Recently, cannabis has been in the news again, and today I’d like to tell you more about my position on the current debate and why I believe it is time for serious action. Earlier this summer, a report from the London Drugs Commission said possession of small quantities of cannabis for personal use should be decriminalised. This hit the headlines, reopening the discussion about cannabis decriminalisation, something I am completely opposed to. Many of you will already know my views on cannabis but to be clear, my personal view is that it should be reclassified as a Class A drug, something I have been campaigning for since I became PCC and will continue to do so. 

I have always been upfront about the pernicious impact I believe cannabis has on the physical and mental health of a user and I have long called for it to be reclassified as a Class A drug because of these effects and the impact it presents on wider society. This impact on our society is also something highlighted by Sir Andy Marsh who leads the College of Policing. He recently said the smell of the drug made him feel unsafe and was backed by prominent chief constables, who said more attention needed to be paid to the ‘little stuff’, a sentiment I echo completely. It is my view that the reason the smell of cannabis is so prevalent in some places is that for the past 30 years people have been saying it isn’t dangerous, something I believe is wrong. I believe this drug has chronic long-term side effects, both to physical and mental health, and acts as a dangerous gateway drug for many people.

I know from my conversations and contact with the public, that people in Dorset want tough action on illegal drugs – all illegal drugs - and those who peddle them. Results from our most recent Operation Scorpion, a regional initiative which works with police forces and PCCs in Devon and Cornwall, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Avon and Somerset, along with SW Regional Organised Crime Unit and British Transport Police, demonstrates the commitment we have made to tackling these harmful substances in Dorset and further afield. Eight warrants were carried out in Dorset alone during this week of action, with two drug lines permanently closed, 24 people arrested and more than £20,000 worth of Class A and B drugs seized. Three vehicles were also seized, and weapons including zombie knives, machetes, flick knives and knuckledusters recovered along with £25,000 cash. Dorset Police remains dedicated to tackling drug crime robustly, and as is detailed in Police and Crime Plan, I remain fully committed to this tough approach, doing everything I can to ensure those in power are listening to the people, and aware of the strength of feeling on these issues.

As part of this commitment, I recently wrote to the Policing Minister, on behalf of 14 Police and Crime Commissioners calling for the reclassification of cannabis as a Class A substance. Based on emerging scientific and medical research which indicates the health risks of cannabis may be much more extensive that previously understood, I urged the minister to ensure cannabis is taken much more seriously, with much tougher punishments for dealers. If this were to happen, I believe it would not only send a stark message to the public, but would lead to much more investment in prevention, something currently lacking at a national level (Drug prevention: Now is the time for change). Ultimately, as I stated in the letter, heroin can kill quickly but the cumulative effect of cannabis in our society may be far worse.

Tackling illegal drugs and the dangers they present to young people and society at large is a top priority for me, and for Dorset Police. As your Police and Crime Commissioner, I remain determined to relentlessly tackle the harms illegal drugs cause to our communities, protect those at risk of exploitation and ensure effective prevention is in place to educate our young people about the dangers illegal and harmful substances can cause to their futures.

David Sidwick

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner