More young people are seeing drug adverts on social media, but what impact is this having on young people? And why has it taken us so long to catch on? Liz McCulloch, Director of Policy and author of DM for Details: Selling Drugs in the Age of Social Media, is in conversation with Nick … Continued
Last week the Volteface team headed to the Docklands for the second annual Big Tent Ideas Festival at Mudchute Farm. To ensure cannabis reform was on the festival’s agenda we hosted ‘In Conversation with Andrew Boff’. London Assembly member Boff, a long term advocate for cannabis reform, sat down with current Editor of Byline … Continued
I spent nine years supporting one of the most vulnerable groups in our society, problematic drug users. From daily injecting heroin users, to young people smoking countless grams of cannabis a week, their stories on why they were addicted to the drug made perfect sense. No-one told me they ‘just tried it once and now … Continued
In September, Volteface published its seminal report The Children’s Inquiry examining how effectively the UK’s cannabis policies are safeguarding young people. The report was a wide-ranging examination of how easily young people are able to obtain cannabis and the type of cannabis they are using, the repercussions of this for their wellbeing and the support … Continued
In October, Canada became the first G7 nation to legalise cannabis, with the wheels set in motion for a fully regulated, legalised cannabis market to begin operating in all of its provinces. This change in the law, driven by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, is being implemented with the aim of protecting young people … Continued
This week, MPs debated whether Spice should be reclassified as a Class A drug, in the wake of its devastating effects on those using it on the streets of towns and cities across the UK. Deemed a “serious national problem” by Conservative MP Ben Bradley, who secured the debate in Westminster Hall, a number of … Continued
2018 has been a significant year for cannabis policy, with the Billy Caldwell campaign kicking off in June, The Children’s Inquiry published in September and Canada recently becoming the first G7 country to legalise cannabis for recreational use. With access to medical cannabis over three days away, Volteface and the Centre for Medicinal Cannabis commissioned … Continued
The Children’s Inquiry is a seminal report that examines how UK cannabis policies and laws are impacting on the very people who they aim to protect – children and young people. Using new figures and interviews, the report investigates how young people obtain cannabis and the type of cannabis they are using, the impact … Continued
The extent to which drugs have taken hold in our jails was detailed by the Chief Inspector of Prisons in his annual report last month. “The ready availability of drugs in too many of our prisons sits behind much of the violence,” Peter Clarke said. “We are regularly told by prisoners how easy it is … Continued
In an interview on France Inter radio last week, French Health Minister Agnès Buzyn said she is considering regulating medical cannabis in France. This is a welcoming announcement that means medical cannabis is no longer a taboo topic, and that we’ll be able to have a real conversation about it in a country that is … Continued