Introduction 

PART 1: 

Chapter 1: The Boy I Used To Know - A Father’s Story 17

 1.   A Bolt from the Blue

 2.   The Worst Night of my Life

 3.   Hospitalisation

 4.   The Long Haul Begins

 5.   The Impact on Us 

 6.   The Effects on my Daughter

 7.   His Non-Compliance

 8.   Self-Neglect

 9.   The Drinking

 10.  A Beacon of Hope

 11.  20 Years On

 12.  The Future 

PART 2: 

Chapter 2: Understanding Cannabis and why it can be so Dangerous 36

 1.   The Clue is in its Biological Make-Up

 2.   A Quick History of Cannabis

 3.   Cannabis as a Medicine 

 4.   Can you Become Addicted to Cannabis?

 5.   Is Cannabis a ‘Gateway’ to Hard Drugs such as Heroin?

 6.   Is it Better to Vape or Smoke Synthetic Cannabis (Cannabinoids)?

 7.   Recent Moves to Decriminalise Cannabis

 8.   Cannabis-Induced Mental Illness Starts to Increase

 9.   Alarm Raised by Mental Health Staff and Parents

 10.  A False Dawn

 11.  UK Temporarily Decriminalises Cannabis

 12.  The Confusing Messages to the Public

Chapter 3: The Link Between Cannabis and Mental Illness    51

 1.   Understanding Mental Illness

 2.   The Role our Genes Play

 3.   Social Factors

 4.   Lifestyle and Personal Choices 

 5.   The Science Behind How Cannabis Affects the Functioning of the Brain

Chapter: 4: The Hard Evidence We Have Been Waiting For   60

 1.   Research Published in the US 2017

 2.   European Research Published in the UK 2019 

 3.   How Many People are Affected by Cannabis-Induced Psychosis?

 4.   Convincing the Public of the Hard Evidence

Chapter 5: Cannabis: A Public Health Emergency        67

 1.   The Size of the Problem

 2.   The Fall and Rise of Cannabis

 3.   The Myth that Alcohol is Safer than Cannabis 

PART 3: 

Chapter 6: How Parents Can Help Their Children Stay Clear of Cannabis        76

 1.   Introduction

 2.   Understanding Why Your Child Would Want to Take Cannabis

 3.   When Do You Start Talking to Your Children About Drugs?

 4.   Tips for Engaging with Children on Drug Awareness

 5.   Dealing with Primary Schoolchildren (5-8)

 6.   What to Say to Your Pre-teen About Drugs (9-12 year olds)  

 7.   Confronting the Issue of Drugs With Teenagers 

 8.   Talking to Teenagers Who Have Not Tried Cannabis

 9.   Dealing With Teenagers Who Are Already Experimenting With Cannabis - The Warning Signs - What to Look For and When 

 10.  Steps You Can Take

 11.  What Happens if My Teenage Child Refuses to Cooperate?

 12.  Summary

PART 4: 

Chapter 7: What to do when Cannabis Takes Hold        99

 1.   The Warning Signs

 2.   The Steps You Can Take 

 3.   Making the First Step to Getting an Assessment

 4.   Contacting Your GP

 5.   Once You Get an Appointment With Your GP

 6.   What Happens if You Are Told that Your Child Cannot be Treated Until They Stop Taking Cannabis?

 7.   What Happens When Your Child is Over 18 and Refuses to Cooperate? 

 8.   Dealing with Children Under 18

 9.   Preparing for the CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) Assessment

 10.  What happens after the Assessment?

 11.  Receiving a Diagnosis  

Chapter 8: Treating Psychosis      113

 1.   The Treatment Options

 2.   Non-Compliance 

 3.   Self-Medication

 4.   Communicating With a Child Who is Refusing Medication

 5.   Getting a Second Opinion

 6.   Staying Involved

Chapter 9: Practical Things You Can Do To Help Matters    121

 1.   Learn Not to Blame Yourself

 2.   Read Up on Your Child’s Diagnosis and Treatment

 3.   Talk to Other Parents or Join a ‘Carers Group’ 

 4.   Link Up With a Specialist Charity

 5.   Arrange for a Carers Assessment 

 6.   Find out about Welfare Benefits

 7.   A Benefits Horror Story

 8.   Understanding How the System Works

 9.   Learn to be Proactive and Not to wait for the System to React

 10.  Dealing With Confidentiality

 11.  Parents Learning to Live with Psychosis

PART 5: 

