6 | DRUGLINK JAN/FEB 2008

The year is
2022 and drugs
are legal...
Whi l e i n many ways thi ngs l ook much l i ke they di d i n 2007,
i n the drug pol i cy worl d a qui et revol uti on has taken pl ace.
The monol i th of absol ute gl obal drug prohi bi ti on has col l apsed,
bei ng repl aced wi th a seri es of di fferent regul atory regi mes for
the l egal control of drug producti on and suppl y. Steve Rolles
descri bes what a post-prohi bi ti on worl d mi ght l ook l i ke and the
changes i t coul d bri ng to the streets of Bri tai n.
POLICY
DRUGLINK JAN/FEB 2008| 7
l egal now, but theres sti l l a l ot of annoyi ng restri cti ons. In fact
i t was often l ess hassl e scori ng i n the ol d days especi al l y
now theres al most no deal i ng i n the cl ubs anymore. When the
l aw changed i ni ti al l y there were predi cti ons that al l the
students and the party scene woul d go a bi t mental . At rst
you needed to get a l i cense to buy anythi ng, and pre-order two
days before pi ck up. So most peopl e carri ed on usi ng thei r
deal ers. If theres too many restri cti ons or the pri ce i s too
hi gh, then i l l egal markets persi st. But, si nce then, the system
has been rel axed a bi t, so we dont bother wi th the deal ers so
much.
a s mall additional illuminated s ign
below the green cros s reads
Licens ed Druggis t
One of the customers i s remonstrati ng wi th the pharmaci st.
Even after accepti ng that hi s ID establ i shes that he i s 21 as he
cl ai ms, (the l egal age for buyi ng pi l l and powder-form
sti mul ants), the pharmaci st wont hand over more than the
DRA-mandated l i mi t of ve grams of cocai ne per purchaser.
The vendor pati entl y expl ai ns that theres no poi nt tryi ng to
buy more down the road as cocai ne powder i s sti l l on the
Schedul e 1 restri cted l i st, whi ch means hi s purchase i s
recorded and wi l l come up on the screen i f he uses hi s ID
anywhere el se i n the next three days. He poi nts out, however,
that there i s no vol ume restri cti on on the Schedul e 3 coca-
based energy dri nks, sayi ng they are l ess ri sky but shoul d
not be mi xed wi th al cohol . It i s Fri day eveni ng and by now the
queue for the booth has doubl ed i n si ze.
The drugs themsel ves l ook much l i ke those from the other
counter: non-branded pl ai n packagi ng, bl i ster packs, sachets,
card boxes and pl asti c contai ners al l contai ni ng i nformati on
on dosage, ri sks, harm reducti on and so on. The mai n
di fference i s the promi nent heal th warni ngs i n bol d red pri nt
that cover 30 per cent of the packagi ng, and the bar code that
can i denti fy the buyer.
To be honest, adds Nadi a, Im occasi onal l y nostal gi c for
the ol d days when scori ng was part of the exci tement and
ri tual of a bi g ni ght out. Now i ts much more cl i ni cal and
bori ng real l y any underground vi be has gone enti rel y, and al l
the packagi ng warni ngs can be a downer. For me, and most of
us who onl y i ndul ge occasi onal l y, the most i nteresti ng thi ng
has been that, now weve a choi ce, we tend to go for the l ower
dose products, the dri nks or l ess processed herbal stuff. I
Pul l i ng up outsi de one of several Dutch-styl e coffee shops i n
north London you are met wi th the di sti ncti ve aroma of
cannabi s wafti ng from the i nteri or. Above the door the
l i censee i s named, and a si gn states Over 18s onl y. NO
ALCOHOL. Model l ed on the Netherl ands coffee shop system,
theres nothi ng much di fferent here except that the smoki ng
i s taki ng pl ace on the outsi de terrace, because of the smoki ng
ban of 2007.
