0:00:02 > 0:00:03Cannabis, weed, skunk.
0:00:03 > 0:00:04Call it what you will.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06For many people,
0:00:06 > 0:00:08it's a common sight at music festivals, house parties,
0:00:08 > 0:00:11and frankly, your local town centre.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14It's the most commonly used illegal drug in Britain,
0:00:14 > 0:00:16and last year in England and Wales alone,
0:00:16 > 0:00:19over 2 million people admitted taking it,
0:00:19 > 0:00:22even though being caught could land you in prison.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25But all over the world, attitudes to cannabis are changing.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29These countries have decriminalised the drug, meaning if you're caught
0:00:29 > 0:00:32with a small amount of weed, you're not going to jail.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Some have gone further and legalised it,
0:00:35 > 0:00:37and if you want to see things changing at pace,
0:00:37 > 0:00:39look at North America.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41In the US, 21 states have decriminalised
0:00:41 > 0:00:44small amounts of cannabis for personal consumption,
0:00:44 > 0:00:49and eight have gone further, legalising recreational use.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52But the place that many are watching is Canada,
0:00:52 > 0:00:55with the country set to legalise the drug next year.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58So with all this happening around the world,
0:00:58 > 0:00:59some in the UK are asking...
0:01:06 > 0:01:07I'm in Brighton to meet Rob.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Hiya. How're you doing?
0:01:09 > 0:01:11He's the chair of the Brighton Cannabis Club
0:01:11 > 0:01:14and thinks the answer to that question is yes.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16So, basically, we're visiting a venue that offer
0:01:16 > 0:01:19a fully medicated meal to Brighton Cannabis Club members.
0:01:19 > 0:01:20And you say "fully medicated" -
0:01:20 > 0:01:22that means there's loads of weed in the meal.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24Yes, it's cannabis infused,
0:01:24 > 0:01:26so it will get you high if you consume it.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29- So this meal is all about taking lots of cannabis, basically.- Yeah.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32Lots of people today, it's a rainy, drizzly day on the seaside,
0:01:32 > 0:01:34lots of people would just go to the pub at lunchtime.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Why not just have a pint like everyone else?
0:01:36 > 0:01:37Why does it have to be cannabis?
0:01:37 > 0:01:40For us, we consider cannabis to be the less harmful alternative to
0:01:40 > 0:01:44basically smoking tobacco or drinking alcohol,
0:01:44 > 0:01:45and that isn't for everyone.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47So where exactly are we going?
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Because we are wandering the streets a bit at the minute.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52I can't tell you the exact location. What it is, it's a restaurant
0:01:52 > 0:01:54in Brighton that will allow you, 24 hours in advance, to book in
0:01:54 > 0:01:57a fully medicated menu if you are a Brighton Cannabis Club member.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Right. That makes it sound quite dodgy.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Unfortunately, that's due to the legality
0:02:02 > 0:02:06and that's why it is only available for Brighton Cannabis Club members.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10So, in the kitchen here, a couple of chefs have been hard at work
0:02:10 > 0:02:11all morning knocking up some food.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13Just taking a look over there now,
0:02:13 > 0:02:15it looks pretty impressive, to be honest.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18And...I'll be honest, it's not the kind of food you'd expect in
0:02:18 > 0:02:20a sort of cafe in Amsterdam or somewhere like that.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24It's not brownies and space cake or anything like this -
0:02:24 > 0:02:25it's pretty high-end food.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28And I've actually been chatting to the chef who's behind it,
0:02:28 > 0:02:30and he's worked in some really top restaurants.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32And before you get the wrong end of the stick, this is not
0:02:32 > 0:02:34what they're going to put in all the food.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37This green stuff here is actually genuinely a dressing for it.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40The food is going to be infused with an oil that goes through it,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43and that's where the cannabis will be.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45So, Rob, what's for starters today?
0:02:45 > 0:02:48It'll be corn-fed chicken goujons with black garlic aioli,
0:02:48 > 0:02:52and for the main course, we'll be having grilled sea beam fillet
0:02:52 > 0:02:54with purple Afghan and pea arancini.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56I mean, where in there is the cannabis?
0:02:56 > 0:02:58Where are we finding cannabis in that?
0:02:58 > 0:03:01So, you'll find it in the pea arancini.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04The purple Afghan will be the strain with the pea arancini.
0:03:14 > 0:03:15It's strange, isn't it?
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Cos we're sat here, and it's quite a civilised event.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20You're all sat around, you've a glass of red wine in front of you,
0:03:20 > 0:03:22it's quite a relaxed atmosphere.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25But the Government would say, what you're doing is illegal,
0:03:25 > 0:03:28and it's illegal because of the harm it can do to you
0:03:28 > 0:03:30and your friends and also wider society.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Why do you think you should be doing this?
