Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prosecutions for possession of synthetic cannabinoids have been commenced since changes in the law relating to synthetic cannabinoids were introduced on 16 December 2016.

Data on prosecutions involving the possession of synthetic cannabinoids (frequently sold under the brand name ‘Spice’) is not currently available. Data for the calendar year 2017 will be published in May 2018.

The Government published circular 10/2016 which was sent to police forces across the UK to promote the changes to legislation. The Government continues to regularly engage the National Police Chiefs’ Council and police forces about ongoing problems with new psychoactive substances.

As with the scheduling of other drug types, there are no current plans to conduct a formal evaluation of this specific change. However, the Government will continue to monitor trends in the use of new psychoactive substances, and in late 2018 it will publish a statutory review of the operation of the Psychoactive Substances Act, which will consider the interactions between the PSA and the Misuse of Drugs Act.