The independent cannabis patient advocacy group PatientsCann UK has filed a formal complaint against senior police leaders over comments linking the smell of cannabis with criminality and public fear.
The complaint, issued on 8 July 2025, targets Sir Andy Marsh, Chief Executive of the College of Policing, along with Greater Manchester Police Chief Sir Stephen Watson and Merseyside Chief Constable Serena Kennedy. The group has also called on the College of Policing and Police Chiefs to make an apology to patients who may have been affected.
PatientsCann UK raised the complaint after Sir Marsh, who was formerly Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police, recently stated:
“For me, the smell of cannabis around communities it feels like a sign of crime and disorder,” he continued, “policing is about creating an environment that people feel safe in. I’m speaking from personal experience and people I talk to, if I walk through a town, city, or even village centre and I smell cannabis, it does actually have an impact on how safe I feel.” He added, “In my community, my kids are too frightened to use the bus stop because it always stinks of cannabis.”
The comments from the UK’s longest serving police constable were backed by Greater Manchester Police Chief Sir Stephen Watson and Merseyside Chief Constable Serena Kennedy and came as a response to calls from figures including London Mayor Sadiq Khan to decriminalise cannabis.
In a statement, PatientsCann UK warns that the comments put legitimate medical cannabis users at risk, highlighting “that tens of thousands of patients across the UK are prescribed cannabis medicines by specialist consultants under tightly controlled conditions”.
“These comments reinforce harmful stereotypes that equate legitimate medical cannabis use with criminal behaviour,” said Sal Aziz, Director of PatientsCann UK. “They contribute to stigma, discourage patients from seeking legal prescriptions, and put thousands of law-abiding individuals at risk of discrimination, harassment, or even hate crime.”
The patient advocacy group said such remarks add unnecessary stress to patients living with chronic pain, mental health conditions, neurological conditions, and treatment-resistant epilepsy.
PatientsCann UK also warned that the comments could place police forces in breach of their legal duties under the Equality Act 2010, particularly regarding public sector equality obligations.
“Instead of supporting public health, this kind of rhetoric drives patients, often seriously ill, into the arms of illicit markets,” said Mohammad Wasway, Founder of PatientsCann UK. “It actively undermines the government’s own legal access framework and does nothing to promote safety or trust in policing.”
PatientsCann UK is calling for:
- A public clarification distinguishing between legal medical cannabis use and illegal recreational use.
- Revisions to police training and leadership programmes to reflect UK medical cannabis laws.
- Joint training initiatives with patient-led organisations.
- A formal apology to patients affected by the remarks.
“Policing should be about safety, not stigma. We are ready and willing to work with police forces to build understanding, reduce harm, and support the rights of disabled people,” said Aziz.
