London: Police could stop cannabis searches

The scene caused a scandal. In early October 2020, two Black men passed each other on a London street. Clearly friends, they exchanged a fist bump, a fist-to-fist handshake. Suddenly, the Metropolitan Police They stop them. The officers search the two men. They think they're witnessing a cannabis sale. Wrong. The two men were just saying hello to each other.

To avoid further blunders, the « »Met" could announce, this Thursday, the suspension of searches due to suspected cannabis possession. The main reason: racial discrimination. In England and Wales, Black men are nine times more likely to be arrested than white men, according to the British police oversight body.

In fact, in four out of five cases, officers find no cannabis during searches. Young Black people view cannabis as an excuse to arrest them. And the police oversight agency, for its part, wonders in a report if the Searches based on suspicion of cannabis possession are useful, given that no drugs were found in 80 % of the cases.

The Mayor of London Takes the Initiative

London Mayor Sadiq Khan is pushing for the police to stop conducting searches related to cannabis. The Labour Party (left-wing) politician, who was born in London to Pakistani parents, is preparing an «Action Plan» which could include this suspension of cannabis searches by officers from the Met.

This police force is also known as Scotland Yard. With its 46,000 officers, it is one of the largest in the world. It is responsible for security in London and its surrounding areas. And, since 2012, the mayor of London has been in charge of it. «It is crucial that our communities feel heard, and that issues related to the disproportionate use of police powers be settled«, says Sadiq Khan.”.

In London, and throughout the United Kingdom, the Medical cannabis is permitted. But not «recreational» use, which is still classified as a Category B drug. Possession of it is therefore punishable by up to five years in prison.

Some commissioners, however, support local efforts to regulate the production and consumption of cannabis for personal use, for example, through certain cannabis clubs. The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) and the Police Federation have also supported the implementation of the Cancard, a card issued to patients who use cannabis for medical purposes but are unable to obtain an official prescription due to numerous regulatory and financial barriers.