing – or smelling – a joint being smoked has long ceased to be unusual.

Adam Mcwilliam, a 31-year-old band roadie and drum technician, admits he has been smoking “weed” since he was a teenager, despite a number of convictions for possession of the drug.

“So many people use it you just can’t deny it any more,” he says as he rolls a spliff. “I’ve had problems with aggression and I find it chills me out and for so many people it helps with pain relief and other medical issues. My mum has cirrhosis of the liver and she should be able to use it legally to relieve her symptoms.”

In fact, the realities of policing mean that in some areas of the country, possession of cannabis has effectively been decriminalised. Between 2010 and 2017, the number of cannabis possession offences has decreased from 160,733 to 83,591 as officers turn a blind eye to focus on other priorities.

In 2015, Sara Thornton, the chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said responding to cannabis possession had “never been a top priority”. The NPCC’S policy is that cannabis is illegal because it has been shown to be harmful.

The open use of the drug is likely to be even more common than police officers and the public realise, thanks to the introducing of vaping.

“It’s very discreet when you use a vaper to smoke cannabis. There’s no giveaway smell and you don’t have to worry about how people might react,” said Orson, 38, a London-based behavioural therapist and psychologist who uses cannabis to alleviate the pain of a long-term back injury. “The police aren’t interested in cracking down on it. They know that class A drugs and alcohol are a far bigger issue in terms of anti-social behaviour and crime.”

Around the country, users have also started to gather at “cannabis cafés”, where they can either buy the drug or bring their own and enjoy it in the company of others. There are thought to be around 25 of these cafés in London alone, tucked away above shops or business premises, but their location is a closely guarded secret, spread among users by word of mouth or on discreet social media platforms.

“The police know about them, but for the most part – unless there any problems – they leave them alone,” says Orson. “You’ll find people from all walks of life there, relaxing after a hard day at work.”