Police hand out fines at Green Pride

But the United Patients Alliance - which campaigns for the legal use of cannabis for chronic illnesses - said it was fundraising to pay the fines.

Sussex Police said it had a ‘noticeable presence’ at the Green Pride event which concluded with ‘minimal disruption’.

It had warned attendees on social media that the supply and use of cannabis is illegal and officers would ‘deal with’ offenders ‘appropriately and proportionally’.

One woman was arrested on suspicion of possession of illegal drugs with intent to supply, however she was later de-arrested due to a lack of evidence. No other arrests were made.

A total of 13 fixed penalty notices were issued for cannabis-related offences, a further seven searches were conducted which resulted in no further action, and a 15-year-old boy was escorted home by officers and referred to a youth offending scheme.

Chief Inspector Katy Woolford of the Brighton Neighbourhood Response Team, said: “Through effective use of social media, we were able to actively engage with a number of groups, clubs and individuals associated with Green Pride, many of whom had travelled from across the UK.

“This enabled us to set the tone early and give people the opportunity to make the right decision based on the information provided. We made it clear that we would facilitate lawful protest, however we were also there to safeguard the public and to enforce the law, and most people responded positively to our engagement.

“There was a calm community feel throughout the day, and the vast majority of those in attendance were well mannered and good spirited. The peaceful crowd was reflected by the low level of law enforcement.”

A statement by the United Patients Alliance on Facebook said: “On Saturday 1st July hundreds of activists, consumers, and a few curious others descended on Preston Park in Brighton to celebrate our love of cannabis and indulge in some civil disobedience.

“Unfortunately this year the local constabulary decided to make an arbitrary display of their powers early in the day fining, that we know of, four members of our community.

“The UPA feel that since these arrests were random and could have been any one of us, we can show solidarity as a community by all chipping in a small amount to make these fines go away for the unlucky few who were singled out for victimisation.”

The event was described by organisers as ‘a day to celebrate cannabis, pride and unity in one of Brighton’s prestigious parks’.

Chief Insp Woolford added: “We will continue to police Green Pride in a similar way should the event take place again in the future.”