Insi de i t l ooks much l i ke any contemporary bar or musi c-
caf, wi th peopl e chatti ng, readi ng, rel axi ng, or pl ayi ng tabl e
footbal l and pi nbal l games by the wi ndow. A few ornamental
nods to weed cul ture can be seen (the al most mandatory Bob
Marl ey poster), and vapori sers si t on several of the l ow-l evel
tabl es surrounded by sofas and bean bags. Peopl e dri nk frui t
smoothi es, coffee and tea (i ncl udi ng the now freel y avai l abl e
coca and poppy teas). When two cl earl y underage teens come
i n wi el di ng a 2-l i tre bottl e of Whi te Li ghtni ng ci der and aski ng
for a joi nt, they are pol i tel y ki cked out by the staff.
diamorphine, dis pos able s yringe,
ties and swabs all s igned for with
a ngerprint s can
A menu by the smal l sal es booth i n the corner detai l s the
avai l abl e cannabi s vari eti es, strength (THC and CBD), and
pri ce. It i s sol d i n smal l orange pl asti c canni sters wi th a
pri nted l abel detai l i ng the contents and mandatory heal th and
safety i nfo. Cannabi s browni es are al so on sal e but dont seem
to be as popul ar as the cake counter nearby. Leaets detai l i ng
the drugs effects, ri sks and safety consi derati ons are
promi nentl y di spl ayed as requi red by the the DRA, the new
Drug Regul atory Agency al though they si t l argel y unbothered
by the cl i entl e
After al l the years of campai gni ng i t was a bi t of an anti -
cl i max when cannabi s was nal l y avai l abl e l egal l y, says Ni ck,
the owner. Real l y, except for the coffee shops, nothi ng much
changed. Peopl e who l i ked a smoke carri ed on mostl y at
home and wel l , thats about i t real l y. Youre al l owed to grow
at home, up to ve pl ants for personal use apparentl y,
al though now you can come i n here, not many peopl e bother
except the real l y nerdy weed-connoi sseur types.
Two bl ocks down the road a conventi onal l ooki ng pharmacy
shop front carri es a smal l addi ti onal i l l umi nated si gn bel ow
the green cross whi ch reads Li censed Druggi st. Insi de l ooks
l i ke any other chemi st, except there are two counters, one
provi di ng conventi onal prescri pti ons, and another, wi th a
perspex frontage, where three young men and one woman are
queui ng. The pharmaci st at the
second counter wears a photo
name tag beari ng the DRA l ogo
i ndi cati ng he i s l i censed to vend
non-medi cal drugs, i ncl udi ng MDMA,
amphetami nes, opi um and
cocai ne i n a vari ous
preparati ons and strengths.
Nadi a, a 25-year-ol d
accountant, i s dressed up and
on her way round to a fri ends
house before headi ng out for
the ni ght. As she
wai ts i n the
queue she
expl ai ns: Yes,
most drugs are
8 | DRUGLINK JAN/FEB 2008
suppose i ts a bi t l i ke the way most peopl e choose beer and
wi ne over vodka and absi nthe. I actual l y care about my heal th
and just because I occasi onal l y take drugs doesnt mean I
cant make rati onal deci si ons.
Im occas ionally nos talgic for the
old days when s coring was part of
the excitement and ritual of a big
night out
Another three bl ocks further and the street l andscape has
changed. The fancy bars, bi stros, coffee shops and gl i tzy cl ubs
gi vi ng way to pawn brokers, greasy fast food, massage
parl ours, and l ess sal ubri ous pubs. Between a newsagent and
grafti -covered boarded-up bui l di ng i s an i nnocuous l ooki ng
shop front wi th cl ean bl acked-out wi ndows beari ng the name
North Street Cl i ni c.
Insi de i s a room l ooki ng l i ke a somewhat bl eak denti sts
recepti on area wi th soft chai rs around a coupl e of coffee
tabl es scattered wi th a few outdated cel ebri ty magazi nes.
