THE number of people convicted for cannabis possession in Sussex has significantly reduced since 2012 as calls for legalisation grow louder.

In 2012, 525 people were found guilty of cannabis possession in court, according to figures from the Ministry of Justice.

However, by 2017 this number had dropped by 51 per cent to 257.

Niamh Eastwood, executive director of drug legislation charity Release, said this was due a decline in stop and search across England and Wales.

She said: “The fall in the number of prosecutions for drug possession offences, and in particular cannabis possession, has largely been a result of the significant decrease in the use of stop and search.”

Of those successfully prosecuted by Sussex Police, 187 were given a fine or discharge while seven received prison sentences.

Cannabis possession charges made up 32 per cent of the total drugs possession offences Sussex Police achieved in court.

Cannabis is the most commonly used drug in the UK.

Ms Eastwood said: “This trend is welcomed as low-level possession offences should not be a priority for police.

“That being said, more than 50 per cent of all stop and searches still focus on this type of activity with huge disparities in how drugs are policed across the country.

“Some police forces such as Durham and Avon and Somerset are taking a more pragmatic approach and diverting people away from the criminal justice system for possession offences.”

When we asked Sussex Police for a comment from Chief Constable Giles York about his views and whether he agrees with Mr Barton, our request was declined.

But the force did say this: “Our policy is to deal appropriately with the possession and supply of cannabis as criminal offences, as one part of our primary role of dealing with the crimes and incidents which present the highest levels of harm and risk, particularly to the most vulnerable members of our communities.

“In addition to prosecution, cannabis possession cases can also be dealt with by formal police cautions, fixed penalty notices, street cannabis warnings or community resolution.

“In cases dealt with by cautions or community resolution, offenders can also be required to attend drug diversion schemes by two independent charities,which address the nature of offending before it escalates.”