Good afternoon, Medway!

Last week we received a call in from a member of the public complaining that their neighbour was smoking excessive amounts of cannabis and wanting our support to deal with this nuisance. 

Of course, as you probably well know, Cannabis is a class B drug in the UK and its possession alone is illegal! It also strongly smells, and a lot of people find the smell unpleasant. If we were to find a suspected cannabis user on the street we can conduct searches, seize any drugs and apply the relevant prosecution, potentially a fine or even a court date based on the individual circumstances.

However, with someone using cannabis within a private residence is a bit trickier. We can’t just enter anyone’s home without a lawful reason. Securing a warrant to search a private residence based on the smell of cannabis alone is very difficult. Unless we have grounds to believe that cannabis is being grown at the address or the address is linked to drug supply. We can’t charge with possession based on a smell alone. 

So where does this leave you if your neighbour is smoking cannabis and causing your community issues? 

Have you tried talking to them? It might sound ridiculous, but have you spoken to them politely about it. One conversation is all it could take. (I wouldn’t recommend writing a note, I have seen that be taken the wrong way in the past) 

If the property is rented quite often there are clauses in the renters’ tenancy agreement. The landlords have powers to issue warnings and even evict tenants based on repeated and persistent antisocial behaviour. 

The local council have an environmental health department / antisocial behaviour department who are often willing to help deal with regular and persistent cannabis use. They can issue warnings that will back up landlords in the case of an eviction case.

In cases of persistent and ongoing cannabis use where multiple households are affected, we can also issue community protection warnings and notices that potentially end up in court if the behaviour continues. 

In the most extreme cases we can look at closure orders for buildings preventing a flat or house from being used for a duration of time. This is only for the worst of the worst cases where there is a massive detrimental effect on the community.

You could also consider getting a solicitor and requesting a civil injunction against your neighbour setting out specific conditions however this is a very costly option.   

One of the most important things you must do is keep a clear and concise diary of when you are experiencing problems! (Date and time) and the duration. Also regularly report these problems to your housing provider and Police via online reporting.        

We do take antisocial behaviour seriously and understand that persistent antisocial behaviour can ruin lives, 

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