There are ve or si x peopl e si tti ng around, most i n thei r 30s
and 40s. Two of them, apparentl y, are fast asl eep. A smartl y
dressed nurse at the recepti on desk greets peopl e as they
arri ve every ve mi nutes or so, checks thei r di spensary cards
on the computer system and hands over a smal l di sposabl e
pl asti c box that contai ns thei r prescri bed amount of
di amorphi ne, di sposabl e syri nge, ti es and swabs al l si gned
for wi th a ngerpri nt scan.
Some of the cl i ents then proceed to the adjoi ni ng room, a
seri es of wel l -l i t booths each wi th a three-quarter l ength
curtai n, wal l mounted desk surface and pl asti c chai r rather
l i ke a voti ng booth but wi th a more cl i ni cal , hospi tal -l i ke feel .
There i s a l i ngeri ng smel l of anti septi c. A supervi sor i s
present. The cl i ents are gi ven 20 mi nutes each to sel f-
admi ni ster the drug, and then up to one hour i n the recepti on
room before they are asked to move on. They have to hand
over thei r used needl es and empty ampoul es before they go.
Bri an, 36, has been usi ng heroi n for 12 years, ve of whi ch
have been on a prescri pti on. As he i s l eavi ng the cl i ni c after
pi cki ng up hi s weekl y suppl y, he expl ai ns: For two years I had
to go to the cl i ni c twi ce dai l y and use on-si te under
supervi si on. But now Ive sorted my l i fe out, got a at and a
job, Im a l ow di versi on ri sk and al l owed to take my
prescri pti on away and use i t at home.
They never found a credi bl e way to make crack cocai ne
avai l abl e through medi cal channel s, but once cocai ne powder
coul d be bought l egal l y i t became ki nd of academi c anyway
i f you wanted to smoke i t you just cooked i t up yoursel f.
You can buy smokabl e opi um and l ow-dose, sl ow-rel ease
DRUGLINK JAN/FEB 2008| 9
Sgt Browni ng stops to break up two drunken women
ghti ng outsi de a cl ub. Moments l ater he col l ars a teenager for
uri nati ng agai nst a postbox. The young man arrested i s al so
found i n possessi on of cocai ne, but cannot show any evi dence
that i t was l egi ti matel y purchased by hi m. He i s under 21.
Deal i ngs changed, Browni ng expl ai ns as he i ssues two ti cket
nes. Its now mostl y smal l -scal e di versi on of l egal l y
produced and bought drugs amongst mates. Its not a bi g
concern for us unl ess i t i nvol ves ki ds. The bi g di fference has
actual l y been the decrease i n the troubl e associ ated wi th
deal i ng and the i l l egal drug scene more general l y gang
vi ol ence, street deal i ng and guns.
The bottom has fal l en out of the market so the gangsters
have moved on. None of us expected they woul d go away
compl etel y, a l ot of the bi g pl ayers have moved i nto other
thi ngs, such as cyber cri me. But breaki ng the l aw i s about
opportuni ty and even i f onl y three quarters of the i l l egal
market has gone, thats three quarters l ess gri ef than before.
Its freed up more coppers to deal wi th other stuff, and we
arent expected to be soci al workers for addi cts any more.
Browni ng gets back i nto hi s squad car and dri ves off at
hi gh speed i n response to a report of another ght. Its goi ng
to be a l ong ni ght.
Steve Rolles is Information Officer for Transform Drug Policy
Foundation
opi ate pi l l s from the druggi sts now, al though they are sti l l
Schedul e 1-restri cted. But that, and the fact there arent user-
deal ers on street corners any more, has had a bi g effect on the
numbers of new i njectors. Whats l eft of the scene i s agei ng
ol d junki es l i ke me. The cl i ni cs a pretty depressi ng pl ace, but
i ts a necessary evi l : for most of us thi s has been medi cati on,
not recreati on, for years. In 20 years I dont thi nk there wi l l be
many of these cl i ni cs l eft.
