The number of people convicted for cannabis possession in mid Wales has dropped significantly in the last five years.

In 2012, 499 people were found guilty of possessing cannabis in court following prosecutions by Dyfed-Powys Police.

However, by 2017 this number had dropped by 61% to 196.

The figures have come from the Ministry of Justice.

Niamh Eastwood, executive director of drug legislation charity Release, said the drop in cannabis convictions was due to a decline in police using stop and search powers in England and Wales.

She said: "The fall in the number of prosecutions for drug possession offences, and in particular cannabis possession, has largely been a result of the significant decrease in the use of stop and search."

Of those successfully prosecuted by Dyfed-Powys Police, 160 were given a fine or discharge, while three received prison sentences.

Cannabis possession charges made up 54% of the total drugs possession convictions achieved by Dyfed-Powys Police. Cannabis is the most commonly used drug in the UK.

"This trend is welcomed as low-level possession offences should not be a priority for police," Ms Eastwood continued.

"That being said over 50% of all stop and searches still focus on this type of activity, with huge disparities in how drugs are policed across the country.

"Some police forces such as Durham, and Avon and Somerset are taking a more pragmatic approach and diverting people away from the criminal justice system for possession offences."

Recently Mike Barton, Durham Police Chief Constable, called for cannabis to be legalised.

He said his police force would not apply for search warrants for people with one or two cannabis plants, and not prosecute those caught with cannabis for personal use.

"The status quo is not tenable. It’s getting worse," Chief Constable Barton explained.

"Drugs are getting cheaper, stronger, more readily available and more dangerous. I have come reluctantly over the years to the conclusion that we need to regulate the market.

"If you can regulate the market you can make sure it’s old-fashioned cannabis not skunk or spice."

At the moment the Association of Chief Police Officers only recommends arresting someone for having cannabis for personal use after they have been given a warning and, separately, an £80 penalty notice.

In 2017 Bedfordshire Police prosecuted almost four times as many people as Durham Police for cannabis possession, despite both forces covering similar sized populations.

The legalisation argument hit headlines after border officials confiscated cannabis oil from a severely epileptic boy in Heathrow.

The Home Office eventually granted a 20-day licence for the medicine, which his mother says greatly reduces his seizures.

Ms Eastwood commented that legalisation in other countries had reduced drug deaths.

She added: "The UK Government should follow suit and implement a model of decriminalisation for drug possession, this would reduce the harms faced by people who use drugs, save the state money and ensure consistency in the way this issue is policed."