0:03:32 > 0:03:34We believe that the information is outdated.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Their reports and, basically, research is all very outdated.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40If you take a look at Spain, Portugal, Canada, America, they're
0:03:40 > 0:03:43all coming through with progressive, forward-thinking policies
0:03:43 > 0:03:46that are basically spreading more of a positive impact
0:03:46 > 0:03:49and utilising the cannabis culture for the positive it can do -
0:03:49 > 0:03:53for the local community, for the industry, for medical patients,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55for recreational users that just want to have a social experience
0:03:55 > 0:03:57but not be criminalised for it.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00It's pretty obvious you represent Brighton Cannabis Club -
0:04:00 > 0:04:02- it's blazed all over your T-shirt. - Yeah.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06- How popular is the club?- So far, we have over 400 club members.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09We've been around for about three, four years now.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13We have over 40,000 Instagram followers and 6,000 Facebook likes,
0:04:13 > 0:04:14and we basically keep growing.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17We've had, one of our outdoor events, Green Pride,
0:04:17 > 0:04:18which is growing year-on-year.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20So, our first year, we only had 100 people turn up to it.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Our second year, 1,000, our third year 1,500
0:04:23 > 0:04:25and about eight different stalls.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27And this year, we hit over 3,000 people attending
0:04:27 > 0:04:30and about 25 different stalls setting up for the day
0:04:30 > 0:04:33with, basically, limited police interruption.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37That might be Rob's experience in Brighton,
0:04:37 > 0:04:39but I want to get a sense of the national picture from Greg,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42chair of the UK Cannabis Social Clubs.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Generally we've got a movement that's built up now.
0:04:45 > 0:04:46Six years ago, when we started in 2011,
0:04:46 > 0:04:48we didn't have any clubs in the country.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51People were just growing their own and consuming their own,
0:04:51 > 0:04:53and if they got busted, they got busted.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56But what we've done now is we've put out a model and there are
0:04:56 > 0:04:59over 100 clubs six years later working towards that model
0:04:59 > 0:05:02to try and say, "This is how we can integrate into the rest of society."
0:05:02 > 0:05:06You know, we are a self-regulated model that has, you know,
0:05:06 > 0:05:08shown over the years to be successful -
0:05:08 > 0:05:09quite the proof that we've seen.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12The meal that you've all been eating today looks pretty fancy,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15but is it really not the case that it's just five or six guys
0:05:15 > 0:05:17sitting around a table getting stoned?
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Well, I wouldn't say we're just sitting
0:05:19 > 0:05:20around the table getting stoned.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Cannabis is just the thing that's brought us together.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25We are just socialising, just in the same way as people
0:05:25 > 0:05:29go to, you know, at lunchtime and say, "Let's go and have a beer."
0:05:29 > 0:05:30Is the idea of this sort of thing,
0:05:30 > 0:05:32with all this fancy food knocking around,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35and in this kind of environment, to try and take people away from
0:05:35 > 0:05:37the idea of what a cannabis club would be?
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Cos I think a lot of people would think it's a smoky club in Amsterdam
0:05:40 > 0:05:41or something like that.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44We're definitely trying to normalise cannabis use,
0:05:44 > 0:05:46and to be open about it is really important.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50It does normalise it and it does gradually change minds in society.
0:05:50 > 0:05:51We're not asking people to suddenly go,
0:05:51 > 0:05:53"Oh, right, yeah, we accept it now."
0:05:53 > 0:05:56We're saying, like, "Listen to what we've got to say.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59"We're not the demon people that you might have once thought we were."
0:06:08 > 0:06:10The thing about spending time with Rob, Greg,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13and the guys down at the meal was what they were doing in that
0:06:13 > 0:06:17environment feels quite normal in that setting, but what you've
0:06:17 > 0:06:19got to remember is that what they were doing was actually illegal,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22and, frankly, they could have all been arrested for doing just that.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24But that's the question, isn't it?
0:06:24 > 0:06:29We're asking, should weed, cannabis, call it what you want, be illegal?
0:06:29 > 0:06:32The chances of the guys down there getting arrested today were
0:06:32 > 0:06:34probably quite slim, but had they done that in a country with
0:06:34 > 0:06:37much stricter drug laws, they probably would be.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Somewhere like Sweden,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44which, despite having a reputation for being a liberal country,
0:06:44 > 0:06:49has some of the strictest drug laws in Europe, arguably the world.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Annika Strandhall is the minister in charge of drug policy.
