The Government keeps the powers available to local authorities and other partners to tackle anti-social behaviour under regular review. We consider the current framework provides a broad and flexible toolkit to tackle to anti-social drug misuse.

It is unlawful to possess or supply controlled drugs without a Home Office licence, and we expect the police to enforce the law. As a Class B drug, the maximum penalty for possession of cannabis is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The Government is taking a range of actions to tackle anti-social drug misuse, including cannabis. We are providing more visible, community-focused policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, supported by the Neighbourhood Policing Increase Grant, which will deliver 13,000 additional policing personnel into neighbourhood roles, and introducing Respect Orders to strengthen the powers available to police and other agencies. Every police force also now has a published anti-social behaviour plan and a dedicated lead.

The police, local authorities and other relevant agencies have a range of flexible powers to respond to anti-social behaviour, including drug misuse. These include the powers provided by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, such as the Closure Power, which can be used to shut down premises associated with nuisance or disorder. In addition, under section 17(1)(b) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, police officers may enter a property without a warrant to arrest a person for an indictable offence where there are reasonable grounds to believe the person is on the premises.

The use of such powers is an operational matter for the police and must be exercised in a lawful, necessary and proportionate manner in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act Codes of Practice.

The Government keeps the powers available to local authorities and other partners to tackle anti-social behaviour under regular review. We consider the current framework provides a broad and flexible toolkit to tackle to anti-social drug misuse.

It is unlawful to possess or supply controlled drugs without a Home Office licence, and we expect the police to enforce the law. As a Class B drug, the maximum penalty for possession of cannabis is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The Government is taking a range of actions to tackle anti-social drug misuse, including cannabis. We are providing more visible, community-focused policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, supported by the Neighbourhood Policing Increase Grant, which will deliver 13,000 additional policing personnel into neighbourhood roles, and introducing Respect Orders to strengthen the powers available to police and other agencies. Every police force also now has a published anti-social behaviour plan and a dedicated lead.

The police, local authorities and other relevant agencies have a range of flexible powers to respond to anti-social behaviour, including drug misuse. These include the powers provided by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, such as the Closure Power, which can be used to shut down premises associated with nuisance or disorder. In addition, under section 17(1)(b) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, police officers may enter a property without a warrant to arrest a person for an indictable offence where there are reasonable grounds to believe the person is on the premises.

The use of such powers is an operational matter for the police and must be exercised in a lawful, necessary and proportionate manner in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act Codes of Practice.

The flowers and leaves of the cannabis plant are controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (‘the 1971 Act’) irrespective of their tetrahydrocannabinol (‘THC’) content. The Government has no plans to review the definition of cannabis for control purposes.

Cannabis is a Class B controlled drug under Part 2 of Schedule 2 the 1971 Act. ‘Cannabis’ is defined in section 37(1) of the MDA 1971 and is, in essence, the plant or any part of the plant with the exception of the mature stalk; fibre produced from the mature stalk; or the seed of any such plant. It is also listed in Schedule 1 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (‘the 2001 Regulations’) and designated under the Misuse of Drugs (Designation) (England, Wales and Scotland) Order 2015 (2015 Order). As such, it is unlawful to possess, supply, offer to supply, produce, import or export this drug except under a Home Office licence.

THC, as a cannabinol derivative, is separately controlled as Class B drug. It is also an offence to cultivate any plant of the genus Cannabis except under a Home Office licence. Cannabis-based products for medicinal use (‘CBPMs’) are defined separately in the legislation and placed in Schedule 2 to the 2001 Regulations. Specialist clinicians can prescribe unlicensed CBPMs (i.e. CBPMs without a marketing authorisation granted under medicines legislation) where they deem it clinically appropriate and in the best interests of their patients.

Tackling anti-social behaviour including cannabis use is a top Government priority, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. The Government has committed to adding 13,000 neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities and ensuring residents have a named officer they can turn to when things go wrong. It is unlawful to possess or supply cannabis without a Home Office licence and we expect the police to enforce the law. As a class B drug, the maximum penalty for possession of cannabis is up to five years in prison, an unlimited fine or both. Law enforcement agencies will use evidence and intelligence to identify and take action against drug users and change their behaviour.

The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other relevant agencies with a range of flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to all forms of anti-social behaviour, including cannabis use.

We remain committed to working across public health, education, policing and wider public services on prevention to drive down drug use and ensure more people receive timely intervention and support.

The Government has not made an assessment of the classification of cannabis under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Ministers have a statutory obligation to receive and consider advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (‘ACMD’) before seeking to make changes to the classification of drugs. It is our understanding that the most recent assessment of the classification of cannabis was undertaken in 2008. This followed a review by the ACMD in that year.

The then government published its response to the ACMD review setting out the reason for its classification decision at that time.