Chapter 10: How Cannabis Effects All Our Lives      148

 1.   The Hidden Impact of Cannabis 

 2.   Cannabis Violence and Knife Crime

 3.   The Cost of Mental Illness

 4.   The Need to Raise Public Awareness

 5.   The Role the Education System has to Play

 6.   To Legalise or Not to Legalise 

 7.   The Case To Legalise Cannabis for Recreational Use

 8.   The Case Against Legalising Cannabis for Recreational Use

 9.   Summary of Legalisation of Cannabis

 10. My Views on Legalisation of Cannabis

 11. If, in the Future, the UK Legalises Cannabis, What Should Future Legalisation Look Like?

Chapter 11: Final Reflection      182

Epilogue: When Hope Flowers      185

Appendix 1: The three basic components the government should include in any future legislation to legalise cannabis

Illustrations:

Fig 1: Reported Proportion of Adults Using Cannabis, 1996-2018, Age Groups 16-24 & 16-59

Fig 2: A single brain cell

Fig 3: The synapse gap

Fig 4: Pupils who have admitted to taking drugs

Fig 5: Number of drugs and type of drug taken in the last year by schoolchildren 

Fig 6: Factors associated with taking drugs

Fig 7: Reported Proportion of Adults Using Cannabis, 1996-2018, Age groups 16-24 &16-59

Acknowledgements      189

Cannabis is a ‘time bomb’ that few seemed to have heard go off. Thousands of young people are having their minds wrecked by this innocuous looking plant. As one teacher told me “It is not the smell of tobacco you smell behind the bicycle sheds these days it is cannabis”. It’s time parents, policy makers and politicians wake up and start to ‘smell the pot’. 

Cannabis - My First Concerns

“Can you see the TV in my eyes? Look closer and you will see my eyes are tuned into channel two; go on have a good look”. I did look, but being careful not to go along with Justin’s obvious delusions, and also being careful not to upset Justin (not his real name), I responded; “I can’t see what you can see Justin, but I believe that is what you can see”. Justin was a tall man in his thirties, his face was tired and haggard - his skin in poor condition and hair unkempt. He had recently been discharged from a psychiatric hospital and placed in a supported home I managed back in the early 1980s. Three years earlier, Justin put a brick through the window of a TV shop, jumped inside and sat amongst his ‘friends’. He was arrested, put in prison, then later moved to a psychiatric hospital. As part of his rehabilitation he was placed in the care of the supported home. I rang the Community Psychiatric Nurse and told him what Justin had said to me. He agreed that he was starting to get delusional again and that he may have to go back into hospital - we later found cannabis in his room - Justin had a history of using cannabis, which went back to when he first became ill at university. 

This was the first time I started to question whether cannabis might be linked to mental illness. I was responsible for overseeing fifteen houses providing homes for over 120 people, mostly with schizophrenia. I decided to do my own study by gently asking residents if they had ever taken cannabis. A small minority had and, worryingly, some were still using it, including Justin.

In the 70s and 80s cannabis was mostly considered a harmless recreation drug which hippies used to chill out at music festivals. When I raised the issue at the time, it was argued that there were far too many other factors to pin the blame on cannabis, there was little scientific evidence proving any such link (although unbeknown to me there was major research going on in Sweden) and besides, many psychiatric patients also drank, smoked heavily, often lived chaotic lives and sometimes used other illegal substances, so it was impossible to make a direct link. The issue continued to nag me for many years, but without any proper evidence there was little point in pushing it. 

That was thirty-five years ago; thanks to modern science we now know with reasonable certainty that cannabis can lead to very serious mental health issues, such as schizophrenia and psychotic episodes. (We have also learned that it is particularly dangerous for teenagers, whose brains are still developing, and who are being exposed to far more powerful and dangerous strains of cannabis - commonly known as skunk.) Cannabis is the most popular illegal drug used by teenagers and has started to replace cigarette smoking. It is becoming more and more difficult for parents to shield their children from cannabis. Young people are being exposed to it at schools, colleges and socially. It is not uncommon to see them smoking it in parks after school and the smell of cannabis is increasingly permeating the streets of our inner cities. There is very strong evidence that cannabis can be addictive, and it can lead to more powerful drugs such as heroin – cannabis is most definitely a ‘Gateway Drug’ as many long-term drug addicts 

will admit.  

