A Police force is letting cannabis smokers and growers escape prosecution.

The ‘soft’ approach has let those caught cultivating tens of thousands of pounds worth of the drug receive only a warning or ‘slap on the wrist’ caution.

Anti-drugs campaigners accused Durham Police of sending out a dangerous message.

Durham Police Force posted this picture on Facebook and it's now been revealed that the grower only received a caution for this huge plant. It caused a backlash from people who believe it sends out the wrong message

But Ron Hogg, who is the area’s police and crime commissioner, insisted he wanted to deal with people using small amounts of drugs like cannabis in a ‘fair and measured way.’

He added: ‘We are not prioritising people who have a small number of cannabis plants for their own use. In low-level cases we say it is better to work with them and put them in a position where they can recover.

‘In these cases the most likely way of dealing with them would be with a caution and by taking the plants away and disposing of them. It is unlikely that a case like that would be brought before a court.’

Although he believes there is an argument for legalisation as it relates to medicinal use of cannabis.

He said: 'Cannabis use is still illegal and smoking it is still a crime, but if you are caught, you will get this opportunity to stop re offending.

Policy: Durham's Police and Crime Commissioner Ron Hogg, pictured, says his force will only prosecute 'blatant' in order to cut costs

'By and large we are saying it is not the top of our list to go out and try to pick up people smoking joints on street corners but if it's blatant or we get complaints, officers will act.

'It's about keeping people out of the criminal justice system and reducing costs, it's about being more productive with the way we approach things.

'It's also about seeking to prevent future use by keeping people out of prison.'

Mary Brett, of the campaign group Cannabis Skunk Sense, said many forces were now unofficially following a policy of failing to prosecute offenders.

She added: ‘It’s a dangerous message to send out to kids. Police are just issuing cautions and giving a slap on the wrist. The kids are laughing at the law; they can’t take it seriously.’

She said giving a ‘short sharp shock in prison’ would send the right message.

Simon Stephens, director of the charity Addictions UK, said any move to decriminalise cannabis had serious consequences: ‘My concern is for that part of the cannabis-using population who go on to suffer from psychosis and mental health problems.’

Mike Barton, Durham’s chief constable, has repeatedly advocated decriminalisation of possession.

The policy was highlighted this week by a posting on the force’s own Facebook page detailing a raid on a house where officers found an enormous cannabis plant growing under a polytunnel.

Although an officer was pictured standing proudly by the plant, a statement revealed the 51-year-old grower received just a caution.

Furious members of the public posted comments deriding the approach as ‘pathetic’.

The Home Office said it expected police forces to investigate all crimes. But it added that ‘the extent to which any crime is investigated is an operational matter for local forces’.

Police minister Mike Penning said: ‘Growing cannabis, whether for personal use or organised supply, is illegal and those who do so can face significant jail sentences.’

Defending his force’s policy last night, Mr Hogg said: ‘I would say the prohibition of drugs has failed and we need to look at that very carefully and that’s why myself and others are actually calling for this national debate to review the way in which we treat offenders and users and to come up with a third way.

‘I tend to support decriminalisation. The reason for that is I want addicts to come forward for treatment without fear of any criminal repercussions. I’d be very happy to have a discussion with the Home Secretary on the matter and I would like to raise interest there to take the matter forward.’

He insisted that officers would still deal with complaints of drug abuse, drug dealing or drug users in the streets. He added: ‘We will tackle the street gangs, we will tackle the dealers. We are not ignoring the law but there are areas of discretion.’

Scale: Only those who large-scale cannabis farms will be pursued through the courts by police in the north-east

Alternative: Durham Police, pictured, will offer a rehabilitation programme instead of court in many cases

People arrested for smoking cannabis in Durham are being offered the opportunity to avoid prosecution by joining the force’s Checkpoint programme – an initiative designed to tackle the causes of offending.

John Holiday of the Teesside Cannabis Club said the move would allow police to focus their efforts on organised and commercial cannabis production.

John said: 'None of us like to think of the trafficked Vietnamese kids who are slaved out to tend houses full of weed and we need to come together as a community to crack down on criminal enterprises of this nature.'

However, Simon Stephens of North-East drugs charity Addiction said the move towards decriminalisation was irrelevant from a health perspective.

He said: 'Cannabis is still implicated in psychosis and mental health problems so from our perspective, legal or illegal makes no difference - it can be detrimental to health just like alcohol.'

Policeman turned Lib Dem Brian Paddick became known as the ‘Cannabis Commander’ in South London in the 1990s after instructing his officers not to arrest or charge those found with marijuana.