The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has recommended an officer be subject to performance procedures after he did not follow PSNI guidance when seizing medically prescribed cannabis and failed to properly handle and secure the property.
The recommendations were accepted by the PSNI’s Professional Standards Department.
As a result of this investigation, the Ombudsman’s Office reviewed other similar complaints, and a policy recommendation was made to the PSNI in relation to further training and guidance for officers when dealing with legally prescribed cannabis.
The complaint stemmed from an incident when a car was stopped by officers in 2024, and the complainant’s car was searched. A quantity of prescribed cannabis was seized, despite the complainant holding a valid prescription.
The investigation found that the officer had not communicated to the complainant any discrepancies he says he found between the dates on the prescription and the medical container. He also did not make any enquiries to obtain the correct prescription, as required under PSNI guidance.
A second allegation related to the officer’s property-handling practices.
Ombudsman investigators identified that accepted standards for seizing, securing, and recording evidence were not properly followed.
Other allegations raised by the complainant, which included racial profiling, improper stopping procedures, and the alleged theft of an amount of cannabis seized by officers, were not substantiated due to insufficient evidence or reasonable explanations provided by the officers involved.
As a result of this investigation, the Ombudsman’s Office reviewed other similar complaints.
Senior Investigations Officer, Martin McCaffery, said: ‘Our investigation found that the police officer failed to follow PSNI guidance on the seizure of medically prescribed cannabis, and thereby potentially failed to act in accordance with the underlying legislation.
“The PSNI accepted our recommendations, and the matter was addressed through PSNI performance procedures.
“Our investigation also identified broader learning opportunities for the PSNI. We therefore also made a training recommendation aimed at improving police officer knowledge and decision making when dealing with legally prescribed medical cannabis.
“We recommended that further training and/or guidance should be created to address the gaps in knowledge in the PSNI on the issue of medically prescribed cannabis. This is aimed at ensuring that officers understand the legal framework and apply policy consistently. This will hopefully reduce the likelihood of similar incidents occurring in the future and to promote public confidence in policing.”