Klassificeringen av cannabis
Många har hört av sig och undrat om vad som gäller efter uppklassificeringen av cannabis i Storbritannien.
Följande information från den brittiska regeringen innehåller allt du behöver veta.
Cannabis is a Class B drug
The government reclassified cannabis from Class C to Class B in January 2009. The upgrading to Class B follows a review of cannabis classification which was carried out by the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), at the request of the Prime Minister.
The government accepted 20 of the 21 recommendations from the ACMD report. The government published their response on 13 October 2008.
When announcing the decision to reclassify cannabis, the Home Secretary asked the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) (new window) for their proposals for a clear an workable system of escalation to strengthen the enforcement approach to cannabis possession for repeat adult offenders. The approach proposed and jointly developed by ACPO and the Home Office was the three steps of warning, fine, arrest. See below for an outline of the escalation process for adults caught in possession of cannabis.
Current penalties related to cannabis
As a Class B drug, penalties for cannabis are as follows.
Penalties for supply, dealing, production and trafficking
The maximum penalty is 14 years imprisonment.
Penalties for possession
The maximum penalty increases from two years to five years imprisonment.
Adults in possession of cannabis
If caught in possession of cannabis, as well as considering arrest and confiscating the drug, police are likely to:
give a cannabis warning for a first offence of possession
give a Penalty Notice for Disorder - this is an on-the-spot fine of £80 for a second offence
make an arrest if it is the third offence of having been caught with cannabis - this could lead to conviction and a criminal record
ACPO has issued new guidance on policing cannabis possession (new window).
Young people in possession of cannabis
A young person found to be in possession of cannabis will be arrested and taken to a police station where they can receive a reprimand, final warning or charge depending on the seriousness of the offence.
Following one reprimand, any further offence will lead to a final warning or charge.
Any further offence following a warning will normally result in criminal charges. After a final warning, the young offender must be referred to a Youth Offending Team to arrange a rehabilitation programme.
This police enforcement is consistent with the structured framework for early juvenile offending established under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.
More information is available in our frequently asked questions about cannabis possession.