0:06:51 > 0:06:56Because, you know, in Sweden we have very broad political support
0:06:56 > 0:06:58in both the government and the parliament for our...
0:06:58 > 0:07:01- SHE SAYS A SWEDISH WORD - ..as we call it in Sweden,
0:07:01 > 0:07:03a drug-free society.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06At the heart of Swedish drug policy is this idea that cannabis is
0:07:06 > 0:07:07a gateway drug.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Can you explain why you hold that policy so close?
0:07:10 > 0:07:14We see, especially among young people and also a lot of studies
0:07:14 > 0:07:20show, that an extensive use of cannabis or regular use of cannabis
0:07:20 > 0:07:25at an early age also affects especially young people's brains,
0:07:25 > 0:07:29so that's why it's an important part in our drug policy
0:07:29 > 0:07:34and the way that we work to prevent the start, or the gateway,
0:07:34 > 0:07:39that cannabis is for many young people into heavier drugs.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Talking to people here in Sweden, there does seem to be a bit of
0:07:42 > 0:07:45a generational divide, in that a lot of the older Swedes that we speak to
0:07:45 > 0:07:48seem to back the government and the government policy,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51but a lot of the younger Swedes have a much more liberal attitude
0:07:51 > 0:07:52when it comes to drugs.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Do you see drug policy changing over here?
0:07:55 > 0:08:00In Sweden we had quite liberal use of drugs and policies
0:08:00 > 0:08:02in the '60s and '70s,
0:08:02 > 0:08:06and we saw an increase of drug use in society as a whole,
0:08:06 > 0:08:10and, of course, the elderly Swedes know that we had this
0:08:10 > 0:08:14development in Sweden, and also what it led to.
0:08:14 > 0:08:20We also have quite low levels of young people that use drugs
0:08:20 > 0:08:23regularly or even occasionally.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26So, in that way, our policies are successful,
0:08:26 > 0:08:30but we also have challenges, especially when it comes to...
0:08:30 > 0:08:34to the mortality rate if you are a more heavy drug user,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37and this is something that we are working on.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Whilst many Swedes I've spoken to agree with the government's
0:08:40 > 0:08:43strict drug policy, there are plenty that don't.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Alexander Bard is a bit of a celebrity here,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49a former musician and now a judge on Sweden's Got Talent.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52He's also passionate about changing the law on drugs.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Essentially why Sweden was the Saudi Arabia of drugs,
0:08:55 > 0:08:57which it has been until recently in Europe,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00was because in Sweden we had this idea that we'd have a government,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03it could be socialist or conservative, it didn't matter,
0:09:03 > 0:09:04but the government would actually sponsor
0:09:04 > 0:09:06an aggressive anti-drugs policy,
0:09:06 > 0:09:10and suddenly Sweden is at least the country in Europe where drug policy
0:09:10 > 0:09:13and culture surrounding drugs is changing the fastest at the moment.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Because we've come here because people say,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18"Oh, it's the strictest country in Europe."
0:09:18 > 0:09:21But your argument is it might be strict from the politicians
0:09:21 > 0:09:24- and the people putting the laws in place...- Yeah.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26..but lots of young people are moving away from that
0:09:26 > 0:09:28and their attitudes are changing.
0:09:28 > 0:09:29- Oh, totally, totally.- Yeah?
0:09:29 > 0:09:33I mean, policy in Sweden, and the aggressive anti-drugs stance there
0:09:33 > 0:09:36is kind of an anomaly in Swedish culture.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Sweden is incredibly liberal about sex, for example.
0:09:39 > 0:09:40So these, sort of...
0:09:40 > 0:09:43This aggressive conservative stance concerning drugs is, kind of,
0:09:43 > 0:09:45an anomaly in Swedish policy.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49Swedish drug policy has always been about this idea of the gateway drug,
0:09:49 > 0:09:51and cannabis was seen as this gateway drug.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53- Yeah.- It was the, kind of...
0:09:53 > 0:09:56- All your drug policy is based around this philosophy...- Yeah.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00..and lots of people still believe that to be the case.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03We've spoken to the head of police who's tackling narcotics.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06We've spoken to the MPs. All these people say that's still the case.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08- Yeah.- Why do you think that's different, then?
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Well, it turned out it was a lie. That's frankly not true.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14It's not empirically true. That's not how it works.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16And, ironically, some people start with LSD
0:10:16 > 0:10:17and then they smoke cannabis.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21If I come back in five years' time, will it be completely different?
0:10:21 > 0:10:23Will it be a legalised, liberal system?
