Cannabis: the facts

Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug. Around three million adults have used cannabis in the last year.
11% of 16-59 year-olds and 26.2% of 16-24 year-olds have used cannabis in the last year.
Cannabis use has become increasingly widespread in the UK since the 1960s.
Cannabis has been used by over half (55 per cent) of young men and over a third (44 per cent) of young women aged 16 to 29 years.

What is Cannabis?

Cannabis is derived from a family of bushes (Cannabis sativa, ruderalis, indica and gigantea), which contain varying degrees of psychoactive compounds. The hemp fibre from these plants has been used for millennia in the manufacture of all sorts of products such as rope, mats, clothing, paints and varnishes. The plants have also been used for a pleasurable effect and for medicinal and ritual purposes. The leaves and flowers, which can either be processed into resin or oil or dried, are then smoked, made into herbal tea or eaten.

What is in Cannabis?

The main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Some experts have claimed that the cannabis available now is far stronger than that used in the 1960s, but this is difficult to substantiate. The supply of more potent cannabis products in recent years may have been encouraged by the success of law enforcement in detecting and destroying large-scale cannabis plantations, creating an incentive for illicit suppliers of cannabis to grow small numbers of cannabis plants with a higher THC content (e.g. hydroponic cultivation). Many people in the UK have decided to cultivate their own cannabis to ensure good quality.

The Law

The government reclassified cannabis from a Class B to a Class C drug in January 2004. If caught in possession of cannabis, those 17 or under can be arrested and taken to a police station for a formal warning. If it is not a first offence it could result in a conviction. Those over 18 can have their drugs confiscated and receive a warning. Police can still arrest an individual if they are a repeat offender, are smoking in public, are a threat to public order or have cannabis near any premises used by children. The maximum penalty for supplying and dealing Class C drugs is still 14 years plus an unlimited fine.