Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce rates of spice (a) abuse and (b) addiction.

Synthetic cannabinoids, including those sold by dealers under the street name ‘Spice’, are dangerous drugs. They are controlled as Class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 to give the police the powers they need to take necessary action.

The largest dedicated funding stream under the Government’s Drug Strategy is for drug treatment, including treatment for dependence on synthetic cannabinoids, with £780m over the next three years. In addition, the DWP individual placement and support (IPS) scheme helps people with addiction to secure work, and the rough sleeping drug and alcohol treatment grant ensures there is intensive, tailored support for people to address their drug dependence and find stable housing.

Under the Government’s Drug Strategy, all areas in England have established dedicated Combating Drugs Partnerships bringing together local leaders across law enforcement, criminal justice, treatment and recovery, and the NHS, to deliver the strategy on the ground. These partnerships will be able to focus efforts on local needs relating to drug use, including where the consumption of potent synthetic cannabinoids is harming individuals and causing a blight on their communities.