Cannabis cases drop

THE number of people arrested for possession of cannabis in Leicestershire has dropped by more than half in five years.

There were 1,443 arrests for possession across the area in the year ending June 2013 but only 615 in the year ending June 2017, the latest Home Office data reveals. That is a drop of 57.4 per cent.

Cannabis was re-classified as a class B drug in 2009 after the then Labour government briefly downgraded it to class C in 2004. Class B drugs - which also include amphetamine and barbiturates - are illegal to possess, supply or produce. The maximum penalty for possession is up to five years and a fine.

Experts believe the fall in arrests is not just to fewer people smoking cannabis, but rather police forces carrying out fewer stop-and-searches, and dealing with the issue without resorting to detention.

Guidelines issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers recommend an “escalating” approach.

A person found in possession of cannabis for the first time can receive a warning if there are no aggravating factors, such as being a repeat offender.

In such cases the incident is recorded, but it does not count as a “criminal” record.

If someone has received a cannabis warning and is caught again, police can issue a spot fine of £80.

If they are caught on a third occasion having been given a warning and a fine, they are likely to face arrest.

Across all police force areas in England and Wales, there was an overall decrease of 42.6% in the number of arrests for possession of cannabis.

There were a total of 140,717 arrests in the year to June 2013, which fell to 80,808 arrests in the year to June 2017.