Does a Brummy s**t in the woods?

So we left cairns later than expected in the old Ozzy favourite, a Toyota Hilux, a renowned workhorse. It was a 2 hour drive from Cairns to Daintree and we made several stops on the way to pick Ackee*, harvest sugar cane and to take a dip in the ocean at one of North Queenslands stunning tropical beaches.

*Ackee

Also known as cheese fruit. Indigenous to West Africa.

only edible when pod has opened naturally into 3 peices as pictured below.

To eat break open with hands and eat the flesh that clings to the seeds.

Has a mild cheesy flavour and soft nutty texture.*

"You might want to go barefoot"

 

I was advised as we approached the gated paddock at around 16:30. Sky parked the ute and sure enough it was sound advice. We trudged down to the river crossing where a small row boat was waiting tied to an old tractor. 

"We don't hang out in the boat too long because of the crocks."

Just what I wanted to hear after being elected to row the boat. I didn't need to be told twice. We loaded our bags to the back of the boat and I rowed us across. Admittedly landing a little further downstream than I had intended, but safely and free from Crocodile atacks. 

On the other side we tied the boat to a tree on the river bank and broke through the tree line leading to another field that was ankle deep with mud. We crossed the field before approaching another line of trees concealing a hill.

We broke the second tree line and passed under a barbed wire fence then over an electric fence designed to keep out bush pigs. Before me was a lush green hill in a clearing surrounded by dense forest. There were banana trees on the left and at the top of the hill I could just make out the roof of the house.

We ascended the hill and crossed over 1 more electric fence before being greeted by the sight of our home for the next 10 days. Home sweet home.

The house had running water filtered from rain collectors and also had electricity but no water and no toilettes, so I suppose it begs the question. 

"Does a Brummy s**t in the woods?"

On a raw vegan diet rich in coconut milk, yes, yes he does. 

The farm was obsencley picturesque and isolated, at night the sky was a panorama of stars untainted by the lights of towns or cities. One could survive there solely on the food growing in the gardens. There were coconuts, bananas, sweet potatoes, carrots, passion fruit, paw paws, chillis, sugar cane and many more tropical edibles that I struggled to pronounce let alone spell. 

We ate mostly a raw vegan diet whilst on the farm as the owner usually enforced this passionately, however as he was in Italy so we did cook the occasional hot meal which quite frankly, went down a treat.

My conclusion on a raw vegan diet is that it's not for everyone, it has to be something that you really want to do. Although I did begin to recognise the health benefits, I was also concerned that I was losing weight. A wonderful thought for some, but those that know me will know that I don't have much weight to lose. Since leaving the farm, my diet has Improved immensely, I seem to have lost my aperite for things like donuts and burgers and have been more drawn to the healthier options.

I would like to say a huge thank you to Sky, the loveley Australian herbologist expert who showed us lots of edible fruits and veg available throughout North Queensland and accommodated us at the farm. 

For the next part of my blog I tell the story of Vigga and I hitch hiking the east coast from cairns to Ayr. 

Bonvoyage

As I previously mentioned, since arriving in cairns 6 weeks ago I have been employed and unemployed multiple times. One such employment was promoting for The Woolshed, 

"best nightclub in cairns mate." 

Whilst handing out fliers and free entry wristbands for another one of The Woolshed's "unforgettable nights out" I met a somewhat bohemian, none the less loveley Danish girl named Vigga, a true character to say the least. Vigga, being a keen yoga enthusiast and devout Vegan wasn't taken in by the offer of cheap booze and a wet T-shirt competinition on a Wednesday night, but is an individual who always relishes the opportunity to converse with new people, an incredibly positive person who instantly intrigued me.

A short time later and I was in dire straights again, after far too much goon* and what one may call a little too much enthusiasm on a night out, I was relieved of my duties at The Woolshed and quickly saught various other forms of employment throughout cairns. 

*Goon 

The Australian delinquents drink of choice.

 Boxed wine sold in multiple varieties including, but not limited to: fruity lexia, dry white and red.

 Also popular amongst backpackers due to it's low cost, relatively high alcahol content and ability to lower inhibitions.

