• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
The one place in the UK where smoking weed is tolerated

Home> News

Updated 16:16 15 Oct 2022 GMT+1Published 17:29 14 Oct 2022 GMT+1

The one place in the UK where smoking weed is tolerated

There's one city in the UK where the police take a different stance on cannabis

Joe Harker

Joe Harker

Right now, there's a bit of a debate raging across British politics over what sort of approach would be the best one to tackle cannabis - but it seems as if one place in the UK has decided to step back and tolerate it.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has indicated that she wants to make it a Class A drug, putting weed on par with the likes of heroin and cocaine.

Right now, if you're caught in possession of a Class B drug like weed, you can get hit with a sentence of up to five years behind bars, while having Class A drugs can get you locked up for seven years.

The idea goes that cracking down on cannabis will scare people away from the drug for fear of long prison sentences.

It's just an idea rather than a clear direction or policy statement at the moment, but it has the backing from some senior police commissioners who see cannabis as a 'gateway drug' to harder stuff.

Advert

Cannabis is a Class B drug and could land you behind bars for five years.
EyeEm / Alamy Stock Photo

However, others in law enforcement reckon this would be a really bad idea, with a former undercover cop saying getting tougher on weed would be 'utterly catastrophic'.

There are also plenty of people who reckon it's time the UK moved towards changing the laws and getting cannabis decriminalised.

London mayor Sadiq Khan is looking into decriminalising Class B drugs like cannabis, but looking into the matter doesn't mean a change is about to come.

Decriminalisation might not be taking off across the UK just yet, but there is one place in the UK where the police take a different tack when it comes to weed and you'll probably never guess where it is.

Advert

That's alright, we're going to tell you anyway - it's Durham.

It all started back in 2015 when then-Durham police crime commissioner Ron Hogg decided the police should take a new approach and no longer actively pursue weed smokers or small scale growers.

He wanted officers to focus their efforts on more serious crimes, noting that the police would be better off going after dealers than users.

To be really, really clear, that's not to say you can move to Durham and start your own cannabis farm or stroll around the city centre smoking a joint without getting into trouble.

Cannabis is still as illegal in Durham as it is in the rest of the UK and blatantly breaking the law in front of the police is never a good idea.

Advert

People still do get arrested for weed related offences, as Chronicle Live reported that police busted someone for growing 200 cannabis plants back in July.

There's one spot in the UK where you'll get in less trouble for smoking weed, Durham.
Britpix / Alamy Stock Photo

However, The Times visited Durham in 2018 to see how the changes were going and found some very chilled out people saying the 'police aren't bothered at all', preferring to have a quiet word with weed smokers rather than reaching for the handcuffs right away.

That's not to say they were letting people get away with everything, as an attempt to hold a 700 strong weed event did get closed down.

A spokesperson from Durham Constabulary was keep to stress they still punish people for cannabis related offences but their focus is on the gangs who supply the drugs rather than the users who buy them.

Advert

They said: "Cannabis is an illegal drug and anyone caught smoking it in public in County Durham and Darlington can expect to face arrest by our officers.

"However, our attention is focussed less on low level users and more on disrupting the activities of those Organised Criminal Gangs which profit from the supply of drugs and those dealers who harm our communities."

Featured Image Credit: Ian Dagnall / Ianni Dimitrov Pictures / Alamy Stock Photo

Topics: UK News, News, Drugs

Joe Harker
Joe Harker

Joe graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Journalism and worked for Reach before joining the LADbible Group. When not writing he enjoys the nerdier things in life like painting wargaming miniatures and chatting with other nerds on the internet. He's also spent a few years coaching fencing. Contact him via [email protected]

X

@MrJoeHarker

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Sobering simulation shows true reality of smoking weed for one month as Trump considers law change
  • Where smoking will be banned in UK as government officially announces new legislation
  • Pregnant British teen who 'trafficked £200k of cannabis' told she can walk free on one condition
  • Documents released reveal one place in UK people would be safe if WW3 erupted

Choose your content:

an hour ago
2 hours ago
  • Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesDemetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images
    an hour ago

    Body language expert explains Donald Trump's hidden response when asked about viral death rumours

    The expert said something Trump did gave away how he really feels about it

    News
  • SERGEY BOBYLEV/POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesSERGEY BOBYLEV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
    2 hours ago

    Putin, Xi and Kim Jong-un unite side-by-side to send chilling warning to the West

    The world leaders attended China's V-Day celebrations on Wednesday 3 August

    News
  • Instagram/abbybrittanyhenselInstagram/abbybrittanyhensel
    2 hours ago

    Conjoined twins Abby and Brittany Hensel break silence over photos with newborn baby

    Speculation about the sisters supposedly becoming mums has been rife since the snaps emerged

    News
  • VINCENT FEURAY/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty ImagesVINCENT FEURAY/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images
    2 hours ago

    ChatGPT goes down for users worldwide as AI bot stops responding

    People have complained that the AI chatbot isn't working properly

    News

    breaking