Cannabis-induced psychosis amongst teenagers has substantially increased over the years. According to research reported in The Psychiatry Lancet (vol 6. 1 May 2019)1 cannabis is now one of the biggest causes of first-time psychosis in South London; it accounts for a staggering 30% of new cases and 50% of new cases in Amsterdam - both cites having a reputation for high-potency cannabis being sold on the streets. Incidences of schizophrenia have more than doubled. 

Cannabis has now become a major issue, affecting many thousands of teenagers every year who are ending up with serious mental health issues and for many, it will last a lifetime. At the same time governments around the world are looking to legalise cannabis; many have already done so for medical use, including the UK. The large multi-national companies are investing billions into developing and advertising cannabis-based health products, and are actively lobbying governments to legalise cannabis. Similar studies that have identified the dangers of cannabis have also shown that cannabis can have health benefits, particularly with pain relief. 

The therapeutic value of cannabis has been known for centuries, as well as its mind-altering properties. So, the question arises, what do you say to your children when there are so many mixed messages about cannabis? On the one hand they are being told it can be dangerous, on the other hand governments are legitimising its use by legalising it, thus sending the green light to teenagers that it’s ok to use.

I hope this book will help parents to unravel this conundrum and help to give the whole family a far better understanding of this very complex plant. My prime objective is to highlight the considerable dangers cannabis can pose to young people. To give parents the confidence to talk about cannabis and drugs in general during those crucial pre-teen years. To enable parents to steer their teenage children away from cannabis which, sadly, most are likely to come across in their young lives. It may all seem a bit too daunting but, having researched models around the world, I am confident if parents take some very basic steps which are outlined in this book, they can make a substantial difference to their children’s understanding of mind-altering drugs such as cannabis, and also empower their children to make an informed choice if they are ever tempted to experiment with cannabis.

Sadly, for many parents that informed choice is too late. Many thousands of parents throughout the UK are currently struggling to cope with a loved one who has succumbed to a cannabis-induced mental illness. Far too many parents are feeling a sense of despair, hopelessness and bewilderment about who to turn to for help. 

I hope to offer these parents some hope by drawing on the experience of hundreds of parents I have come across in my professional career in mental health, and drawing on my own personal experience when my son developed cannabis-induced psychosis. 

This book offers some simple tried and tested strategies that parents can use to help to reverse the desperate situation they find themselves in. The book also provides some practical advice on how to communicate and encourage their loved one to seek help and how to deal with the multiple and complex array of agencies that parents have to wrestle with. My book provides QR links to many organisations so that you as the reader will get the best out of this book.

I also hope Gone To Pot will be a wake-up call to the government to proceed with considerable caution with regards to the legalising of cannabis, and not to be pressurised by public and political pressure from some of the large pharmaceutical companies who seek to make huge profits from the sale of legalised cannabis. There is a lot at stake; studies are showing that cannabis is linked to a decline in educational achievement, youngsters dropping out of school, poorer career prospects and unemployment. There is also growing evidence that cannabis could be linked to violence and the increase in knife crime which is all explained later on in the book. There is also increasing evidence that cannabis-induced mental illness is just the tip of the iceberg, that cannabis can have a much subtler impact on people’s mental well-being - a loss in personal drive, ambition and disengagement with the rest of society. The research on the subtler effects of cannabis is not as well defined as its link with psychosis, but it is there, as I will point out in this book. 

I am concerned that, as a society, we are sleep-walking into legalising cannabis without fully understanding the consequences that legalisation will have on society as a whole. As I will show in the book, I have changed my mind about whether we should legalise cannabis. I have realised that it is not a straightforward ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question; there are many other factors to consider before we can begin to even think about legalising cannabis. If we, as a society, do not grasp the very serious issue cannabis poses, then not only will we be condemning tens of thousands of bright young teenagers to a life of isolation, loneliness and despair, we will be placing an enormous burden on parents who will be left to pick up the pieces. 