Caution! may cause Severe bafoonery, unemployment and memory loss.*

After multiple employment disasters that are hardly worth mentioning I began promoting for a well known travel agents for free accomodation. I was even given a second chance promoting for The Woolshed, provided that I, 

"Don't be a fuckin dickhead!"

So despite a few minor hick ups along the way all was ok again within my Australian bubble. I knew at least that I would have a bed to sleep in and a little cash coming my way. It just so happened that Vigga was also employed by the same for mentioned travel agent and had  also been volunteering at the cairns vegetable markets on Saturday mornings where she was invited to work on the farm in Daintree. Vigga left on Thursday morning, telling me that she would ask if there were any more spaces on the farm when she arrived. 

Fast forward to Saturday afternoon and I received confirmation that I could go to the farm and that a lift would be arriving on Monday morning. I spent most of Sunday tying up loose ends and bidding farewell to a few friends before heading back to my hostel to eventually pack. 

Fortunately due to some forward thinking I already shed a few belongings since I arrived in Australia. traveling light massively increases one's mobility. If I could offer advice to anyone thinking of traveling in the future, it would be to travel light. I prefer to be able to carry all of my belongings and still walk without too much physical strain so that when it's time to go I can go. 

Pictured above is my trusty 50ltr North face backpack, traded with a fellow traveler for my Argos Backpack and enough money for a weeks budget accomodation in Croatia whilst traveling Europe in 2011.

A good trade I would say as its been 4 years and it still does the job.

If the previous owner is reading, I promise, one day we will trade back brother, as soon as you get your old ass back on the road.

 

Vigga told me she would arrive at my Hostel at 8am on Monday morning but I knew I was dealing with hippies. I was confident they would be late, so I set my alarm for 07:55 and didn't rush in the shower. 08:25 and they still hadent arrived. I hate to reinforce stereotypes, but if the shoe fits. 

09:00 Vigga and I left my hostel to meet the others, a german girl named Hannah, an Australian girl named Sky and the owner of the farm, Sammy, the self proclaimed wildest hippie in cairns. I was inclined to believe him. He was bare foot, bearded and completely off the wall, but as they say, Chaos to the fly is normal to the spider and I don't believe anyone becomes that eccentric without years of invaluable experience to mould them.

Sadly Sammy was leaving for Italy that morning and would be returning in a few weeks, leaving the remaining four of us to maintain the farm. 

Sky drove Sammy to the airport whilst Vigga, Hannah and I collected a few last supplies from town. At around 12:00 Erin got back from the airport and we finally hit the road. If I'd known how much time I had I'd have had a lie in and maybe squeezed in one last full English breakfast before I headed into the Vegan wilderness. Such is life. 

Entry to the village

I just received a photo showing me how I will be gaining access to the vegan village. Now I'm excited.

An offer I can't refuse.

It's funny how life flys by and how much can change in just 1 year. Twelve months ago I was almost penniless, struggling to make a start in London. I stooped well below the poverty line and found myself at home amidst the vagrants and runaways of London's squats, partly due to journalistic curiosity and partly due to necessity. 

I'd never have foreseen then that 1 year on I would be in Australia's tropical north Queensland . Admittedly still almost penniless, but worlds away from hard line anarchists, abandoned police stations and surprise evictions. 

My latest adventure does however share some common ground with my experiences in London. Once again I will soon be cohabiting with individuals determined to live outside of "the system". 

"What crazy cult or commune have you gotten yourself wrapped up in now Pete?" 

I hear my mothers voice ringing in my subconscious. But it's not as bad as it may sound, it is perhaps an opportunity that was too good to pass up. So tomorrow I will be meeting a friend who will drive us North of cairns to an Organic Vegan farming village hidden amidst the famously beautiful Daintree rainforest. 

"But Pete, no more than a week ago you were binge drinking and gorging on McDonald's every night." 

I hear the hypocrisy, but I'm a man of forever broadening horizons, besides after a hectic arrival in Cairns that saw me employed and unemployed 3 or 4 times in as many weeks and a hefty fine from the local constabulary for acts better left unspoken, a detox is definitely on the cards. 

