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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Laissez-faire drug approach could be fuelling drop in arrest rates Chris Allen Police Professional Monday 04 Apr 2016 Figures obtained by BBC Breakfast under the Freedom of Information Act revealed that the number of cautions and arrests fell by almost half (48 per cent and 46 per cent respectively), while the number of charges dropped by a third (33 per cent). Thirty-two of 43 forces responded to the requests, which found that between 2010 and 2015 arrests for cannabis possession fell from 35,367 to 19,115, cautions plunged from 9,633 to 5,036 and the number of people charged for possession dropped from 15,366 to 10,220. However, figures relating to arrest with intent to supply remained broadly similar over the same period, with arrest numbers hovering around the 5,000 mark. Figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales indicate cannabis use has remained steady over the last five years with around seven per cent of those aged 16-59 admitting to using the drug over the last year, down from 9.6 per cent in 2004/05. It is thought the decline in enforcement action may be due to some forces no longer actively pursuing cannabis smokers. Durham Constabulary hit the headlines last year after announcing it would no longer be targeting “blatant” cannabis users and those growing the plant for their own use, Chief Constable Mike Barton recently said the move had freed up resources to deal with “more important issues”. A Home Office spokesperson said all crimes reported to the police should be taken seriously, investigated and, where appropriate, taken through the courts. "Decisions on individual investigations are an operational matter for chief constables based on the evidence available to them and investigations can be reopened at any time should further evidence come to light,” they said. Cannabis was reclassified as a class B drug in 2009. The Liberal Democrats have long called for its regulation and legalisation, something the Conservatives refused to consider during the coalition government. Last year, a threat profile conducted by the National Police Chiefs’ Council indicated organised crime groups are further diversifying into the commercial cultivation of the drug. http://www.policeprofessional.com/news.aspx?id=25800
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