0:10:23 > 0:10:26We have to start differentiating between the drugs that are
0:10:26 > 0:10:28recreational in use and are not addictive -
0:10:28 > 0:10:31they're one category - but then we have the other category which is
0:10:31 > 0:10:33incredibly addictive drugs that are destructive for you
0:10:33 > 0:10:35and make you dysfunctional as a human being,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38and I don't see that we're going to legalise those drugs in a long time.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Rather we're going to have a much more advanced
0:10:40 > 0:10:43and civilised debate on how we deal with addiction per se,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46and I think Sweden could definitely go at the forefront
0:10:46 > 0:10:47of that movement.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Later that evening, I found two friends in a bar who have
0:10:52 > 0:10:55very different views on cannabis, so I jumped in for a chat.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57It's like with alcohol.
0:10:57 > 0:11:02I think that it should be as prohibited as with alcohol.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04I don't... I don't see the difference between it.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Cos your off-licences are government-regulated, aren't they?
0:11:07 > 0:11:09- Yes.- And that's how you'd like to treat weed?
0:11:09 > 0:11:11Yeah. Yeah, I think so.
0:11:11 > 0:11:12You can, you can, you can have a...
0:11:12 > 0:11:15You can have a beer or a glass of wine or anything,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18pairing with food and wine or beer,
0:11:18 > 0:11:23but when it comes to drugs it's...it's just drugs.
0:11:23 > 0:11:24And you think they should just be banned
0:11:24 > 0:11:28- and that's the easiest way to do that?- Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31- But you don't...- But is that really, like, the solution to that?
0:11:31 > 0:11:33It's a generation question, actually.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37I think a lot of, like, the younger ones, they smoke more, like...
0:11:37 > 0:11:39- Have you ever smoked a joint? - Yes, I have.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41- But you wouldn't do it in front of her?- Yeah. Yeah.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43- You'd jeopardise your friendship. - No, no, no.
0:11:43 > 0:11:44I know she loves me anyway.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50The Swedish approach, on paper, isn't a million miles from the laws
0:11:50 > 0:11:52we have in the UK,
0:11:52 > 0:11:56but my next stop is somewhere with a completely different approach.
0:11:56 > 0:12:0116 years ago, Portugal took the bold step of decriminalising all drugs,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03and while that doesn't mean they've been legalised,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06it does mean if you're stopped with a small amount of anything
0:12:06 > 0:12:09from cannabis to heroin, you'll be treated as if you've got
0:12:09 > 0:12:11a medical problem, rather than a criminal one.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Dr Joao Goulao is the man who designed the system.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19We started from a catastrophic position,
0:12:19 > 0:12:23but we had one of the highest rates of problematic drug use
0:12:23 > 0:12:27in Europe by the late '90s.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31It was almost impossible to find a Portuguese family that had
0:12:31 > 0:12:34no problems in relation with drugs.
0:12:34 > 0:12:40We decided to try a new approach, and we are happy -
0:12:40 > 0:12:4515, 16 years later we can look back and say that
0:12:45 > 0:12:47we have a lot of improvement
0:12:47 > 0:12:52in the consequences of drug use in Portugal.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55If you look at the statistics, the UK has some of the highest rates
0:12:55 > 0:12:58of people admitting that they've used drugs in their lifetime,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01much higher than here in Portugal.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04Do you think we've got a lesson to learn from how you're doing it here?
0:13:04 > 0:13:07We are not trying to sell a model.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10We are sharing our experience,
0:13:10 > 0:13:14which was, in my view, and it's assumed,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17it was...it was successful,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20and can be an example for others.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26One of the ideas the Portuguese government are really keen on
0:13:26 > 0:13:28is this idea that drug users are treated medically
0:13:28 > 0:13:30and not criminally.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32That means teaching people how, in their words,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34to use drugs more safely,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36and this place claims to do just that.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39- Ricardo, nice to meet you.- Hi.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41So we have a lot of paraphernalia here -
0:13:41 > 0:13:43some of the materials we give.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46- And you've got users here that work with you as well, don't you?- Yeah.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48So it's a system that's a bit different to normal.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52You're not, sort of, medics on one side and users on the other.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54- You've got users amongst you guys, working here?- Yes.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57I think you should talk to Magda. You should meet her.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00She's an interesting person. She came here as a client.
0:14:00 > 0:14:01She knows many services as a client,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04and now she's been working for some years also
0:14:04 > 0:14:06- in this project.- Excellent.- OK?
0:14:06 > 0:14:07- Hi.- Hello.- Is it Magda?- Yes. - Nice to meet you.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Do you want to pop round and we'll sit and have a chat
0:14:10 > 0:14:13over on the sofa, where it's a bit more comfortable?
0:14:13 > 0:14:16So, have you got any personal experience of drug use yourself?