The Department is committed to reducing the harm from all illicit drugs. Any illegal drug use, including cannabis, can be harmful, both from immediate side-effects and long-term physical and mental health problems. It can, for some, have a negative impact on their fertility. Cannabis use can contribute to and exacerbate existing mental health problems or can accelerate their development in people predisposed to mental health problems. We are aware of the book, ‘Epidemiology of Cannabis: Genotoxicity, Neurotoxicity, Epigenomics and Aging by A.S. Reece and G.K. Hulse’. No conclusions have been drawn from the evidence set out within it.

Information on the impact cannabis has on health can be found on the National Health Service website and Talk to FRANK, the Government’s drugs information and advice service. The Frank website also has basic harm reduction advice and details of drug treatment services and support organisations.

We know that drug treatment is protective and the number of places in treatment for people who use non-opiate drugs including cannabis is being increased by 30,000 compared to 2021/22, including 5,000 more places for young people in treatment.

The number of people in England receiving treatment for problems with cannabis use increased from 63,854 in 2021/22 to 74,931 people in 2023/24.

The Government has no current plans to review the classification of cannabis.

The Dame Carol Black Independent Review of Drugs (2020) is the most recent estimate of the total cost of drug-related enforcement costs.

The Department is committed to reducing the harm from all illicit drugs. Any illegal drug use, including cannabis, can be harmful, both from immediate side-effects and long-term physical and mental health problems. It can, for some, have a negative impact on their fertility. Cannabis use can contribute to and exacerbate existing mental health problems or can accelerate their development in people predisposed to mental health problems.

No estimate has been made of the annual cost to the National Health Service specifically of cannabis-related health conditions or the impact of cannabis-related mental health conditions on NHS finances. An assessment cannot be accurately made because the data relating to cannabis and mental health related health conditions and admissions is presented across various settings. The diagnosis code for ‘mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cannabinoids’ does not include admissions to mental health hospitals or cannabis-related treatment occurring outside of a hospital setting.

Dame Carol Black’s review of evidence related to drugs, published in February 2020, estimated the cost to the NHS of illegal drug use, not substance specific, at £431 million per annum. This includes admissions in secondary care, prison treatment and infectious disease. However, this figure does not include other NHS costs such as primary care or accident & emergency usage so will be an underestimate.

The Department is committed to reducing the harm from all illicit drugs. Any illegal drug use, including cannabis, can be harmful, both from immediate side-effects and long-term physical and mental health problems. It can, for some, have a negative impact on their fertility. Cannabis use can contribute to and exacerbate existing mental health problems or can accelerate their development in people predisposed to mental health problems.

No estimate has been made of the annual cost to the National Health Service specifically of cannabis-related health conditions or the impact of cannabis-related mental health conditions on NHS finances. An assessment cannot be accurately made because the data relating to cannabis and mental health related health conditions and admissions is presented across various settings. The diagnosis code for ‘mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cannabinoids’ does not include admissions to mental health hospitals or cannabis-related treatment occurring outside of a hospital setting.

Dame Carol Black’s review of evidence related to drugs, published in February 2020, estimated the cost to the NHS of illegal drug use, not substance specific, at £431 million per annum. This includes admissions in secondary care, prison treatment and infectious disease. However, this figure does not include other NHS costs such as primary care or accident & emergency usage so will be an underestimate.

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The following table shows the number of finished admission episodes with a primary diagnosis recorded for cannabis use, in each of the last five years:

Source: NHS England publishes information on hospital admissions, which is available at the following link: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity

The Home Office commissioned Dame Carol Black in 2019 to undertake a 2-part independent review of drugs, which informed the government’s 10 year Drug Strategy. The review included information on different illegal drugs, including cannabis markets and links to exploitation and violence. The evidence pack is published at: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/882953/Review_of_Drugs_Evidence_Pack.pdf.

In this review it was found that the available data indicates that cannabis markets, while associated with violence, are less closely linked to violence than the markets for heroin/crack and powder cocaine.

Further analysis undertaken by the Home Office was conducted on the risk factors for behaviours related to serious violence, which is published here and includes an assessment of drug use as a risk factor:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/819840/analysis-of-indicators-of-serious-violence-horr110.pdf

Possession of cannabis is illegal and anyone using it, regardless of location, is committing an offence. The police have a range of powers at their disposal to deal with drug-related offences, including tackling cannabis use in private properties and may, subject to a court ordered warrant, enter private properties where they suspect a person on the premises is in possession of cannabis and search the premises and any persons found therein. How police choose to pursue investigations is an operational decision for Chief Constables, but we are clear that we expect them to enforce the law.

Cannabis use poses a large number of health risks, including psychosis and respiratory disorders, and, after heroin and crack cocaine, is the most common drug that results in people seeking treatment. The Drug Strategy will invest £780 million to create a world-class treatment and recovery system and £533 million of this will be invested to rebuild local authority commissioned substance misuse treatment services in England.