Philobiblon

p. 195 – in September 1999 the Green Party took a public position saying their policy was to allow public to grow for recreational and medicinal purposes. Plaid in 2001 promised to approve recreational use. …”the reshuffle of the Cabinet following the 2001 general election was to bring the issue to a head. it ushered in a period of intense activity where legislators and politicians attempted to assert themselves over the British compromise that had evolved since the 1960s where cannabis had been devolved into the hands of the courts and the police.” …
In 2008 possession of cannabis remained an arrestable offence and the police continued to be the key powerbrokers in matters related to the drug throughout the period. … it was police that made the policy: at each stage it was the police officer who was empowered to decide who was stopped, who was warned, who was cautioned, who was sent to court, and even how much cannabis constituted a serious offence.. the fate of the individuals depends not “on the will of Parliament, the conclusions of the scientists, or the interests of the user.”