London is to trial a new pilot scheme that will see the temporary suspension of arrests of 18 to 24-year-olds for the possession of small amounts of cannabis.
A report leaked to The Telegraph has shown that the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is considering the launch of a pilot scheme that will divert low-level offenders away from the criminal justice system.
The pilot, which is based on the successful Thames Valley Model which won a national award last year, will see positive interventions for young people caught in possession of small amounts of cannabis. According to the leaked report, they will be referred to courses or counselling instead of being arrested.
The leak also suggested that the areas of London that will be taking part in the trial include Bexley, Lewisham and Greenwich. The results of the pilot would be subject to an evaluation prior to an official roll-out.
It is hoped that the scheme will help to reduce drug-related crime in the city.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London has highlighted that the funding for the pilot scheme has not had final approval from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), and that the Mayor does not have the legislative power to decriminalise cannabis.
The spokesperson commented: “This limited trial, which is still in development and has yet to be approved by City Hall, would involve three of London’s 32 boroughs and would only apply to 18 to 24-year-olds found in possession of a small amount of cannabis. It would not apply to any other drug.
“The idea of the scheme, which is already used by other police forces across the country, would be to divert young people who are found with a small amount of cannabis away from the criminal justice system and instead provide help and support. This has been shown to reduce reoffending.
“Reducing crime is the Mayor’s top priority and he will continue to explore and implement the most effective solutions to help to divert young people away from drug use and crime for good.”
The new pilot scheme was suggested by a consultancy report commissioned by Lewisham and produced by drug reform group Volteface into the negative impacts of low-level drug offences.
According to the spokesperson, Lewisham approached MOPAC, which is actively involved in discussions around the scheme, to request support, although the pilot has not yet been finalised.
Volteface, which released a report in 2021 suggesting that the UK should take control of the medical cannabis and CBD markets to provide an economic boost for the UK, has said that policymakers must adopt evidence-based diversion schemes.
Volteface director, Paul North, commented: “The combination of socio-economic conditioning and policing strategy can result in a divisive relationship between communities and the police, causing psychological, punitive and societal damage.
“Putting young people into the criminal justice system does not address the root causes of why someone might be in possession of drugs and leave a criminal justice footprint can have significant implications on future prospects.
“It is therefore vital that policymakers up and down the UK adopt evidence-based diversion schemes to provide an opportunity for effective intervention and education, providing a crucial pathway away from further criminality.
“Volteface has been working with key policymakers in London, and although it is disappointing that information has been leaked to the press, we look forward to sharing future developments in the coming weeks.”
The Guardian reported in April 2021 that Khan would consider decriminalising cannabis in the capital should he be re-elected on May 6, and Khan set out in his manifesto that he would establish a London Drug Commission of independent experts who will examine the effectiveness of drugs laws with a particular focus on cannabis.
In 2021, the London Cannabis Legalisation Commission called for a trial of legal cannabis in London after it released its London Cannabis Study, recommending the legalisation of the plant in order to reduce violence and provide resources to reinvest into youth services.
Speaking to Cannabis Wealth’s sister title, Cannabis Health, in an exclusive interview, Hamish Stewart, chair of the London Cannabis Legalisation Commission, said that legalising cannabis in London is “a huge opportunity and you dampen the violence linked to the illicit drug trade.”
Stewart commented on the potential pilot scheme to say: “I think it is a great start but London has a lot of catching up to do if you consider that Luxembourg decriminalised cannabis and Germany is going to proceed with retail legalisation. So, hopefully, this is just the first step of London showing more meaningful leadership to catch us up with the rest of the world.
“Really, what’s encouraging here is that you see local councils leading the way and hopefully across the UK this can inspire more collaboration with the councils on how to decriminalise cannabis and then really kickstart some local production.
“London and the UK is already one of the world’s largest growers and exporters of medical-grade cannabis and so the production systems to grow cannabis for medical research applications, industrial use and retail use are already well established. So, London has the opportunity to bring some of that knowledge into the city and start producing for local needs. There is already production facilities in London for medical applications, so, we just need to open that up for retail.
“My motivation in starting the Cannabis Commission arose after watching some extreme violence in front of my home related to a drug deal gone bad and so we know that a large portion of the illicit drug trade in London is cannabis-related, and that is what is fuelling violence.
“So, it is time for all London policymakers to acknowledge that. If our political leaders are committed to reducing and ending extreme youth violence they need to legalise the cannabis trade because, in illegal industries, disputes are settled with violence in legal industries, and formal industries, you can have access to a lawyer for dispute resolution – because that is how disputes in the cannabis industry can be settled in the formal sector.
“And that is the motivation for Luxembourg and decriminalising cannabis. So, we really hope this is a first baby step, and then if you really want to reduce violence, it should be decriminalisation across London and giving people who are in the cannabis industry access to formal dispute resolution mechanisms.
“There is nowhere to go but up, and London and other UK cities can really build on the international experience of Canada, the US, New York State and a whole number of other jurisdictions which already have decriminalised for the legal cannabis market. And so, this is really about the start of a very rapid catching-up process.”
London had an approximate 56,000 reported drug offences in 2020/21, with most drug crimes consisting of possession offences.
[activecampaign form=31]
