Legalising UK cannabis would generate over £1 billion a year in tax 💰🍃
With the budget approaching, it’s time for evidence-led public spending. Legalising UK cannabis offers the possibility of vast revenue and significant public savings
Full report: transformdrugs.org/publications...
📣Leicester: Take Drugs Seriously📣
📆19th Nov - 6.00 - 8.30pm📆
📍Hansom Hall, 50-54 Belvoir Street, LE1 6QL📍
Join this in-person discussion about what a new approach to drugs could mean for Leicester, your family and your community.
Free tickets here: www.eventbrite.com/e/leicester-...
We are hiring!🚨
Transform is looking for a new Treasurer to join our board of Trustees!
We are looking for a qualified accountant, preferably with experience in the charity sector for this remote and voluntary role.
Apply by 3rd November: www.charityjob.co.uk/volunteer-jo...
We were delighted to attend the Green Party conference to take part in Common Ground Justice Project’s event, Breaking Through the Noise. Our CEO, Jane Slater spoke about a new approach to crime and justice and how this relates to our drug policy reform work at Transform.
💚 @greenparty.org.uk leader @zackpolanski.bsky.social backs legalisation of all drugs 💚
‘The war on drugs has absolutely failed, and ultimately we need to be having a public health approach’ - Polanski speaking to BBC South East ahead of his party conference.
We are hiring!🚨
We are looking for an individual passionate about drug reform to help with fundraising and organisational support.
Bristol (Hybrid)
£25 - 30k FTE
Part-time (2-3 days/week)
6 month contract (possibility to extend)
Apply by 5th October: www.charityjob.co.uk/jobs/transfo...
Maybe - but she's a bereaved mum doing a live media interview. This isn't a Lancet paper.
She is taking about the potential for falling purity and increased chances of adulteration/cutting agents
Vicky's daughter Louise died after using ketamine
But unlike the PCC & UK Home Office calls for more punishment, Vicky's tragedy galvanised her resolve to campaign for pragmatic health-led policies & regulation with Transform & @anyoneschild.bsky.social
see anyoneschild.org for more info
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"Upgrading ketamine to Class A just means that young ppl will take dirtier drugs, the money will go to the dealers. no one wins"
BBC report on last week's @anyoneschild.bsky.social #SupportDontPunish parliamentary lobby - Including interview with Transform Trustee, Vicky Unwin t.co/dVgOxvpetG
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This guest blog by @mikejay.bsky.social Mike Jay was originally published in the New Statesman, reproduced with permission
Mike Jay is a cultural historian, author, & former Transform Trustee
mikejay.net
His books include the recent: 'Psychonauts: drugs & the making of the modern mind'
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🚨NEW BLOG🚨
"Ketamine has no deep history or hinterland: it is a product of pharmaceutical modernity.
Its multiple identities mirror the broad spectrum of its effects...from a mild & pleasant giddiness to a white-knuckle ride into another dimension"
transformdrugs.org/blog/how-bri...
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🚨NEW BLOG🚨
*Harm reduction as a form of resistance*
The amazing plenary speech by Michelle Wazan, from
@Skoun_org in Lebanon, at the @HRInews #HRI25 conference in Bogota last month
transformdrugs.org/blog/michell...
The UN Coca Leaf Review and Indigenous Peoples’ Rights:
Can the @WHO Meet the Moment?
Brilliant new long read explainer in the @TNInstitute *Coca Chronicles* series - by @MartinJelsmaTNI & John Walsh from @WOLA_org
www.tni.org/en/article/t...
Speakers include:
🔵Saket Priyadarshi, Clinical Lead at The Thistle OPC, Glasgow
🔵Meg Jones, Cranstoun, national harm reduction and support service provider
🔵Adam Holland, Clinical Academic at Bristol University
More speakers to be announced.....
eventbrite.com/e/next-steps...
3/3
This is a unique opportunity to learn, collaborate, & contribute to building a healthier, more compassionate city.
As drug deaths continue to rise (especially involving synthetic opioids) this event brings together local stakeholders to explore practical solutions emerging challenges
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Healthcare professionals, police, community leaders, policymakers & Bristol residents are invited to join Transform & the University of Bristol in shaping the next steps for drug harm reduction & treatment
in Bristol: 7pm Thursday 17th July at City Hall eventbrite.com/e/next-steps...
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I talked to the @theLDNstandard podcast yesterday about the good and bad of the London Mayor's cannabis commission report - & the future of cannabis reforms in the UK (first 10 mins) 👇
Also available on apple podcasts, spotify etc.
podfollow.com/the-standard...
The Exec Director of UN Office on Drugs & Crime, Ghada Fathi Waly, has apparently resigned.
Awaiting more info - & can only speculate as to the reasons, but seems likely related to massive funding cuts and broader institutional crisis at the failing agency.
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The non-enforcement on the sale of illegal hashish in participating coffee shops within the Dutch cannabis experiment will be extended once more until 1 September 2025. This decision was taken following signals of shortages of regulated hashish. 1/2
cannabisindustrie.nl/verlenging-g...
Listen to @SteveTransform discussing the Mayor's Cannabis Commission report on the @theLDNstandard podcast here:
podfollow.com/the-standard...
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Resharing from @transformdrugs.bsky.social report release 2 months ago about how much a legally regulated cannabis market could bring into the economy....
Read our book: 'How to Regulate Cannabis: A Practical Guide' transformdrugs.org/publications...
New report: 'High returns: the economic benefits of Cannabis regulation in the UK'
transformdrugs.org/publications...
Support our #LegaliseUKcannabis campaign
justgiving.com/campaign/leg...
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We are long overdue a change to this hopelessly failed policy - and this new report only proposes half the job (decrim), whilst arguably undermining the equally necessary other half (regulation).
So......good but no (legal & regulated) cigar.
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We hope that the Govt will finally show leadership on this important debate, raised by a high profile Labour Mayor. Cannabis reforms command widespread public support, save police resources and taxpayers money, as well as reducing social & health harms of criminalisation.
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As such the Commission goes little further than the Police Foundation report (the Runciman report) from 25 years ago (and various Select Committee reports down the years) - which we also criticised at the time for needless timidity.
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The almost apologetic 'wait & see' position is untenable given the obvious harms of the status quo. There's unknowns re regulation (tho we now know a lot about how to do it properly)
But leaving the mkt in the hands of unregulated organised crime groups helps no one
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It is, however, profoundly disappointing that the Commission failed to call for meaningful moves toward a legally regulated market - even rejecting (on the weakest of grounds) home growing provisions, or non-commercial models being implemented in Europe
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