I'll be spending a little over a week in the village before returning to cairns and hitching a ride South to a more financially prosperous farming opportunity and the many natural attractions that Australia's east coast has to offer. 

More to come on the vegan village later in the week, but now I really must stop procrastinating and pack my belongings that are currently strewn across the hostel floor.

Prohibition protests and public opinion part 3. Mental health professional, the police, the clubs and the underworld.

In this final part of the article, I hear from a mental health professional who uses cannabis daily, Metropolitan Police officers, members of the UK Cannabis Social clubs and a London drug dealer who makes a living off prohibition.

Taking into account the data provided from a number of sources I've met along the way and taking into account the questions raised in parts one and two, I draw my final conclusion on cannabis prohibition here in the UK. 

My final interviewee from the protest was 33 year-old Dan from London who works in mental health services. Dan claimed to have first tried cannabis at around 16 or 17, but says he literally just tried it and then started smoking regularly at university at around 20. He now claims his use is sporadic, with month long periods of sobriety, then having short periods of daily and weekly use. 

I suppose one might argue that total abstinence from anything can become an obsession itself. I personally feel that it's irresponsible to suggest that Cannabis is not addictive. Anything can become obsessive and compulsive with regular use. The point is that many legal substances such as coffee and chocolate can be highly addictive and are consumed by millions daily, no doubt causing a variety of health issues. Which to me, makes the argument that cannabis is or is not addictive a bit of a moot point. 

Prohibition - 0.  Legalisation - 0.

When I asked Dan about his worst experience with cannabis he described a particularly stressful, yet very sunny Summer's day. Dan claims that because of an unusual amount of personal stress he probably smoked a little to much and became sick, vomiting and becoming drowsy. He added that it hasn't happened for a long time but it was a good thing because it taught him to regulate his use. 

I asked Dan what he was campaigning for to which he responded. "Talking about limits, I'd like to see some sort of regulation, so you know what type of cannabis you're buying. We need to see a harm reduction model to base a policy on drugs, allowing safer consumption of cannabis such as alternatives to smoking which would be the most harmful method of using it." 

I asked Dan, from a professional point of view, what he thought about the study carried out by Norwegian mental health experts that suggested that the correlation between cannabis use and mental illness could be due to many mental health patients having used cannabis to self medicate.

He explained that the connection has always been a bit of a chicken and egg scenario because there are so many other contributing factors to mental illness. He agreed, as most would, that cannabis use could have a detrimental effect to the developing brain, reiterating his point about the need for regulation. 

I asked Dan if he had ever been caught using cannabis to which he explained he had been caught once, about ten years ago at Notting Hill carnival. He claimed the officer could see he wasn't causing any harm and was very reasonable, not even confiscating his cannabis. 

I heard a similar account from a Devon Cannabis Social Club a member who informed the police when planning a recent cannabis social. He explained that the police were compliant only asking if there would be alcohol. He explained to the police that there may be alcohol but it was unlikely. To which the police simply explained that they would be happy to remove drunk and disorderly people if required. On the day of the event there was no such incident and the police kept a respectful distance of the festivities, doing the occasional walk through, apparently completely unaware that every single person was using cannabis. I think not, but a happy ending none the less for the organisers, supporters and indeed police from a budget perspective. 

During an interview taken with the Metropolitan Police for my next article I took the opportunity to ask police their views on prohibition. There were two officers, a PC and a VSO. I asked them how they felt about prohibition, to which the PC responded. "It should be regulated and prescribed. The VSO didn't really give an answer. I asked if pursuing cannabis charges were a strain on police resources and budget. The PC responded quickly saying "we should spend more" explaining that cannabis is not a priority on the police agenda. The VSO interjected that it's usually down to discretion, to which the PC agreed. When I pushed them for more of an opinion on recreational use they didn't give much of an answer. Perhaps confused by my question, the VSO responded with facts about the dangers of alcohol that seemed to only reinforce the anti-prohibition point of view. The PC went on to say that if they see someone in the street smoking it they have to say something, but usually only issue a street caution.

