The government has announced new plans for tougher punishments for those caught in possession of cannabis, with £80 on-the-spot fines to be given out for a second offence.

The government has announced new plans for tougher punishments for those caught in possession of cannabis, with £80 on-the-spot fines to be given out for a second offence.

The proposals were laid out in proposals for the Penalty Notice for Disorder system, and if implemented would coincide with the reclassification of the drug as a Class B illegal substance in January of next year. The move comes only five years after cannabis was downgraded to a Class C drug.

The proposed punishments would only apply to offenders in England and Wales, leaving Alex Salmond’s Scottish Government to decide whether or not to follow suit.

Ministers have faced criticism over their decision to reclassify cannabis despite recommendations to the contrary from the government’s own independent Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: “While cannabis has always been illegal, reclassifying it to a Class B drug reinforces our message to everyone that it is harmful and should not be taken.”

“This is the next step towards toughening up our enforcement response to ensure that repeat offenders know we are serious about tackling the danger that the drug poses to individuals.”

Ministers have said they are responding to advice from police, and claim the regrading is justified given the increased strength of strains of the drug, which have been claimed to account for 80 per cent of the cannabis sold in the UK.

While possession of a Class C drug is typically treated as a non-arrestable offence, the reclassification would require police to take tougher action in most situations.

The maximum prison sentence for the possession of Class B substances currently stands at five years, as opposed to two years for those found guilty of Class C possession.