Synthetic cannabinoids are controlled as Class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. There is a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both for possession of a Class B drug and 14 years’ imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both, for the supply and production of a Class B drug.

There was a total of 281 convictions for the principal offence of possession of synthetic cannabinoids in 2018, up from 71 convictions in 2017 and no convictions in 2016. For the principal offences of either supply, possession with intent to supply or production of synthetic cannabinoids there were 18 convictions in 2018, up from 4 convictions in 2017 and 4 convictions in 2016.

The Government has commissioned the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to provide an updated harms assessment on their previous reports on synthetic cannabinoids. The commission also seeks recommendations on whether the current classification under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 of synthetic cannabinoids is appropriate. The advice is due in summer 2020. The full commission has been published online on the gov.uk website.
The Government will await the ACMD’s further advice and recommendations

The ACMD were formally commissioned on 15 February 2019 to advise the Home Secretary on part-two of the review on cannabis and cannabis related products. The ACMD will provide their advice by Summer 2020

The full commission to the ACMD can be found on the Home Office website: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/779330/Long-term_commission_to_the_ACMD_on_CBPM_-_05.02.2019.pdf

In the annual ‘Seizures of Drugs in England and Wales’ publication (which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/seizures-of-drugs-in-england-and-wales), the total amounts of cannabis, heroin, cocaine and ecstasy seized in each year are provided. However, no estimate has been made of the proportion of the total supply which such seizures represent.

The Home Office does not hold information on the total amount of drugs imported into the UK in each year. (ii) Estimates on the prevalence and frequency of drug use in England and Wales are published in in the annual ‘Drug Misuse’ publication (which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/drug-misuse-declared), but not on the total quantity of drugs consumed each year.

In a 2013 Home Office report ‘Understanding Organised Crime’ (which can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/246390/horr73.pdf), the value of the illicit supply of various categories of drugs were estimated, which include heroin, cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy. The methodology can be found in Annex 2 of the report.

In the annual ‘Seizures of Drugs in England and Wales’ publication (which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/seizures-of-drugs-in-england-and-wales), the total amounts of cannabis, heroin, cocaine and ecstasy seized in each year are provided. However, no estimate has been made of the proportion of the total supply which such seizures represent.

The Home Office does not hold information on the total amount of drugs imported into the UK in each year. (ii) Estimates on the prevalence and frequency of drug use in England and Wales are published in in the annual ‘Drug Misuse’ publication (which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/drug-misuse-declared), but not on the total quantity of drugs consumed each year.

In a 2013 Home Office report ‘Understanding Organised Crime’ (which can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/246390/horr73.pdf), the value of the illicit supply of various categories of drugs were estimated, which include heroin, cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy. The methodology can be found in Annex 2 of the report.

The Home Office does not hold the information requested.

We recognise how dangerous synthetic cannabinoids such as those supplied under the brand names ‘spice’ and ‘mamba’, can be and the devastating impact that they can have on communities, families and the individuals taking them. That is why we acted to control these substances as class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act and give the police the powers they need to take action, including making possession illegal and delivering longer sentences for dealers.

More widely, the 2017 Drug Strategy builds on the approach set out in 2010, recognising that while progress has been made, we need to go fur-ther to respond to the evolving threats and challenges that continue to emerge from drug misuse.

We are taking firm action to prevent the harms caused by drugs. Our Drug Strategy sets out a balanced approach which brings together police, health, community and global partners to tackle the illicit drug trade, protect the most vulnerable and help those with a drug dependency to recover and turn their lives around.

A wide range of synthetic cannabinoids are misleadingly supplied under the street name Spice.

We recognise how dangerous these drugs can be. That is why we acted to control this group of substances as class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and give the police the powers they need to take action, including making possession illegal and making longer sentences for dealers possible.

Our Drug Strategy emphasises the importance of a joined-up approach to tackling the harms caused by drugs to prevent substance misuse, restrict the supply of drugs and support people to recover from drug dependency. We strongly support multi-agency approaches being taken in local areas to respond to this issue in order to prevent harm to those who take them and reduce the burden they place on public services.

It is a matter for individual forces as to whether and how they use drug testing.

What will the Home Secretary do to help police forces to prioritise resources when they are faced with cannabis clubs, of which most members require cannabis for medicinal reasons, and an epidemic of Spice at the same time, which poses very serious risks to both health and law and order—both are class B drugs?

