UK police chiefs work to decriminalize first drug offences

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the College of Policing, the UK's police chiefs, are currently drawing up a plan to decriminalize drug possession, including cannabis and cocaine.

14 of the UK's 43 police forces have already adopted similar policies to the proposal by the country's police chiefs to decriminalize drugs. But the plan is at odds with the country's Conservative Party government, which has launched proposals for tougher penalties for illegal drugs, including cannabis.

If the plan is adopted by the UK government, the use and possession of small quantities of recreational drugs would be treated as a public health issue for first-time offenders, rather than as a criminal offence punishable by prosecution and imprisonment or other penalties.

Those caught in possession of illegal drugs would be offered the chance to take part in education or drug treatment programs, rather than face prosecution. Police would take no further action against those who agreed to take part in the program, giving them a chance to avoid a criminal record. Those who do not follow the program, or who are subsequently caught in possession of illegal drugs, would still be subject to criminal prosecution.

Jason Harwin, former NPCC official and former deputy chief of police, works with the College of Policing on the new strategy of decriminalization partial.

«We shouldn't criminalize anyone for drug possession,» he said at Telegraph. «It should be a referral to other services to give them a chance to change their behavior».

In October, the UK Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, revealed that she was considering tightening the classification of cannabis under national drug legislation, due to concerns that cannabis is a gateway drug [...editor's note: theory debunked in the 70s. and lead to serious health problems.

Braverman opposes cannabis decriminalization, saying cannabis policy reform efforts send a «cultural» symbol that cannabis use is acceptable, according to a report from Times. The Home Secretary is also concerned about evidence that cannabis use can lead to serious physical health problems, including cancer and birth defects, and mental health problems, including psychosis.

The stricter Class A drug designation for cannabis would make penalties for cannabis-related offenses more severe, including prison sentences of up to seven years for possession and up to life imprisonment for cannabis producers and suppliers.

«We need to scare people,» she is quoted as saying, to justify the introduction of harsher penalties to deter cannabis use and trafficking.

In July, then Home Secretary Priti Patel announced that she was proposing new penalties for cannabis and other drug users, including confiscation of driving licenses and passports, as part of a new three-strikes policy for illicit drug use.

«Drugs are a scourge for the whole of society. They devastate lives and tear communities apart,» Patel said in a government statement. «Drug abuse endangers lives, fuels serious and violent crime and criminality, and also leads to the grotesque exploitation of vulnerable young people.»

Under the proposal, which has been detailed in a white paper drawn up by the Home Office, people caught in possession of illegal recreational drugs will would be liable to fines and mandatory drug training. They could also be banned from nightclubs and other entertainment venues.

«That's why the government is committed to tackling both the supply and demand for drugs, as set out in the ten-year drugs strategy,» said a Home Office spokesperson in a press statement. «Our white paper on new tougher penalties for drug possession set out proposals to tackle demand and we welcomed views on this. We will publish our response in due course.»

However, in an open letter addressed to the government and made public last Sunday, 500 public health and anti-drug organizations and experts expressed «serious concerns» about the ministerial plans, which they said would penalize young and vulnerable people and divert valuable police resources from tackling the root of the problem.

Professor David Strain, Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of the British Medical Association, said the government's plans appeared to «double down on a failed model by promoting ever-harsher penalties that perpetuate the stigma and shame that already prevent individuals from seeking help and ultimately discourage drug users from seeking the health services they need.».