Lastly, the one thing that has kept my interest in mental illness alive is the fact that it is one of the few chronic conditions we can reverse, unlike Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s. The vast majority of people who experience mental illness get better and go on to live normal lives; even people with chronic conditions such as schizophrenia, can and do improve, and go on to live stable and fulfilling lives. One of the key components to recovery is early intervention and the importance of the family and individual parents. It is often those with loving and supporting parents who have the greatest fighting chance to improve and stabilise their condition. I hope this book will encourage parents to help their children to avoid experimenting with cannabis in the first place and, for those parents already wrestling with cannabis-induced mental illness, I hope this book will provide some positive help during these difficult times.

(Note: I often refer to ‘marijuana’ instead of cannabis. For the purposes of this book they both mean the same. Marijuana is simply the name other countries, particularly the USA and Australia, use for cannabis.)

Who would have thought such a harmless-looking plant has the ability to profoundly distort people’s thoughts, feelings and emotions. The ability to bring about hedonistic bliss and euphoria. The ability to heighten an individual’s sense of smell, sound and sight. 

In the late 90s, when my son was in his teens, he was seduced by the trappings of this seemingly innocuous plant and ended up with a severe mental illness which affects him to this day. 

This chapter graphically recalls those early days of my son’s illness, and how we desperately tried to rescue him and find a way out of the nightmare.

A Bolt from the Blue

It was six o’clock on a warm summer’s evening when my teenage son asked me a question that was to change my life, and the life of my family forever. I was watching the BBC News; a woman in black was bent over her dead son; she was wailing pitifully. It was all too depressing, so I reached for the remote. As I did so, my 19 year old son, Steve, who had been studying the floor, slowly raised his head and said, “Why did you ring the BBC?” “BBC, Steve, what are you talking about?” “You know!” he snapped back, “Don’t deny it, you rung the BBC; they have been talking about me on the television all day.” My heart missed a beat; I went cold, I felt sick. All those weeks earlier when I was thinking he might be getting a little depressed because his girlfriend had packed him in and the problems he was having at college, I was wrong. I knew then I had a very, very sick boy. That day I went to work a dad, and went to bed a carer. 

Several excruciating weeks later, Steve was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and hospitalised. My wife and I later discovered that for the previous six months, he had been binging on cannabis, something we had missed. Neither of us had ever smoked or come across cannabis; in fact, I thought he might be suffering with a bit of depression. The psychosis quickly took hold of Steve’s mind like some aggressive malignant cancer. We were witnessing the destruction of his mind; it was as if he was trapped in a bottle and drowning in madness. He mumbled in some strange incomprehensible language, walked about the house shouting at the walls, locking himself in his room refusing to come out, and covering his head with the sheets when I walked in. He was a boy gripped by absolute fear and terror. Chris and I helplessly watched on as his beautiful mind was slowly being mutilated. It was more than I could bear at times; it was like watching your son being tortured before your eyes, and there was nothing you could do to stop it. I felt totally powerless. I desperately wanted to reach out and rip out what was destroying his mind. I hoped beyond hope that Steve would wake up and it would all be over, that his mind was clear, and that the cannabis haze had drifted away. Sadly, that was not to be.

The Worst Night of my Life

It was four weeks later during the night of Wednesday 11 August, 1999, when I experienced the worst night of my life. The following day I had an early start, so I went to bed early, I read a few pages of my book, set the alarm and hit the pillow. Three hours later I was awoken by a terrible crash followed by shouting - it was Steve. 

I rushed into his bedroom to find him standing in the corner of the room, fear radiating from every pore of his face - his whole body was trembling. “Steve, are you alright, what’s the matter?” I asked. Steve just stood transfixed, he seemed paralysed with fear. “Are you my dad?” A quivering voice replied. “Of course I am Steve”, I responded. “You’re not an alien, are you?” said Steve. “Of course not Steve, it’s me, your dad”. As I approached him to put my arm around him, he flinched, and backed off. “It’s me Steve, it’s your dad”, trying to reassure him. He turned his face away from me and stared out of the window. He started rambling to himself incoherently. I desperately tried to make out what he was saying but it was impossible. I asked him again if he was alright, but he told me to go away. I asked him if he wanted a drink, but he told me to go back to bed. I asked him to get back into bed which to my surprise he did. As I left the room, I could see the door frame was badly split where it had been violently slammed.

