Police forces across the country were yesterday given the green light to stop arresting cannabis users.
Individual chief constables can now decide whether to arrest and charge, caution or warn those caught with the drug – or simply let them go.
The softening of approach was announced by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the body that develops nationwide operational policies.
The organisation’s spokesman on drugs, Cleveland assistant chief constable Jason Harwin, said that asking cannabis users to go for treatment rather than prosecuting them could prevent re-offending and provide the ‘best outcome’.
Bookmarks