As I announced on 19 June, the Government is undertaking a two-phase review looking at the scheduling of cannabis. Part one of the review considered international evidence for the medicinal and therapeutic benefits of cannabis and cannabis based medicinal products. Professor Dame Sally Davies, who also serves as the Chief Medical Advisor to the Government and Chief Medical Officer for England, took this forward independently.

This part of the review is now complete and the report was published on 3 July. Also on 3 July, the Home Secretary commissioned the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to undertake part two of the Review. Supported by the Home Office and the Department of Health and Social Care, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs will consider the appropriate schedule for cannabis related products, based on the balance of harms and public health requirements. The ACMD will not reassess the evidence issued by Professor Dame Sally Davies.

I can confirm that my department has not received any representations from pharmaceutical companies on the use of medicinal cannabis in the last two years. In the last 12 months, the Home Office has discussed the potential use of Epidiolex as an alternative option for treatment with the manufacturer, GW Pharmaceuticals.

Given the Home Office’s role leading on regulatory governance it is not for the department to provide funding for multi-centre trials on the medicinal and therapeutic benefits of cannabis and cannabis-based products.

There is no specific offence for drug use. It is an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 for any person to possess a controlled drug. The penalty will depend on: the class and quantity of drug, where a person and the drugs were found, their personal history and other aggravating or mitigating factors.
The Government is determined to protect vulnerable women from drug misuse. Advice about alcohol and drugs is available to pregnant women as part of their routine antenatal care. Pregnant women who misuse alcohol or drugs will be put in contact with a midwife or doctor who has special expertise in the care of pregnant women with alcohol or drug problems. They will be able to refer them to an alcohol or drug treatment programme and other organisations that can help.

We consider approaches to drug policy from other countries as part of our work in delivering the 2017 Drugs Strategy.

The World Health Organisation's Expert Committee on Drug Dependence has committed to reviewing the scheduling of cannabis under the United Nation's 1961 Convention. This is due to consider the therapeutic use, as well as the dependence and the potential to abuse constituent parts of cannabis. We will await the outcome of this report before considering the next steps.

The Home Office collects data on the number of selected offences involving a knife or a sharp instrument recorded by the police in England and Wales.

It is not possible to tell from this information whether an offence was related to criminal drug taking activity or not.

The most recently published data for offences involving knives or sharp instruments is for the calendar year 2017 and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-recorded-crime-open-data-tables.

The drug commonly known as Spice has as strong an impact on its users as any class A drug, yet its categorisation as class B means that its dealers receive much lesser sentences than others. Will the Minister commit to looking again at this drug’s classification so that that reflects its impact more accurately?

Controlled drugs licences are issued in accordance with Government policy. No licences for pharmaceutical companies to grow and process medicinal cannabis for exportation to other countries have been issued.

As set out in response to PQs 123692 and 123704, for the entire period of time that Randox Testing Services (RTS) provided s.5A drug driving analysis services to the criminal justice system, it was accredited by United Kingdom Accreditation Service to ISO 17025, the quality standard set by the Forensic Science Regulator (FSR), including specific accreditation for “the detection and quantification of drugs in relation to s.5A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (as amended) and the Drug Driving (Specified Limits) (England and Wales) Regulations 2014”. FSR–C–133 has been in development for around two years and the FSR has not issued a final version.

The latest version of the FSR’s Codes of Practice, published in October 2017, now include the requirement to pay due regard to the United Kingdom and Ireland Association of Forensic Toxicologists (UKIAFT) guidelines, which recommend the use of duplicate extraction.

The College of Policing published their statutory Vetting Code of Practice on 12 October 2017 which sets out the vetting standards which are to be applied by police forces in England and Wales.

These standards are designed to ensure that the public is confident that police vetting processes are effective in identifying those who pose a potential risk to others or who are otherwise unsuitable for working within the police force.

The Vetting Code states that whilst the presumption is that an individual with a previous conviction would not be suitable for appointment as an officer, each case must be considered on its own merit and factors that should be considered include the nature and severity of the offence and the age of the individual at the time they committed the offence. Rejection should be automatic where an offence resulted in a custodial sentence or the applicant is a registered sex offender.