Chris, my wife, was standing in the hallway, her hands clasping her cheeks, I told her that it was perhaps best to leave him and let him go back to sleep. We both got back into bed and lay discussing the situation. Chris was urging me to get Steve into hospital. We had seen his GP four weeks earlier, who had referred Steve to the local Community Mental Health Team. A Psychiatrist had visited Steve and had confirmed that Steve was suffering from psychosis - possibly schizophrenia. We were both in a state of shock. The psychiatrist suggested that we wait to see how things develop, and that they would try and treat his psychosis at home rather than in hospital.

As we lay discussing what to do, there was a sudden almighty crash and the sound of breaking glass - Steve was screaming at the top of his voice -“Fuck off, fuck off, fuck off!” I jumped out of bed and ran to his bedroom. I entered the darkened room, to find Steve silhouetted against the window. He turned and lurched towards me, his six-foot frame stood over me - a beam of light from the hallway draped his face revealing eyes that were full of fear and menace. I was frightened. “It’s me Steve, it’s your dad”. He looked bewildered. “It’s alright Steve, it’s me”, I once again reassured him. He continued to study my face for what seemed ages; he looked totally confused. He suddenly turned away and got back into bed and in a calm voice said, “Go back to bed dad, it’s nothing”. I went to pick up the pieces of the shattered ashtray, but he angrily told me to get out. I dearly wanted to talk to him; I wanted to find out what I could do to help him, but the truth was I was fearful and uncertain what to do. I returned to our bedroom; Chris was crying. “We have to do something,” she sobbed. “He needs to go to hospital now. I want my son back. I want my son back”. Steve started shouting again. Chris went to go to him. I told her not to and that we should just wait a while to see if he quietens down, she looked at me and said, “You’re frightened, aren’t you”. Her words were like a spear piercing through me - little Terry Hammond, the poor kid from the back streets of Tooting, the ducker and diver, the born survivor - never lost for a word - knocked for six. Yes, Chris was right - I was frightened. I sat on the edge of the bed feeling defeated. All that so-called experience working in mental health meant nothing. For the first time in my life I simply did know what to do or say - should I cry? Is that what a real man should do? But I don’t cry, I have never cried, not once as an adult - not even when my grandfather died, who I was very close to, not even when my beloved Sam the Great Dane had to be put down. Crying - it’s a sign of weakness - isn’t it?

The sound of Steve continued to dominate the house. I stayed sitting on the edge of the bed, Chris’s words still echoing in my head. If I go into his bedroom, would Steve be able to hold himself back this time? Could I defend myself against an attack? He is bigger and far stronger than me; what if he tries to kill me? He is certainly physically capable - who knows what madness lurks inside his head. With a great deal of fear and foreboding, I decided to go to Steve’s room, I stood outside for a while, listening. Thankfully, his shouting had abated and he was mumbling away to himself. I opened the door and listened in - he was in bed. I decided that the worst was over and quietly closed the door, relieved that I had not been put to the test. We eventually got Steve into hospital four weeks later - those four weeks were hell!

Several years later, I asked Chris about the night she asked me if I was frightened about going into Steve’s bedroom after his shouting. I asked her if she was angry with me and whether she thought I had been a coward. I was somewhat surprised and relieved when she said that she had not been angry with me at all, her anger was with the mental health services for prolonging the dreadful situation we were in, and for allowing Steve to suffer for so long. She did not blame any individual professional; indeed, she thought the psychiatrist had done what he thought was right. It was the endemic failure of the ‘mental health system’ to react to a crisis that concerned her.

Steve’s health continued to decline. He became increasingly paranoid and his behaviour became ever more bizarre and frightening. He made the strangest of wailing noises in the middle of the night and he continued to talk in what seemed like some strange forgotten language. I started to record him and kept a diary of his actions so I could demonstrate to the Mental Health Team how bad things were getting. I used to follow him on his midnight excursion to the local park. I would duck and dive behind trees and bushes like some demented Inspector Clouseau, to see what he was up to, only to discover he was having a quiet fag on the park bench feeding the ducks.

One night, after reading an article about the high risk of suicide amongst newly diagnosed patients, I went into his room to check that he was still breathing. In a panic I started prodding him - Steve woke in a start, “What the fuck you doing Dad?” I felt totally embarrassed, made some excuse and left. Was I becoming a suitable case for treatment?!

