The number of drug seizures by police in Norfolk has hit a record high, fuelled by rocketing levels of cannabis use.
New figures show there were a total of 5,428 drug seizures in the county last year, two thirds of them involving cannabis.
The figure was up 7pc on the previous year and contrasted with a fall nationally.
The rise was the sixth consecutive annual increase in Norfolk, with the county recording the highest figure for seizures per million population outside London.
The volume of cannabis seized in Norfolk - which weighed the equivalent of a piano - has raised concerns about the growing prevalence of the drug, which has become a familiar smell in many neighbourhoods across the county.
Smoking potent 'skunk-like' cannabis and frequent use of the drug increases the risk of serious mental illness such as psychosis and schizophrenia, studies have shown.
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Heavy use has also been linked to deaths including a Norfolk man who developed cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome - a rare condition associated with long-term cannabis smoking, an inquest last year heard.
However growth in its use is partly put down to more people illegally using the drug to treat health conditions such as chronic pain and anxiety.
The government has said it had "no intention" of reviewing the drug’s Class B classification despite campaigners calling for it to be legalised saying banning it had failed to reduce its use.
Police officers can issue a warning or £90 on-the-spot fine to someone found with cannabis but imprisonment can be for up to five years while supplying or cultivating can be punished with a 14-year jail sentence.
The Home Office figures show it was seized on 3,585 occasions in Norfolk in the year to March 2022 including 1,271 plants and amounts of herbal cannabis weighing 135kg.
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The targeting of ‘county lines’ drug gangs had played a significant part in higher seizures, Norfolk police said.
More than 2,000 adults and hundreds of under-18s have been arrested since Operation Gravity was launched in 2017.
Police said the figures were a “huge achievement” amid its “ongoing commitment to tackling drugs offences through partnerships between multiple teams which target different aspects of drug distribution”.
What else was seized in Norfolk?
Police made 90 seizures of Class A drugs in the county with cocaine the most frequently found, followed by crack, heroin, more than 1,000 doses of methadone, morphine and ecstasy.
It reflects a significant increase nationally in the amount of cocaine being seized from more than 11,000kg in 2021 to nearly 19,000kg last year.
Niamh Eastwood, executive director of drugs charity Release, said the market for drugs “continues unabated” with harms “at an all-time high”.
"It is unsurprising to see cocaine at the top of the Class A seizure tables given its popularity, but despite tens of thousands of kilos of cocaine being taken off the streets there will be little impact on the availability of the drug,” she added.
Seizures of other Class B drugs in Norfolk last year included six involving amphetamines and three of ketamine, while action was taken over six hauls of illegal Class C steroids and 28 of benzodiazepines.
READ MORE: Cocaine and cannabis dealer jailed for four years
The East of England region overall saw the highest number of seizures (12pc of the national total) outside London, with Norfolk seeing more than neighbouring forces Suffolk, where there were 3,794 seizures and Cambridgeshire with 2,405.
Police said operations are being undertaken in Norfolk by ERSOU (Eastern Region Special Operations Unit) to tackle the drugs threat posed by organised crime.
In addition Norwich-based Project Adder, involving police, councils, health services and charities, has had success in breaking the cycle of drug crime and addiction helping hundreds of former users.
“This cohesive approach has allowed us to expand our impact over drug related offences and ultimately remove more drugs from Norfolk’s streets,” said a police spokesman.
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