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Cannabis

Answer

[holding answer 27 January 2009]: The likely effects of the reclassification of cannabis to a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 have been evaluated in the regulatory impact assessment (IA)¹ produced to accompany the Parliamentary Order. This IA is an internal evaluation. Based on existing evidence the IA makes a series of key assumptions; it forecasts potential liabilities associated with the legislative and the proposed enforcement change. The IA is published at:"http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/em/uksiem_20083130_en.pdf"Estimates of unit costs applied to criminal justice system outcomes within the IA were obtained from the agencies involved and from relevant research where available. As a result, volumes and figures stated are broad estimates; they do not necessarily reflect actual costs in any particular situation or point in time.In respect of prison places, the IA identifies potential additional prison places for cannabis possession offences; it estimates a potential increase in prison place requirement of 21 places over five years.For supply, trafficking and production offences the impact assessment clearly sets out the reasons why an assessment on prison places was not made. This includes the fact that the maximum sentence prescribed by the 1971 Act will remain unchanged at 14 years.The overall estimate change in the enforcement liability associated with cannabis possession including arrest and prosecution can be found in Table 6 of the IA as set out."¹ Please note the Impact Assessment was re laid on 16 January 2009. A drafting error in the IA was identified on 19 December 2008. Following this, the impact assessment was withdrawn from the OPSI website on 23 December 2009. A full review of the IA was undertaken and the revised document is now in the public domain. For a full explanation of the drafting error please see response to PQ 24583. The error identified in the document does not affect the estimates of costs of arrest, prosecution or prison numbers."

Table 6: Estimated change in enforcement liability against cannabis possession
£ million
	Criminal Justice System
Year	Police	CPS	HMCS¹	NOMS	Total CJS	Non-legal aid defence	Total
Base	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
2	0.04	0.14	1.23	0.09	1.46	0.40	1.90
3	0.13	0.20	2.18	0.13	2.51	0.58	3.22
4	0.25	0.39	3.49	0.24	4.12	1.01	5.38
5	0.34	0.61	4.71	0.38	5.70	1.47	7.50
6	0.40	0.81	5.67	0.49	6.97	1.86	9.23
7	0.42	0.96	6.31	0.58	7.85	2.16	10.44
8	0.42	1.05	6.66	0.64	8.36	2.35	11.13
¹ HMCS costs include court costs, costs from PNDs, legal aid and central funds costs.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

488 c671-2W; 245482

Session

2008-09

Subjects

Cannabis

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk