Young people caught with cannabis in parts of London will avoid prosecution under plans from Sadiq Khan.
A pilot scheme would see under-25s caught with a “small amount” of cannabis avoid arrest and instead be offered courses on the dangers of drug use.
Offenders will be taken back to their family homes and kept out of cells.
The Daily Telegraph reported that Mr Khan was considering extending the scheme to cover all Class B drugs – including ketamine and speed – but this was denied by a spokesman for the mayor.
The mayor’s spokesman told Sky News that Mr Khan “firmly believes that drug use, and its related crimes, are preventable and not inevitable”.
He added: “We know that we’ll never be able to simply arrest our way out of the problem, which is why we continue to work on schemes that provide young people with support and education, rather than simply putting them through the criminal justice system – with the aim of diverting them away from drug use and crime for good.”
The pilot would cover three London boroughs, reported to be Lewisham, Bexley and Greenwich.
Although funding for the scheme is yet to be approved, the Telegraph reports it will be announced later this month.
It comes in the wake of criticisms targeted at the Metropolitan Police over the weekend for sharing a video of officers testing Londoners for drugs on a night out.
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