Police in North Yorkshire say cannabis laws have 'no impact'

Researchers from the University of York looked at data from thousands of drug offences dealt with by North Yorkshire Police between 2013 and 2016, and interviewed 37 officers about their experience of policing cannabis possession.

The research concluded: "Most said that cannabis policing had little or no overall impact on offenders. Nonetheless, many referred to particular groups or instances where an impact might be made - especially on young people early in their drug careers.

"Many officers saw cannabis use as a significant problem and several specifically mentioned the importance of trying to prevent escalation into 'harder' drug use."

The report said several officers pointed out that "ultimately, they could not know what impact their policing was having, and for many, the question was irrelevant in the sense that it was simply part of their job and something they had to do", and while North Yorkshire had one of the lowest crime rates in the UK, it was ranked much higher for drugs offences, the majority of which were for cannabis possession.

The team found "considerable variation" in officers' understanding and practice of the guidance operated by NYP, which involves a four-step process for adults - from a warning for someone caught for the first time through to a potential arrest.

The research found: "While interviewed officers were largely happy with the disposals available to them for dealing with adults, there was widespread frustration with the limited options when dealing with young people.

"The majority of officers did not want to criminalise young people, wanting instead to divert them to disposals that would help them with their drug use."

Charlie Lloyd, from the University of York's Department of Social Policy and Social Work, was lead author of the report, and said the findings could have implications for police forces across the country.

He said: "The guidance is very complex. Officers are dealing with all sorts of offences on the ground and it is understandably difficult for them to remember this four-tiered approach for cannabis - and our study suggests that they do not.

"This study has revealed considerable variation in attitudes and approaches to policing cannabis within North Yorkshire Police, but I suspect that this is a national phenomenon.

"Despite the importance of the issue, remarkably little research has been conducted on the policing of cannabis possession.

"Given the considerable variation within this one force, and increasing experimentation with different approaches to policing cannabis possession around the country, there is clearly merit in further research which attempts to capture variations in cannabis policing around the country."

Superintendent Al Wescott said: "The latest figures, released today by the Office for National Statistics, show there has been a 9% decrease in drug offences in North Yorkshire, which has the lowest crime rate in England and Wales. This is an incredibly encouraging figure that shows how effective our approach is.

"As with all areas of policing, we sometimes have to make decisions about where we target our resources. Day in, day out, we see first-hand the misery and destruction drugs – especially class A substances – can cause.

"We’ve had some excellent results recently, which have resulted in long prison sentences for drug dealers and big disruption to supply chains. This, in turn, reduces the drugs available to lower-level users, who may typically have small amounts of cannabis for personal use.

"Every situation police officers are faced with is different. So while it’s important that we’re aware of any inconsistencies in the way we deal with different people, it’s also important that officers are allowed to use initiative and discretion within the boundaries of national guidance, policies and the law."