Reflecting on the ‘Future of Drugs’
Times are tough. Political polarisation, a crippled economy, enormous environmental threats and an unprecedented mental health crisis. But it is in times like these that social change is often made. Now more than ever we are seeing people come together to question, to protest, and hope for a new path.
And one of those paths lead to reformed drug policy. Policy that makes sense. That reflects the enormous healing potential of psychedelics and the immense harm and corruption that comes with current drug crime and policing.
For many in this country, change seems out of reach - particularly when our elected leaders themselves seem to be intent on removing the mechanisms that allow us to affect that change. It was with this in mind that we decided to host a conference with a singular focus on drug policy. This wasn’t a gathering of investors and ‘vulture’ capitalists focused on getting ahead of the psychedelics trend. It was designed to galvanise a social movement backed by evidence, human empathy and a desire for better health outcomes for the most marginalised in our communities
On Sunday 24th April 2022 we held The Future of Drugs: Action for Change Symposium, with a diverse guest list of contributors and organisations. Curated and hosted by the Psychedelic Society’s Mags Houston, it was a day grounded in advocacy, action and agency. What can the common person in the street do to help, say, decriminalise psilocybin? What could a mum from the suburbs of Peckham do to help encourage better drug policy for a safer UK nightclub scene? How could a teacher from Durham help campaign against violent drug policing measures?
In the 50 years of the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971), we have witnessed the damage this legislation has caused to individuals and communities; how it has undermined science, helped normalise regressive views towards health issues, and entrenched social injustice. In the last decade, we have seen reactionary policy, rather than rational humanism.
Our event was hosted in the urban-rustic surroundings of the Backyard Comedy Club in Hackney, a London suburb which has borne the brunt of both gentrification and the war on drugs. Our day was broken up into talks interspersed with networking sessions, where concerned citizens and grassroots activists got a chance to meet and network with some of the leading NGOs and think-tanks in the anti-prohibition space, including Transform, Release, LEAP UK, Drug Science, the Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group (CDPRG), Mackrell Solicitors among others.
We opened with a presentation from Neil Woods of LEAP - author and former undercover police officer, responsible for the dismantling of several violent drug gangs. Neil shared his disillusionment with the role he played in the ‘war on drugs’, about how the structure of policing the war on drugs is rife with contradictions and corruption, and how it is in fact causing an escalation in the decline of our environment.
We then heard from Rayyan Zafar, Research Post-Grad with Drug Science, who works for Imperial College London’s Centre for Psychedelic Research and Neuropsychopharmacology group, as well as the Drug Science Medical Cannabis Working Group and Medical Psychedelic Working Group. He spoke to problems with access to the UK’s medical cannabis service, and about issues of access on the NHS, as well as providing concrete solutions as to how individuals could work to be part of medical trials, and lobby to support the medical cannabis scene.
Niamh Eastwood, executive director of Release, an organisation focused on supporting at-risk individuals and vulnerable communities, spoke in great detail as to the grievous injuries that marginalised sections of British society face, due to the war on drugs. She urged not for more policing, but rather more compassion for those from poorer backgrounds, support in mental health care and poverty action towards helping young people get out of the illicit industries, and transition into less risky work.
We then welcomed Tara Austin from the Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group, who spoke on her organisation’s campaign to decriminalise psilocybin, as well as the tools needed to help change public perception around substances - in particular, psychedelics.
Nick Earles and Elliott Rolfe joined us from Mackrell Solicitors, a legal firm specialising in representing companies from the cannabis and psychedelics sectors, and spoke about the legal barriers and areas of work needed in British legislation in order to build a more coherent, sensible and equitable drug sector.
Our final speaker, Transform’s Research & Policy Officer, Ester Kincová shared her work documenting the international drug control scene, its inherent contradictions as well as stories of the countries and states who are on a more positive path.
Our final presentation was a panel featuring Nick Earles, Leonie Schneider of PsyPAN Global, Ester Kincová and UK business owner Jade Proudman of Savage Cabbage for a final panel on The Future of Drugs hosted by Mags Houston of The Psychedelic Society. As well as answering questions on their views on the evolution of policy and policing in the UK, we heard deeply touching stories of each of their paths into the scene. Jade shared her inspiring path from chronic pain sufferer to becoming a national advocate for cannabis in the UK Parliament, and global ambassador for Charlotte’s Web - a medical cannabis company. Leonie shared her stories of helping support former psychedelic clinical trial participants in helping them with integration and support.
In between our talks, we provided extensive time and opportunities for our audience to network with speakers and each other - brainstorming ideas and solutions for their own communities, and building a coherent response to the ultimate question - how can we as individuals materially help tackle outdated drug policy laws through direct action and community engagement?
On the livestream, we set up breakout rooms for specific policy areas where our virtual audience interacted with each other, made friends and shared personal stories, facilitated by Ashwin Bolar.
We set out to create a truly inclusive event to inspire people to take up arms - to equip themselves with evidence, rationale, and heart, in order to fight for a better, safer society. We were thrilled and humbled by the outcome - a near-full house, and an audience that left motivated, energised and inspired to continue the struggle against prohibition. The Future of Drugs event highlighted a collective frustration at the UK’s outdated drug laws, shaped by decades of political propaganda rather than by being driven by evidence and a desire for better healthcare.
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