Hospitalisation

Steve was finally taken into hospital and there he stayed for three months. When I dropped him off, I felt a great sense of relief as the previous weeks had been a truly dreadful time, but the sense of relief was soon eclipsed by a deep sense of shame. I felt ashamed that I had failed my son. I had let him down. I was abandoning him, at a time when he was in great need. As Steve sat on his hospital bed, passively staring up at the nurse who gently explained the routine, I felt the same sense of anguish I experienced when I left Steve in the hands of his first teacher. He was frightened then, and he was very frightened now. As I gave him a hug and we said our goodbyes, Steve suddenly stood up and said “I don’t want to be here dad, I want to come back with you”. “You can’t, Steve”, I replied, struggling for a better response. “But I am feeling alright now,” he said, trying to reassure me. I could see Chris welling up. “You can’t, Steve, you just can’t”. Those dreadful nights came flashing through my mind - his constant shouting and screaming at his voices, and having to wash the blood off the walls and carpet where he had been thumping his head against his bedroom wall, regularly apologising to the neighbours for Steve’s loud music and swearing in the middle of the night.

“Please Steve, give it a try for Mum’s sake.” For a few desperate seconds I thought, perhaps, just perhaps, he was OK; maybe this experience had somehow brought him round. I could feel my paternal instincts starting to kick in, my resolve was weakening. The experienced nurse detected that I was struggling, and she was clearly concerned that Chris was getting distressed. “Let your mum and dad get off, Stephen - do you prefer to be called Stephen or Steve?” “Steve,” he instinctively replied. “Right, Steve, what do you want for dinner tonight?” she asked, handing him a menu and gently signalling us to leave. I took Chris’s hand and left the room and as we did so, Steve called out to us, “You will come tomorrow, won’t you?” “Of course, Steve, of course”, I reassured him. The corridor leading from the ward to the main entrance was lined with paintings done by patients. I knew it would not be long before Steve’s painting would be exhibited - tears poured down my face.

Introduction

Parents do not have the time to wait for governments to get their act together and produce large scale cannabis awareness campaigns. They must act now and get on with the job of teaching their children why and how to avoid cannabis and drugs generally. As parents we all understand the need to teach our children to look after themselves - not to get into cars with strangers, don’t mix with trouble-making kids, stay away from rough areas, not get involved in gang culture; the list goes on. Teaching your children about cannabis is no different. 

Understanding Why Your Child Would Want to Take Cannabis

There are many reasons your child would choose to use cannabis and it isn’t just because it’s fun and makes them feel good. One very important reason could be as a result of some underlying health issue; they could be depressed or suffering with a physical health problem. I heard about a family some years ago whose son started taking cannabis in his mid-teens. After months of heartache they discovered that their son had a cyst on his spine which was causing him pain. He took cannabis to relieve the pain and, once the cyst was treated, he stopped taking cannabis. I appreciate that this is a rare case but the point is, don’t immediately assume your child’s cannabis use is simply them being delinquent; look for other possible causes, including, bullying, low self-esteem, depression and problems at school. That’s why it is important to talk to the school, college, workplace and also their friends first. Do a bit of detective work, especially if cannabis use seems very much out of character. There are many reasons why young people take cannabis, which include:

 •  It makes them feel good and it’s fun

 •  Peer pressure 

 •  Curiosity 

 •  Natural rebellion and act of defiance

 •  Environmental, especially in areas of deprivation and high unemployment where drug use thrives

 •  Lack of confidence

 •  Misinformation - influencers telling them that it’s safe, especially some people in the media

The following diagram explores which characteristics might be associated with having taken drugs in the last month. This identifies associations, not causes; in other words, factors which identify youngsters with an increased or decreased likelihood of having taken drugs in the last month.

NHS Digital

When Do You Start Talking to Your Children about Drugs?

Educational experts suggest talking to children as early as possible; you can even start introducing them to the potential dangers involved from the age of three. This may sound completely daft but the suggestion is, not that you speak to them about illegal drugs-they obviously would not understand the concept - but about the need to make children aware of the dangers of putting in their mouths any tablets they might find.  It is about having basic safety guidelines, explaining to them that the tablets are medicines taken for health reasons’, they are not sweets and they must not touch them as it could make them very sick. I am sure most parents will have spoken to their children about this topic and, therefore, you will have already started talking to them about the dangers of drugs, albeit legal ones. 