The officer claimed it's not a priority yet the statistics prove otherwise. 

Based on the 2009/10 figures, cannabis offences made up 4 percent of criminal activity in the UK costing around £200M.

A heavy price tag for such a low priority issue. 

In 2011, CLEAR, a UK political party dedicated to cannabis law reform  funded a study by the Independent Drug Monitoring Unit (IDMU). Who estimated that the UK cannabis economy is worth approximately £6.8 billion a year. Provided the estimated UK consumption was correct and completely taxable.

With a 4% budget alleviation on the police force and 6.8 billion pounds to play with, maybe the government could spare the NHS from further cuts.

We should also take into account the social implications. After all, there are claims that cannabis is a gateway drug. But couldn't that be attributed to prohibition itself? It's by association with an underground market that makes it more likely to be offered harder drugs like cocaine or MDMA.

This is not always the case, but for many who make a living out of prohibition, it's a way of life. I spoke to Henry, a 19 year-old dealer from London. Henry claims to no longer smoke cannabis, claiming his first experience with the drug being around the age of 13 or 14. He claimed to have began smoking regularly, as was the norm within his social circle. He said at first he enjoyed it but after a while it "made him feel different", he began having panic attacks, dropped out of school and began dealing. He explained that he already had mental health issues in his family and that smoking cannabis at a young age may have exaggerated an existing problem. Henry stopped smoking cannabis himself over 5 years ago but still deals it among other things. I asked Henry, given his own negative experiences with cannabis,did it raise a moral dilemma in terms of how he chooses to make a living? "Not really", he responded. "It's not for everyone, they come to me. I'm not pushing it on anyone, they all know what they're buying". An honest answer I thought and a valid point. Ones own body, ones own choice I suppose. But when are we old enough to take responsibility for our own bodies? 

If we were to follow an American model of cannabis regulation, we would see the legal age for purchase at 21 years of age. A model that most people when asked at the anti prohibition-protest, more or less agreed with. 

I asked Henry how old the youngest person he ever sold cannabis to was. A delayed response, I'd asked him to answer honestly. "I dunno, maybe 12 or 13". I winced slightly but I wasn't surprised. After all it was around the same age that Henry had used it. What can we expect when it's use is criminalised instead of regulated. Rather than condemning shouldn't we be educating? 

"They come to me, at the end of the day it's my job. I don't push it on anyone but if they ask for it, I'll sell it to them. It's up to them." 

I asked Henry if he did anything else for a living. "No" he responded quickly, "this is my income, I can't really take more than 1 day off or I lose too much income" 

I asked if it paid well, "yeah" he responded enthusiastically. "But I have a lot of responsibility for a young person." Such as? I asked. "My girl, my 3 year old daughter". This puts things into perspective. Mental health issues at school, possibly attributed to early use of cannabis, as a result,dropping out of school and becoming a dealer to support his young family. This is a criminal with few options,yet he found a way to support his young family by taking advantage of the very prohibition that put him in the position he is in in the first place. One might call that a circle jerk. 

Maybe with better regulation and understanding of mental illness people like Henry, forced to make the best of a bad situation could finish their education and put their resourcefulness to more legitimate enterprise. But with many areas of the UK becoming more and more deprived, it's no surprise some turn to drugs at a young age. 

After speaking to people fighting cancer, MS and depression at the protest outside the BBC and after accounting for fears of addiction and mental health implications, it begs the question, why is this issue being so widely ignored and why is there so much misinformation? 

While writing this article, my first attempt at journalism, I corresponded with, recreational users, growers, police, ex users. self-medicaters, dealers and campaigners from all walks of life, who by sharing their own experiences have shed light on a deeply misunderstood issue. 

One helpful corespondent who explained the rhetoric of the UK cannabis social clubs and gave me more informed details about the medical properties of Cannabis that is not reported in mainstream media was The Teeside Pro Cannabis Movement, who created widespread media attention following a campaign to spread hemp seeds and to allow cannabis to grow freely throughout the UK. A campaign also taken on by a number of UK cannabis social clubs throughout the country, such as the "Feed the Birds" campaign with the slogan, "resistance is fertile" on the invitation to their October protest, to which a number of cannabis social groups arranged invites. It seems that all of these groups share the same motive, regulation rather than condemnation.

