Sadiq Khan reportedly plans to decriminalise drugs for under 25s in London

The mayor of London Sadiq Khan is reportedly planning on decriminalising Class B drugs including cannabis, ketamine and speed for under 25 years old in London.

According to The Telegraph Sadiq is planning to roll out a new scheme which will allow under 25 years old who are caught with Class B drugs to be offered counselling or speed driving style courses.

Police officers will also be told not to arrest young people who are carrying Class B drugs including cannabis, ketamine and speed.

The boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich and Bexley are all said to be part of the scheme.

via Alexander Popov/Unsplash

The scheme is believed to be announced later this month and will be run by the mayor of Lewisham Damien Egan.

The news of the decriminalisation comes days after the Metropolitan police shared a video of officers conducting random drug swabs in Shoreditch.

The video was met with immediate backlash with many people questioning the legality of the drug testing.

One person on Twitter asked: “A lot of people are asking under what legal power you were doing this. Can you explain?”

The Metropolitan police went onto clarify the testing had been done during a “week of action” in early December surrounding women’s safety.

In the post they said: “The video posted by the Met on social media was filmed in Shoreditch during a ‘week of action’ supporting women’s safety between Monday, 6 and Sunday, 12 December 2021.

“The upsurge in activity included safety patrols of the night time economy, as well as tackling unlicensed minicabs, and attending schools to speak to staff and students.

“Officers across the Met came together to work in areas which have seen a spike in incidents where women and girls have been made to feel unsafe or have been victims of crime, and we know there is an inextricable link between Class A drugs and serious crime and violence on the streets of London.”

Featured image credit via Tayfun Salci/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

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