0:14:16 > 0:14:20Yes. I've been using drugs since I was 12.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22I started doing hashish,
0:14:22 > 0:14:27and, about when I was 16, I tried heroin, smoked,
0:14:27 > 0:14:29but I wasn't aware.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33There was no information at that time about drugs,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36and I had the idea that only injecting
0:14:36 > 0:14:39would get me hooked on heroin.
0:14:39 > 0:14:40From the sound of what you're saying,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42you've lived through both drug systems.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45You've lived through the, kind of, criminalised previous system
0:14:45 > 0:14:48and this more decriminalised medical system now.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51How is it different and which do you prefer?
0:14:51 > 0:14:56The difference is that before the decriminalisation
0:14:56 > 0:14:59we were seen as dangerous people,
0:14:59 > 0:15:01and after the decriminalisation,
0:15:01 > 0:15:06there were much more places where people could get treatment.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Well, chatting to people in Lisbon, it's clear that most people
0:15:11 > 0:15:15seem to think that the government here's got it just about right
0:15:15 > 0:15:19when it comes to the more liberal, kind of, medical approach to drugs,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22but, as with these things, not everyone agrees.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25We're heading just outside of the city now to meet a guy who
0:15:25 > 0:15:28runs his own drug clinic, and the interesting thing about him is,
0:15:28 > 0:15:30from what we've heard,
0:15:30 > 0:15:32he thinks it's all gone that little bit too far.
0:15:35 > 0:15:36- Hi, Carlos. Nice to meet you. - Hello. Hi.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38- How are you doing?- How are you? - Yeah, good.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42Carlos Fugas has been working to help users for over 30 years,
0:15:42 > 0:15:46and now runs this residential rehab centre for recovering addicts.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48What is it about the Portuguese system that you think has
0:15:48 > 0:15:51just overstepped the mark?
0:15:51 > 0:15:55We need more restrictive measures,
0:15:55 > 0:16:01because it's too easy for our youngsters to get drugs.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05As we've walked around, we've seen, clearly,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08people dealing in the streets in certain areas,
0:16:08 > 0:16:12and that's because, in your mind, they're allowed to carry
0:16:12 > 0:16:14quite a lot of drugs on them, so it's quite an easy cover.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16You can just walk around and say, "Oh, this is for me."
0:16:16 > 0:16:21That's the main problem we have, and, erm...
0:16:21 > 0:16:26But I must clarify that I'm in favour of decriminalisation.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28I'm not against the system.
0:16:28 > 0:16:34I think the real problem is the business that is behind
0:16:34 > 0:16:35all this movement.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39Clients, they just want to have a good time when they start
0:16:39 > 0:16:44consuming drugs, but afterwards that good time becomes a nightmare,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47and when it becomes a nightmare,
0:16:47 > 0:16:52where goes the rose picture of liberalisation
0:16:52 > 0:16:55that one can do what ever he wants?
0:16:55 > 0:16:59People are slaves from the substances.
0:16:59 > 0:17:0223-year-old Andreas showed me round the centre.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04He's been living here for six months.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06I'm keen to find out more about his drug problems.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10At first I have problems with hashish, cannabis.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12They were the first.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15Then I started to go to the parties, trance parties,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18and I started to take amphetamines.
0:17:18 > 0:17:23And later, when I was 16, 17, I started to take cocaine.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27And that was very bad for me. I destroyed my life with that.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Quite a common path that people mention, isn't it?
0:17:30 > 0:17:32People, it's controversial, people don't agree,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35but this idea of a gateway, so you start smoking cannabis,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38then you go on to other drugs.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40Do you see a link between your cannabis use
0:17:40 > 0:17:42and your later use in other drugs?
0:17:43 > 0:17:47Yes, because we get used to the drugs
0:17:47 > 0:17:52and then they seem to stop working, and we need something harder.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56How have drugs, and specifically cannabis
0:17:56 > 0:17:58and all the psychedelic drugs that you take,
0:17:58 > 0:18:00affected your mental health?
0:18:00 > 0:18:03- Have you suffered with mental health issues because of drugs?- Yes.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Cannabis has THC and psychotropics
0:18:07 > 0:18:11that really busts your head.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14I started to have psychotic thoughts,
0:18:14 > 0:18:16and I end in the hospital,
0:18:16 > 0:18:20it's cos I hear voices in my head and that was very bad.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24When I walk in the street, I have always the feeling that
0:18:24 > 0:18:28someone is stalking me and I need to hide and run.
