CALLS to reclassify cannabis as a Class A drug have been “strongly” supported by the Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) in Dorset and Wiltshire.

This reclassification would align the Class B drug in the same category as heroin and crack cocaine.

Wiltshire’s PCC Philip Wilkinson is backing the calls by Dorset PCC David Sidwick for the reclassification of the drug, with growing concerns of the “extensive impact” of cannabis on community safety in rural communities and its role in fuelling broader criminal activities.

Wilkinson said: “I fully support calls for a tougher stance on cannabis – including the reclassification of it to a Class A drug.

“In Wiltshire, we see first hand how cannabis cultivation and use are not isolated issues but are deeply intertwined with a spectrum of criminal activities.

“From anti-social behaviour and retail theft to more serious offences like modern slavery and human trafficking, cannabis often serves as a gateway drug and funding source for organised crime groups.”

In Wiltshire, police seized more than 100kg of cannabis made during a coordinated effort targeting organised crime groups involved in drug cultivation, Operation Scorpion.

The initiative, introduced by the five PCCs across the south west brings together the police forces from Wiltshire, Dorset, Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, and Gloucestershire in a united, intelligence-sharing unit to dismantle county lines operations and cut off drugs supply at the source.

Sidwick said: “I have always been very clear about the pernicious impact I believe cannabis and other illegal gateway drugs have on physical and mental health and I have long campaigned for it to be reclassified as a Class A drug because of these effects and the impact it presents on wider society as a result.

“It needs to be taken seriously on a national scale, because of the danger it presents and there needs to be money put into prevention and education to ensure people are aware of these dangers.

“Currently, Class A drugs take precedence when it comes to enforcement and treatment, but it is my view that there is no point focussing on the destination of addiction if we don’t stop people getting on the first two or three carriages of the train in the first place.

“Only through reclassifying cannabis will it be treated with the severity it deserves.”

Both PCCs are calling for a comprehensive approach that combines enforcement with education and rehabilitation.

They emphasised the importance of community involvement and intelligence in tackling drug-related issues and called for national policies that reflect the realities faced by local forces.

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