Tree from the Teeside Pro Cannabis Movement had this to say.

"Back in April of this year I, Tree, was running the Tyne and Wear Cannabis Club Facebook page with Silver. We were plodding along quite nicely bringing people together with plenty of likes on the page and getting loads of information out there for people to digest. Then John Holliday from Teesside Cannabis Club got in touch with us and everything changed.

Credit where credit’s due, John Holliday has done more to galvanise the North East movement than anyone else has. Because of his passion and drive, we have gone from a Facebook page to a real force for movement in the North East. 

In six months we have come from nothing to being at the very forefront of the legalisation debate. We have meetings with Ron Hogg, PCC of County Durham of Police, scheduled to discuss our proposals, and we have been invited to the Future of Drug Law Reform symposium to be held at Ramside Hall, Durham on the 27th of November.

We have always maintained that this is a community support group and no one works harder in that department than John Holliday. Because of his vision and single minded approach, the North East cannabis community are going to be the ones to watch when it comes to UK legalisation.

In conclusion, it's clear the questions need to be asked. Why is cannabis reform being ignored? What medical benefits does cannabis really have? Wouldn't regulation and education be a better solution to a growing drug culture here in the UK? Aren't these questions that we should be allowed to present in parliament? Isn't it in the public interest to investigate the truth about potentially life saving drugs? And who really stands to gain from prohibition?"

"Tree" and "DH" (Doc Holloway) also provided me with the following useful links to support the pro-cannabis campaign.

http://commentaryforfuture.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/hemp-and-bee.html

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/11264587._quot_We_will_cover_the_North_East_with_cannabis_quot____pledge_of_Teesside_Cannabis_Club_founder/?ref=mr

Please share and discuss your opinions in the comments. In my next article I take a look at the varying attitudes of police throughout the world with correspondents from Brazil, Croatia and the United States .

Prohibition protests & public opinion part 2. Organisers and collectives. Is it a crime to try to help?

In this section of the article I discuss the motivation behind the supposed criminal act of supplying cannabis to a person fighting cancer. I meet the organisers and hear the fundamentals behind the UK's cannabis social clubs and compassion organisations.

After my touching discussion with Sadie I was introduced to "Dave", a representative of the UK Compassion Collective. A similar collective to Medical Monkies who supplied Sadie with potentially life saving cannabis oil free of charge. 

When I asked Dave his motivation for giving away potentially thousands of pounds worth of cannabis oil, he responded simply,"we just want to help as many people as we can" a man of not so many words, the rhetoric was simple.grow cannabis and help people fight cancer. Is this man a dangerous criminal? 

I asked Dave how long the collective had been operating to which he responded, "I've been growing for about 10 years now", by this point more protesters had begun to assemble and a few listening to our conversation gave a laugh and a cheer of approval to his response. 

I asked Dave if he had ever been caught with cannabis, to which he explained he had not been caught yet but was prepared to"take one for the team" if required to do so.

 I got the feeling the charges he would face would be more significant than a simple case of personal possession. It seemed like a high risk to take for something that was allegedly not financially motivated. 

I asked Dave if he would fight any covictions publicly and he told me he would fight it as publicly as possible to draw attention to the issue under the repeal act of 1879.

An Act for repealing certain Enactments relating to Civil Procedure which have ceased to be in force, or have become unnecessary, and for abolishing Outlawry in Civil Proceedings.

Dave then said that "Basically the the law is nonsense" looking around and holding his hands out gesturing to the growing number of protestors openly using cannabis around us,he continued. "There are this many people breaking the law right now." 

I can't be certain of the exact number of people who showed up on the day, but I would estimate that at the peak of the protest there were around 150 - 170 people who were all indeed openly using cannabis. 

It was a very peaceful gathering, people were talking amongst themselves and sharing stories relating to the issue. One activist who caught my attention was 73 year old anti-prohibition campaign veteran Don Barnard who agreed to share his views on the demonstration.