0:18:28 > 0:18:33And then here I start to take the right pills, the right
0:18:33 > 0:18:38medication to heal myself, and it's working and I am grateful to that.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44Day two in Portugal and I've been invited out with a street team.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48As all drugs are decriminalised,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50they deal with some users who have serious addictions.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53HE SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE
0:18:55 > 0:18:58This man was the only person we met who agreed to be on camera,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01but most of the users we spoke to said cannabis was the first
0:19:01 > 0:19:03drug they tried.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Standing in a wasteland on the outskirts of Lisbon,
0:19:06 > 0:19:10surrounded by needles and crack pipes, it's a sobering reminder
0:19:10 > 0:19:12that Portugal's drug problem is far from fixed.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16It's our third day here in Lisbon
0:19:16 > 0:19:18and one of the things that's really struck me since I've been
0:19:18 > 0:19:22here is the levels of open drug use here in the city centre.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Also, the other thing that's perhaps even more shocking is
0:19:25 > 0:19:27the levels of open drug dealing that's happening.
0:19:27 > 0:19:28I mean, this street for example,
0:19:28 > 0:19:30we were here yesterday with a drugs team.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34They said to us, "Look, put your cameras away, stop filming, because
0:19:34 > 0:19:37"lots of the people we work with here will be put off
0:19:37 > 0:19:41"and be worried about their dealers seeing you in action,"
0:19:41 > 0:19:44so we've come back today with a bit more discreet kit.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Just to give you a sense of where we are in the city
0:19:46 > 0:19:49and how this isn't a run-down bit of town,
0:19:49 > 0:19:51this is actually one of the main tourist areas,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54and just over there, well, that's one of the biggest
0:19:54 > 0:19:57squares that everyone comes to when they visit Lisbon.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03The final stop for me in Portugal is the dissuasion court.
0:20:03 > 0:20:04I think it must be this one,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07so, this is definitely the address we've been given.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Well, they've let us in, so that's a good sign.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Certainly not what you'd expect of a court back in Britain,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16but maybe we've got the wrong end of the stick,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18maybe this isn't a traditional court.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25Must have a... It's getting weirder.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29It's definitely not the entrance to a court you would be
0:20:29 > 0:20:30accustomed to back home.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Users who are caught with small amounts of drugs are referred
0:20:36 > 0:20:39here and dealt with as medical patients and not criminals.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43HE RINGS DOORBELL
0:20:43 > 0:20:46- Hi.- Jim.- Nice to meet you. Show us around.- Yeah.
0:20:46 > 0:20:47This is the waiting room.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50These are the rooms where we have the preliminary
0:20:50 > 0:20:54interview before the hearing stage.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56And this is the room where we are having a hearing now.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58We'll be able to join them.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Ricardo has been given an appointment after being
0:21:02 > 0:21:04caught with cannabis at a music festival.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08He's agreed to let us film his hearing if we don't show his face.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10I heard the word hashish mentioned there.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12He was caught with some cannabis then?
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Yeah, he was caught with a small amount of hashish,
0:21:15 > 0:21:17a cannabis derivative.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21Because it's a non-addict, a recreational user,
0:21:21 > 0:21:25first-time offence, we suspend the procedure for three months.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30And if he's not caught a second time in that period of treatment,
0:21:30 > 0:21:32we will close the procedure.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41After the hearing I'm keen to have a chat with Ricardo to see what
0:21:41 > 0:21:43he thinks of the dissuasion court.
0:21:43 > 0:21:44We won't film your face.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48Do you think this process so, chatting to a psychologist,
0:21:48 > 0:21:52a doctor, coming in here, has made you think about your drug use?
0:21:52 > 0:21:54Exactly.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56I am not addicted, so I will stop.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58From now it will make me stop.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00I don't need it.
0:22:00 > 0:22:05And the systems in Portugal, I think this is the best, because it's
0:22:05 > 0:22:10not for one mistake that a person has to be for a life sentence.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Well, that was fascinating, and quite an experience.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Everything about this is weird, isn't it?
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Look, the building,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24not a court in the sense that you'd know back home.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28The whole experience was very relaxed, it was very informal,
0:22:28 > 0:22:30and we saw a guy going through that case
0:22:30 > 0:22:32and at the end of it saying,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35"Look, I'm not going to smoke weed again," so surely for the people,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38the authorities here, that's a success of their system.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Back in the UK, and is it time for a change here?
