Ever forgotten to take the chicken off your head - or just couldn't be bothered?

Annmarie Carr - HIT

Communicating with frequent and heavy cannabis users

Perception regarding risks that can be related to cannabis use
Home Office Commission
Conclusions

It is reported in the 2000 British Crime Survey that in England and Wales lifetime cannabis use between 1981 and 2000 amongst those aged 20 - 24 years increased from 12% to 52%

HIT began to perceive cannabis in a different light

Feedback from customers about working with cannabis users
Local research and dissertation

International research and evidence

HIT felt that there was an inadequacy in the current response
Current publications did not meet customers needs
New materials should provides a brief intervention based on Australian model (Jan Copeland 2003)

HIT has produced several new information initiatives over the last two years to meet the demand for cannabis information

Cannabis and the law, booklet and cards

Reclassification caused confusion particularly with the young
Information about currant cannabis law relevant to those over and under 18 years old

Know Cannabis

Aimed at young people giving information about

Law
Health risks
Methods of use
Practical advice on controlling use
Self help website

NB - see UKCIA comments about "Know Cannabis"

Updating cannabis booklet to include harm reduction

Information on the effects, risks and problems of using cannabis - including respiratory risks, memory loss and mental health, smoking harm reduction advice, advice on how to cut down or stop using.

First perspectives on cannabis conference

A one day conference covering the societal, culture, legal,public health, and medical aspects of cannabis debate.

Training courses "Gone to pot"

Smoking cessation workers across North west have attended the course. Learning objectives include:
To highlight the effects, risks and harms associated with cannabis
To consider interventions with cannabis users - concerns, approaches and techniques

Home Office Intervention

HIT commissioned to communicate with frequent and heavy users across the UK
Concern that reclassification gave the impression that cannabis was risk free

New Home Office intervention to be informed by:

Previous HIT work
Research conducted by independent research group (Cragg, Ross and Dawson)
Sample form four areas of Britain
Aged 13 - 40+ years

Home Office Research - Positives for user

Congratulated themselves on choice of drug, natural, healthier, benign and a medicine
Exclusive club for cool people, chilled out, relaxed unlike "squares" (!)
Music, art, conversation all heightened - bonding is big
Rituals around rolling joints important and enjoyable
* Attributes and beliefs were consistent across all respondents

Home Office Research - Negative effects

Lethargy - underachieving, get in a rut
Dependency
Minor mental health problems, short term memory loss, anxiety and paranoia
Relationship problems - home, work
Respiratory problems - asthma, sore throat etc
Cost - some spending up to £100 a week
* "agreed amusement" about negative effects

Home Office Research - Future education needs

Information should be from a credible source (Howard Marks)
Credibility through discussion - using cannabis using networks
No prohibition agenda
Details are important (shape of leaf!)

HIT campaign for the Home Office

Aim 1
To increase knowledge of the problems associated with heavy and frequent use of cannabis
Aim 2
To give practical advice and support to those choosing to cut down or stop their cannabis use

Objective 1
To engage heavy and frequent cannabis users by using acknowledged shared experiences and problems in promotional products such as magazine adverts and posters
Objective 2
Cannabis using network used to disseminate campaign messages (head shops, specialist magazines, record shops)

Objective 3
Provide information in a way which allows frequent and heavy users to assess the impact cannabis has on their life
Objective 4
Allow frequent and and heavy users to make an informed decision about reducing or stopping their cannabis use,and to provide materials that will help support them

Development of promotional materials to engage the user group

NB Several slides were shown of poster ideas which were rejected - including the one about forgetting to take the chicken off you head. The home Office rejected a lot of the ideas.

Politics - ministers became responsible for the campaign
It was seen as controversial
Though to trivialize the issue

Know Cannabis - Campaign branding

Posters

"Starting to feel anxious?"
Designed to make target group consider how dependent they have become on cannabis

"Have you become an expert?"
Designed to make the target group consider if they are in a rut

Information booklet

Addressing the effects
Dependency
Smoking risks
Mental health
Debt
Relationships
Law

A guide to cutting down and stopping cannabis use

Are you psychologically dependent on cannabis?
Short term and long term problems
What are the reasons for wanting to change?
Plan to change
Withdrawal
Have a back-up plan

Practitioners pack

Introduction by minister
Guidance on how to use materials
Leaflets
Booklets
Posters

Distribution of materials

Formal sites included
Connexions, YOT's and youth services,smoking cessation groups, GP's A&E departments

Informal site included
Head shops, music venues, record shops, student welfare officers, tan shops, barbers

Website

Cannabis information
Tips and techniques to reduce risks
Cannabis quiz to asses individual level of use and risk
Self-help section for those wanting to cut down or give up
Links to helpful organisations
Feedback

Website feedback

Website users asked to give feedback, there were three groups

Those who said it was helpful
Those who were confused by the poliarised debate (particularly other websites)
Those who were angry - these were the majority

Examples of feedback:

You are government prohibitionists only interested in giving a negative slant
The website is inaccurate and detrimental - congratulations in perpetuating the cascade of skewed information
Wake up and smell the coffeeshops, tell the truth, educate the nation of the herb that could heal nations

The website is another additive tot he big lies that the corrupt politicians are desperately holding up
You are persecuting people who cause no problems and who are law abiding except for their use of the herb
Yet another site of lying propaganda. Cannabis DOES NOT CAUSE DEPRESSION and in fact the best medicine for depression

HIT have never received such defensive feedback about any other drug information campaign
Nearly all pointed out cannabis is not as dangerous as alcohol (we never claimed it was)
Difficult to imagine the same response from users of alcohol, cocaine etc

Conclusions

Communicating cannabis information is complex
Credibility is difficult to achieve
Difficult to find imagery and message that appeal to a wide group of people
Bipolar debate, seemingly no middle ground
Giving balanced view prove to be problematic (commissioners vs target group)

NB Government agenda is blocking effective communication with users.

Government agencies open to new ways Of communicating
Working with government agencies means some restriction influenced by policies, not needs.

UKCIA does not encourage anyone to grow or use cannabis. The aim of the site is as an information resource which will help people fight the injustice of prohibition with the strongest of weapons: Knowledge.

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