Policing of Cannabis
| Author | Julian Buchanan |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455050204900212 |
| Published date | 01 June 2002 |
| Date | 01 June 2002 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
164
Policing of
Cannabis
How appropriate that a research report
examining the policing of cannabis uses
lyrics from a 1964 Bob Dylan song for its
title. This well written and interesting
report makes clear that while the times
have indeed been changing in relation to
the use of cannabis, the same cannot be
said of the policing of it. The report
identifies the increased recreational use of
cannabis and suggests it is now part of the
“fabric of everyday life for most young
people” (p.7). It also notes a tenfold
increase in the number of offences for
possession of cannabis since 1974. This is
a significantly higher increase than other
crimes over the same period.
This informative study is an attempt to
provide a snapshot of the policing of
cannabis in England and Wales, focusing
upon offences of possession. It is based
upon a trawl of official data over recent
decades, interviews and observations with
four Police Force Areas, and 61 interviews
with a sample of 11-24 years olds who had
been stopped, searched and/or arrested for
possessing cannabis.
The report estimates that there are
currently around three million cannabis
users in the UK – a statistic that raises
difficult questions of policing legitimacy.
The study identifies, not surprisingly, that
policing within and across the areas
studied varies, as do court sanctions.
Interestingly, some police officers justified
arresting people for possession of cannabis
on the basis that it is protecting the person
from the risk of more serious drugs. This
action is based on the unproven and
dubious ‘gateway’ theory that cannabis
leads to hard drugs. The research identifies
that the majority of possession offences
arise from stops and searches for other
crimes, which result in arrests for
possession of cannabis. Some police
officers felt this was a useful way of
enabling them to conduct further
investigations or impede the activity of
known criminals.
While the general impression may be
that few people are arrested for cannabis,
the report tells a different story – in 1999,
over 69,000 people were arrested, with
just over half receiving a caution, 5% a
community penalty, and a further 2% a
custodial sentence. However, the report
indicates that as the number of stops and
searches has dropped in the late 1990s so
has the number of people arrested for
cannabis use.
The report also looks at the likely
positive and negative impact of
reclassifying cannabis from a Class B to
Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs
Act 1971, concluding that it should result
in a saving of at least £38m per year – the
authors are careful also to explore some of
the unintended outcomes that could arise
from what is acknowledged as a complex
issue.
This is a balanced, well-informed and
timely report, with ample statistics and
some interesting qualitative data extracted
from observations of police activity and
interviews with young people – all
presented in an easy, accessible style. In
the past the debates surrounding cannabis
have too often been contorted, based on
ignorance and misinformation; but this
report offers good insight into the impact
of policing cannabis. Perhaps as a result,
policymakers may begin to question the
appropriateness of managing cannabis use
within the Criminal Justice System.
Another Dylan song comes to mind:
‘Gonna Change My Way of Thinking’.
Times They Are A-Changing: Policing of
Cannabis, 2002, by Tiggy May, Hamish
RESEARCH
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