0:22:43 > 0:22:44HE KNOCKS AT DOOR
0:22:44 > 0:22:45At the last election,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48only one major party said it wanted to do things differently.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50The Lib Dems want to legalise cannabis.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52- Hi, there.- Hi.- Nice to meet you.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54I went to see their new leader, Vince Cable.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59The evidence is clear that if you want to stop abuse
0:22:59 > 0:23:03and damage to young people, you've got to bring the trade
0:23:03 > 0:23:06into the open and out of the hands of the criminal underworld.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09The Government says it bases its policy on research and evidence,
0:23:09 > 0:23:13and it says it's protecting people from the harm that drugs causes.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17Well, I certainly don't want to promote drug use,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20and, you know, there are some forms of drugs
0:23:20 > 0:23:22that are legal like cigarettes and alcohol,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25and they do cause harm, but they're still legal, and you try to
0:23:25 > 0:23:30minimise the use and you use taxation and regulation to try and limit it.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35Others are illegal, cannabis being a good example, but there
0:23:35 > 0:23:38are serious negative side-effects from driving it underground.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42And common sense suggests to me that you should try to regulate
0:23:42 > 0:23:45and control this market rather than just have a free-market
0:23:45 > 0:23:48anarchy in the underground which is what happens at the moment.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51When cannabis plants are being bred and grown,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54they have a substance called cannabigerol that goes on to form
0:23:54 > 0:23:56three other substances when the plant grows.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Two are really important
0:23:58 > 0:24:01when it comes to how the user is affected by the drug.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05THC, that's what gets people high, but at increased levels it's
0:24:05 > 0:24:08also the thing blamed for mental health issues.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10The other substance is CBD.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12It acts as an anti-psychotic
0:24:12 > 0:24:16and counteracts some of the negative effects of THC.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18Depending on the genetics of the plant, you can
0:24:18 > 0:24:22either have a high THC, low CBD strain, or CBD can be
0:24:22 > 0:24:25the main compound, or you can have something a bit more balanced.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29There are three main types of cannabis product,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32and the amount of THC in each of them varies massively.
0:24:32 > 0:24:37Hash, where CBD is generally higher and THC tends to be low.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Herbal cannabis, where THC levels are low
0:24:40 > 0:24:43and CBD is usually low or not there at all.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46And then there's high potency cannabis, often called skunk,
0:24:46 > 0:24:50which has high levels of THC and almost no CBD.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53It's also the most common type of cannabis being sold,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56making up around 80% to 90% of the market in the UK.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01And some argue it's this lack of CBD and high THC in skunk that
0:25:01 > 0:25:04leads to mental health problems, especially in those with underlying problems.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08We wanted to put what we'd found in Sweden and Portugal
0:25:08 > 0:25:11to the Government here, but it wouldn't speak to us.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15In an e-mail it says it has no plans to legalise cannabis,
0:25:15 > 0:25:18saying there's clear scientific and medical evidence that it's a
0:25:18 > 0:25:22harmful drug which can damage people's mental and physical health.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Well, the Government wouldn't speak to us in person there,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27but we are going to meet someone who will, who's very passionate
0:25:27 > 0:25:30about this subject, he's a hereditary peer called Lord Monson.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33He's got a very personal reason for being interested in this subject.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38Yep, that looks like a suitably grand house for a Lord,
0:25:38 > 0:25:40so, right, I'll just move in here.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Jim, really nice to meet you.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46He's invited me along to talk about his 21-year-old son,
0:25:46 > 0:25:48who had a problem with cannabis.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51We noticed that there was something that was becoming strange
0:25:51 > 0:25:52with Rupert about a year ago.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59Anyway, he was diagnosed with drug induced psychosis,
0:25:59 > 0:26:01and he was duly sectioned.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08One day in January he said to his mother that he was,
0:26:08 > 0:26:12the voices were getting so strong in his head and he was very scared.
0:26:12 > 0:26:18Anyway, two days later he went out in the evening, and then, uh...
0:26:19 > 0:26:20..he killed himself.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26Afterwards, I spoke to the doctors.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Somebody just said in an offhand way, "This is yet another,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32"kind of, casualty of skunk."
0:26:32 > 0:26:38And I said, "Well, listen, that, sort of, skunk, cannabis must have changed."
0:26:38 > 0:26:40He said, "Well, this is not really cannabis
0:26:40 > 0:26:44"that you might have known, with the greatest of respect, sir, 40
0:26:44 > 0:26:48"years ago when you might have been experimenting with the old toke."
0:26:48 > 0:26:53He said this was completely different stuff, so I looked it up on the internet.
0:26:53 > 0:26:59And I was actually shocked to discover how strong this variant of cannabis is.
0:27:00 > 0:27:06And, as such, it's my belief that the way to tackle skunk is to
0:27:06 > 0:27:12legalise the old-fashioned cannabis so it has the right balance
0:27:12 > 0:27:18of THC with CBD, and it has only
0:27:18 > 0:27:22a sort of certain level of potency.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25Lots of people listening to this will find it strange that
0:27:25 > 0:27:29a drug that you say killed your son, you are now campaigning to legalise.
