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What are the risks for the following in the UK:

  1. Possession of cannabis (~2g)
  2. Consumption of cannabis

For example, If i'm smoking cannabis in front of a police officer, under what obligations can they justify an arrest?

tesla john
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1 Answers1

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Usually, and assuming the smoker is aged 18 or over and there are no aggravating features, an arrest is not always necessary as what's referred to as "simple possession" is dealt with proportionately either by a:

Which is:

a non-statutory disposal. It can be used as a proportionate response to dealing with offenders found in possession of small amounts of cannabis. It is an informal warning, administered by a police officer, to adults found in possession of small amounts of Cannabis, consistent with personal use.

...

  • First offence, no aggravating factors - Cannabis Warning;

Second offence, no aggravating factors – PND (see below);

Third offence – arrest.

Or, a:

You’ll be asked to sign the penalty notice ticket. You won’t get a criminal conviction if you pay the penalty (usually £60, but may be £90)

You can ask for a trial if you disagree with the penalty notice. You’ll get a bigger fine if you don’t ask for a trial but don’t pay the fine.