In respect of illegal drugs, and cannabis in particular, experts suggest the starting age can be between eight and twelve. This is the age they begin to understand the concept of what is ‘socially’ right and wrong, and will begin to understand what breaking the law means. It will of course depend on the child - some mature quicker than others. You know your child - it’s your call - but please try not to leave it until they are teenagers when the hormones have kicked in, and when communicating with young teenagers can be more problematic. If you have not built up a rapport with your children by the time they are teenagers, then there is the danger that they are more likely to see you as out of touch, out of tune with their generation, not being “cool”  and not knowing what you are talking about. That’s why it is important to start communicating early so the question of drugs/cannabis becomes a natural subject to discuss later. 

If the drugs subject has not previously been discussed and your children are already teenagers, it is even more important to raise the issue of cannabis and drugs.  Don’t sweep it under the carpet as one of those subjects best left unspoken because the issue could become a greater problem in later life when it might be much more difficult to deal with. 

If there is already a problem of drugs and cannabis use in the family, it is even more important that the matter be raised.  It will almost certainly require considerably more persuasion and energy to reverse a child’s attitude to drug taking than it otherwise would have been if preventative action had been taken earlier.  My family found this out the hard way, but the crucial message is that there are a multitude of actions that can be taken regardless of the situation a family might find themselves in. 

In this chapter we will explore in more detail some of the practical steps you and your family can take to start to get back some 

control of your lives and start feeling that you are heading in the 

right direction.

When my son had finally become a ‘patient’, had been allocated various health professionals to support him, and was on a course of medication, I began to feel like a passive observer. It was similar to his first day at school when I left him in the playground - he let go of my hand and disappeared through the large double doors, holding someone else’s hand. I was no longer in control, and he was no longer totally dependent on us. I felt a bit like that with Steve - after months of turmoil, confusion and fear, after months of running around and ringing people, left right and centre - all of a sudden, the system had taken over - I felt a little impotent. But actually, when the system does take over, that’s the time for the family to regroup, time for you to catch your breath and time to do a little planning. There are a number of simple practical things you can start to plan, that will help you move forward and give you a sense of taking back control. 

This Chapter will cover a range of topics that I hope will be of interest to a much wider audience than pre-teen and teenage parents for whom I initially wrote this book. My aim is to stimulate discussions and interest with the wider public, politicians, policy makers and adult cannabis users. Some of the issues I am raising in this Chapter are likely to be controversial, particularly what I consider to be the potentially huge problem of the hidden and more subtle dangers of cannabis which could be affecting hundreds of thousands of users. Other subjects I will be covering include the need to raise public awareness and health education, and the thorny discussion whether cannabis should be legalised.

With countries around the world relaxing their laws on cannabis, and big business snapping at the heels of governments to legalise, the pressure is on for more countries to liberalise their laws on the recreational use of cannabis, not least the UK. Many countries have already legalised cannabis for medical use, including the UK (2018). But only a handful of countries have made it legal nationwide: Uruguay, Canada, Georgia, South Africa and several states in the US; Luxembourg looks set to be the first European country to fully legalise cannabis in 2021. I should point out that many countries, such as Holland, Portugal, Spain and Germany, took a more liberal approach to cannabis many years before Uruguay legalised cannabis. However, cannabis still remains illegal in these counties who simply ‘relaxed’ their laws; for example, making possession a civil offence - like illegal parking or speeding- rather than a criminal offence. In Holland the official tourist website is quick to point out that cannabis is still illegal. On the face of it, the question to legalise or not to legalise does seem a fairly straightforward one. For supporters of cannabis, legalising is about giving people freedom of choice without being criminalised and also taking it out of the hands of criminal gangs. For those who are against, legalising is a Public Health issue; it’s a dangerous substance which can cause serious harm to people.

When you start to dig deeper into both sides of the argument, it becomes far less straightforward. There are powerful arguments on both sides. When I started writing this book, I supported the legalisation of drugs, even though my own son became a casualty. Six months into writing my book I began to realise just how complicated legalisation is. I began to realise that legalisation is not just about freedom of choice and protecting society from criminal gangs, but also about protecting people’s health, particularly young people, who often look at the world in simplistic black and white terms. Legalising cannabis would, without doubt, send the wrong message to teenagers who would interpret legalisation as the thumbs up from us adults. It’s a very difficult circle to try and square, but it’s one we must if we are to move forward and leave a legacy for future generations of which we can be proud, and one that future historians can look back and say, “they finally got it right”. I hope that the following chapter will help in some small way to move us in that direction.