CANNABIS

Cannabis being decriminalised by back door, MPs warn

Forces record a huge drop in the number of offences for the drug
Figures for recorded offences of possession of the drug have plummeted in most forces
Figures for recorded offences of possession of the drug have plummeted in most forces
ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN/EPA

Police have been accused of decriminalising cannabis by stealth as forces recorded a drop in possession offences of up to 75 per cent in a decade.

More than half of police forces recorded 40 per cent fewer crimes despite cannabis remaining the most popular drug, analysis by The Times showed.

Police chiefs and police and crime commissioners (PCCs), as well as the organisation for rank-and-file officers, have called for a review of the legislation on drugs, particularly cannabis.

Recorded crime for possession of cannabis has dropped in most forces since 2008, with Greater Manchester’s figure falling by 75 per cent, Leicestershire 70 per cent and Cambridgeshire 67 per cent. There was an increase in overall recorded crime of 11.4 per cent for the same period