0:27:29 > 0:27:34I think that skunk is, it's been labelled as cannabis,
0:27:34 > 0:27:38but it's not really, it's a Frankenstein variant.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42Some people will argue that, frankly,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45your son may have had underlying mental health issues,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49and that's what led to him killing himself and it wasn't the drug.
0:27:49 > 0:27:54Well, indeed, yes, that has been, um, put to me.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Well, I have received a whole lot of letters,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59people who read about Rupert's death.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02- Can I read you out one of them? - Yeah, sure.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06It said, "I was so sad to read about the loss of your son, Rupert.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10"It had so many parallels with the death of my son.
0:28:10 > 0:28:11"He also had a history of mental illness,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14"in the most part caused by smoking cannabis and skunk."
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Lord Monson has received a number of letters,
0:28:17 > 0:28:20all containing stories very similar to Rupert's.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23Whilst we're going through them, his friend Louisa arrives.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Hello, Louisa! How lovely to see you!
0:28:26 > 0:28:29She's a drug worker in London and they've been working
0:28:29 > 0:28:32together on an approach to high potency cannabis.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34You work with people that use all different types of drugs,
0:28:34 > 0:28:36so heroin addicts, crack addicts.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39How does that compare with someone that's got a skunk problem?
0:28:39 > 0:28:42This won't be the popular answer, but I would say, give me
0:28:42 > 0:28:45a roomful of heroin addicts than skunk addicts.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50If I take my therapist hat off and I think of my own sons,
0:28:50 > 0:28:53I remember saying to my oldest son, "I'll prefer you to take
0:28:53 > 0:28:59"heroin than to smoke skunk," and he looked at me like, "Mum! You can't say that!"
0:28:59 > 0:29:01He doesn't work with the impact.
0:29:01 > 0:29:06Heroin and crack, it does what it says on the tin.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09It's physical, it's emotional, it's spiritual,
0:29:09 > 0:29:12whereas skunk is the psychotic aspect.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15Somebody has to wake up and say the unsayable, which is
0:29:15 > 0:29:19that there is going to be generations of kids with
0:29:19 > 0:29:22severe mental health issues or, with Nicholas's case,
0:29:22 > 0:29:26kids dying, and it won't be from your normal OD from a heroin
0:29:26 > 0:29:30overdose, it will be from suicide because they can't deal with
0:29:30 > 0:29:34the voices, and it's the voices which I work with.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37I just want to get one final thought from you.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39You say you've had this correspondence with the
0:29:39 > 0:29:43Prime Minister, you've had letters going backwards and forwards.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46Recently in the latest Government drug strategy,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49the idea of decriminalisation was mentioned, but very briefly,
0:29:49 > 0:29:53and in short it was dismissed as not having enough evidence.
0:29:53 > 0:29:59I think that the Liberal Democrats have embraced my argument
0:29:59 > 0:30:03and I know that there are many people in the Conservative Party,
0:30:03 > 0:30:08whom beforehand you would never have expected to embrace
0:30:08 > 0:30:13a counterintuitive initiative such as one I'm suggesting,
0:30:13 > 0:30:18and I think there could be, in the next five years I hope, a change of
0:30:18 > 0:30:21heart in the Government, with at least a green paper I should imagine.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30Since meeting Lord Monson, I spoke to the Prime Minister.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33Unfortunately we weren't allowed to film the conversation,
0:30:33 > 0:30:36but she told us she stands by her Government's new drug
0:30:36 > 0:30:40strategy which she says is all about helping people recover.
0:30:40 > 0:30:41Walking around here,
0:30:41 > 0:30:44and it's not hard to find signs of people using cannabis.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47Everywhere you go in this area of east London,
0:30:47 > 0:30:50and to be honest, most other places in the UK, you can see it.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53And even on a weekday morning, you can smell it in the air.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56We had the same experience in Portugal,
0:30:56 > 0:31:00which on the face of it has got much more relaxed drug policies.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02But, I keep thinking back to Ricardo,
0:31:02 > 0:31:04who we saw at the dissuasion court.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07He was caught with a few joints going into a music festival
0:31:07 > 0:31:10and had to go through a half-hour appointment with a psychiatrist,
0:31:10 > 0:31:13he had to go through that kind of court case experience.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15And I keep thinking, what would have happened to him
0:31:15 > 0:31:20if that had have happened in the UK, had he been caught with the same amount of drugs at a festival here?
0:31:20 > 0:31:24Realistically, I suspect, not a lot.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27So, it does beg the question, when it comes to, say, weed,
0:31:27 > 0:31:30do we already have one of the more tolerant approaches in Europe?