An obscure legal argument has encouraged entrepreneurialism  

 Police officers capture over 100 cannabis plants on a raid
Tackling high crimePhotograph: Mirrorpix

|CHELMSFORD|2 min read

“All we care about is having the best-quality evidence,” says Detective Chief Inspector Ian Hughes, sitting in a poky office with a smile on his face. He is explaining why Essex Police has invested thousands of pounds in the past three years in cultivating cannabis. Given the success of Mr Hughes’s little operation, other forces may soon follow.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Pot of gold”

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Rachel Reeves, interviewed for the Economist, London, UK, March 17th 2026