A retired engineer Don is also the former press officer for the Legalise Cannabis Alliance, a de-registered UK political party which campaigns to end the prohibition of cannabis.

I asked Don how old he was the first time he smoked cannabis, he hesitated to respond, " a long time ago" he said with a youthful grin,then mentioning something about short term memory loss. I asked if this could be attributed to cannabis use. "No of course not",no hesitation this time. 

Don says he uses cannabis first thing in the morning and is open with his cannabis use. He is is certainly a testament to the effects of long term use in the eyes of the pro cannabis community and claims to have faced little opposition with regards to his daily use, ever since an incident he described in 1998 in which "police in suits" searched his home and found cannabis used to treat "his wife's arthritis." He claims his cannabis use has since been tolerated. 

I asked Don what he thought of the demonstration to which he responded,"in my personal opinion, the whole campaign has gone to pot" pun apparently intended, I wasn't convinced.

Don claimed to have been at the majority of the pro cannabis campaign events in the UK since 1973, also hosting awareness demonstrations himself, where hemp seeds and information leaflets were given to the public. He also appealed for political debate on the use of canabis to a number of political faculties over the years. 

I couldn't help admiring Dons tenacity, after so many years campaigning for a legitimate debate on cannabis use here in the UK, one might be expected to feel disillusioned over the fact we have yet to even consider a public referendum on cannabis and despite the decades of slow progress towards legitimate discussion and law reform, there are many like Don who do not fit the profile of the stereotypical stoner and have been peacefully campaigning for years. 

Given the evidence and testimony provided by pro cannabis supporters and given that we are supposed to be a leading example of western democracy, shouldn't the cannabis debate be put to a public forum?

We have all seen the headlines this week, a jaded look at a relatively unmoderated study. But why are popular media outlets so quick to dismiss the medical benefits of canabis and so eager to exaggerate the fears associated with it? Shouldn't the facts be displayed objectively so the public can draw their own reasonable conclusion?

It ocured to me that the dedicated campaigners of the pro cannabis cause were not the dangerous criminals certain reporters would have you believe them to be. To associate the act of aiding the fight against cancer with the behaviour of a heroin addict, is simply ludicrous.Interestingly enough, based on the response of the public, the wild exaggerations reported seem to have been widely rejected. Perhaps, finally, people are drawing their own reasonable conclusions based on less biased platforms of information.

In the final part of this article I hear the opinions of the Metropolitan Police, a drug dealer who is not involved with the pro cannabis community and who does not use cannabis and I also hear from the mental health professionals who use cannabis daily. 

Please discuss your opinions in the comments, vote in the opinion poll at the top of the page and follow for more articles coming soon.

links to related content will be posted shortly

Prohibition protests & public opinion.

Prohibition protests & public opinion part 1.

At midday on October 4th 2014 protestors from all areas of the UK and all walks of life assembled outside of the BBC headquarters in Central London to make a stand against Cannabis prohibition.

I was there to ask the questions that mainstream media outlets allegedly refuse to report on. Is this so-called media misdirection a deciding factor in choosing the location of the demonstration? Or were organisers simply trying to draw attention to a deeply misunderstood issue? 

After a series of discussions with organisers and protesters, I find out why people really use Cannabis, the effect it has on their health and professional lives and what kind of reform they hope to achieve. 

I arrived early to an already assembled blockade along the perimeter of the BBC forecourt and a solitary security guard standing in the drizzle. No protestors had arrived yet so I loitered for a few minutes, checking my maps to make sure I was in the right place. After 15 minutes or so four men in their early 20's arrived with a sign that read:  "We want proper ganja not propaganda" we gathered on the steps adjacent and found shelter under the monument from the rain. We introduced ourselves and I began asking them questions.

Two of them were from Bristol and two of them were from Manchester, they had all travelled to London specifically for the protest. They were university graduates and had full time jobs as warehouse operatives,customer service representatives and call centre staff. 