The supervi si ng nurse overhears Bri an and chi ps i n. The
probl em for us i s that pol i ti ci ans arent very i nterested i n
addi cti on anymore, now drugs arent so entwi ned wi th the
cri me probl em. The treatment i ndustry had a strange
symbi oti c rel ati onshi p wi th prohi bi ti on. But today fundi ng for
treatment servi ces has dwi ndl ed i ts on a par wi th al cohol
and tobacco treatment now. In other words, not far from sod
al l .
Sergeant Browni ng i s patrol l i ng the stri p of bars and
adjoi ni ng l ocal counci l estate. Its a typi cal Fri day ni ght, mostl y
spent deal i ng wi th young peopl e and publ i c di sorder of
vari ous ki nds especi al l y as the ni ght wears on, and the cl ubs
and bars begi n of empty hordes of drunken revel l ers.
You woul dnt thi nk i t seei ng al l thi s carnage, but for us
l egal i si ng drugs has been a pretty remarkabl e transformati on.
Publ i c order i s sti l l a probl em of course, and now drug
possessi on i snt i l l egal some peopl e thi nk that gi ves them free
rei gn to use them anywhere. But publ i c consumpti on i s i l l egal
and we have to enforce that wi th nes, and cauti ons for
repeat offenders.
The crunch moment came at the 2018 UN General Assembly
Special Session when a coalition of over 20 countries,
including much of Western Europe, Australasia, South
America, Mexico and Canada, made it clear that they could
no longer be a party to the increasingly redundant,
ineffectual and often counter-productive strictures of the UN
drug conventions. They demanded the sovereign and
democratic right to determine their own drug polices in
accordance with their own needs.
For the coalition countries the failings of a punitive
prohibitionist approach could no longer stand the increasing
public scrutiny and critique, and the shift towards a more
just and effective public health-led approach could only lead
in one direction. Untangling drug harms from those created
by prohibition, saw polarising drug war rhetoric go into
retreat, and the UK was pulled in the direction of some of
our more progressive European neighbours, rather than the
crusading drug warriors of the US.
The UK, following a Wolfenden-style inquiry report,
removed criminal sanctions from drug use, before joining
other coalition countries in cautious moves towards legally-
regulated production and supply of the most commonly used
drugs, from cannabis through to cocaine and heroin.
Different countries have adopted different regulatory models
and policy is evolving rapidly. But not everywhere: old school
punitive prohibition continues in the US, Sweden and Saudi
Arabia (where alcohol is also still illegal).
The Prime Minister, who heads the new coalition
government, told a recent documentary on the end of drug
prohibition: In the end, it was more about politics and
money than rationality or human rights. The tipping point
was the overloading crisis in the criminal justice system. We
knew the game was up when the Sun started calling for
legalisation. The shift towards a public health-led model
became inexorable. Anti-drug messages are much more
effectively transmitted by teachers, parents and public
health educators than by politicians, police and judges. In
retrospect its amazing people didnt figure this out earlier.
Today most of the poppy fields in Afghanistan are gone,
whilst coca production in the Andes has dramatically
reduced. Drug crops are now mostly grown and processed in
the coalition countries themselves, traded under a complex
raft of new bilateral agreements. The corrupting and
destabilising effect of illicit drug profits in producer and
transit countries has shrunk accordingly. The UKs own
opium crop has expanded, now dotting Hampshire with
purple, white and red fields every autumn even exporting
to some of our European neighbours. Pharmaceutical
companies have taken over drug processing from organised
criminals, mostly by expanding existing medical production
into non-medical supply, whilst production of cannabis and
magic mushrooms is now licensed to small scale farmers.
Administration of the new drug control systems has
moved from the Home Office, and is now managed by the
new cross-departmental Drug Regulatory Agency, which
oversees local licensing authorities, health and safety and
trading standards, as well as co-ordinating policy responses
from relevant ministries, national and local public health
agencies. Alcohol and tobacco have also been brought within
the remit of the DRA and are much more tightly regulated.
More info: www.tdpf.org.uk
HOW IT HAPPENED...