I wanted to remain objective so took into account the risks associated with cannabis use when conducting my interviews. I began by asking the frequency of their Cannabis use to which they responded with a variety of answers. The first claimed to only smoke Cannabis two to three times a week, another used Cannabis every day and the last two agreed it was the first thing they did when they finished work. Each had an aspect of friendly humour in their response and they began laughing amongst themselves. I had the feeling it would be a peaceful demonstration without incident. 

Next I asked how old they were the first time they used Cannabis, to which they responded again with a variety of answers. As young as 13-14 for one and the consensus being around 16 with the others. 

I then asked the worst experience they had ever had whilst using Cannabis.

One of them responded quickly with "Getting busted" and the others laughed in unity. One of them stopped laughing and assumed a more serious tone.Apparently respecting the nature of the interview. He began telling me about an ex girlfriend who had regularly used "solids". Meaning the resin extract known as hash, an apparently less psychoactive counterpart of Cannabis "skunk" as it is known. Being the leafier,natural bud. She apparently started "freaking out" and vomiting, eventually requesting an ambulance. A mild Cannabis overdose known as a "whitey" where the user becomes disorientated and can enter a state of panic causing nausea. Usually it is countered with a warm sugary drink,a few packets of Doritos and a nap. She made a full recovery and continues smoking "skunk" to this day, having learnt the difference in potency between "skunk" and "solids".

I then went on to ask the reason for their use, weather it was recreational or medicinal. One claimed he used it to treat his bipolar disorder, for it's anti-depressant properties, but he also enjoyed using it recreationally. Another went on to say that Cannabis needs to be used sensibly to improve your mental state of mind. 

When asked if they had ever been caught with Cannabis they all gave a similar response. To have either have never been caught, or let off with a street caution.

When asked what they hoped to achieve from the demonstration, they said they would like to see regulation and that they want cannabis use to be given a serious discussion and consideration with regards to reform. They went on to say that they no longer wanted to be pushed underground and that they wanted their medicinal and recreational use to be accepted as part of society. 

More people began turning up and indeed lighting up in an apparent act of defiance. One group even going as far as to bring a cannabis plant along for the festivities as shown in the picture above. 

There was very little police presence with just two vans driving by consecutively at the beginning of the demonstration. 

Not everyone was using Cannabis, my next interviewee was a former barrister, mother of two children aged 17 and eight. She wishes to remain anonymous so will be referred to as Sadie at her request. Sadie is 37 years old and is currently fighting breast cancer. She has a tumour in her breast that is non ductile and in situ, she has been treated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy and was on Themera. She Said "All of it was bollocks". She explained that her expected tumour shrinkage was less than 20%. Eight months ago Sadie claimed to have began taking Cannabis oil capsules supplied to her illegally via an organisation she named, Medicinal Monkeys. She went on to tell me that she had not been charged for her illegal treatment and after eight months of cannabis therapy there has been a 50% reduction in her tumour and may no longer need even an operation, after she was previously told by doctors that she would require a mastectomy to remove the tumour. 

I went on to ask her if medical professionals had acknowledged the effect of cannabis treatment on her fight against breast cancer to which she elaborated. After two to three months of cannabis treatment she met with her doctor for an MRI scan. The expected shrinkage of her tumour was under 8% but had actually shown a reduction of 20% percent.

At this point I noticed tears dwelling in Sadie's eyes. She told me how the doctor was stunned and asked if she had taken anything else. She admitted, cannabis oil. A tear trickled down her cheek and she continued. She told me how the doctor held her hand and off the record said,"don't stop taking it". Then went on to explain that he could say nothing else about it. 

I then asked Sadie what she hoped to achieve from the protest. "To be honest" she began "I don't want to be recognised here today because of my career and my family's future, but I couldn't not come, I have to be here for everyone fighting cancer." 

I felt privileged to have heard such a personal and emotional story and felt horrified that this sort of treatment has not been more widely acknowledged by healthcare professionals. Surely finding a cure for a disease that effects 1 in three of us at some point in our lives should be considered and put to a public referendum.

Please discuss your opinions in the comments and please like and share.

In part two I speak to members of the Dorset cannabis social club, a mental health professional and representatives from the London compassion collective.