Last Updated on 14th September 2020

Exclusive: Neil Woods – former undercover police officer and leading drug law reform advocate believes Boris will use cannabis to boost post-Brexit Britain

New British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to decriminalise cannabis and make the drug one of the pillars of the UK’s post-Brexit economy. That’s the view of Neil Woods, once one of the country’s top undercover narcotics officers, whose experiences turned him into a leading advocate for drug law reforms. His story has been optioned by the production company behind Line of Duty, the hit television series.

Speaking to The Extract this week, Woods highlighted the recent appointment of high-profile cannabis advocates, particularly new justice adviser Blair Gibbs, as an indication of how the UK plans to revive what is sure to be a shattered economy if departure from the European Union is confirmed. “Reading between the lines, I think that (regulation) is the plan. That is what Boris Johnson intends. He has taken on that policy adviser for a reason. Brexit is going to cause a recession and cannabis could literally bring it out of that recession.”

Highly commended drugs officer who drastically changed direction

If anyone is in a position to understand the pitfalls of the UK’s drug policy, it’s Woods. For 14 years he worked as an undercover drugs squad officer, posing often as a heroin addict, in a bid to infiltrate drug gangs and bring dealers and bosses to justice. Such was his abilities in the role that he helped to formulate national guidelines for undercover police and trained up officers all over the country. Eventually, he came to see the futility of law enforcement in the area and now believes all drugs should be subject to the same level of attention from police as alcohol.

His principled decision has come at great personal cost, but he is convinced the advocacy role he is now committed to, will eventually be proven right. Woods has had terrifying encounters during his police career. He has faced guns and knives being pointed at him and also had someone try to run him over. He could then be forgiven for doubling down on the campaign against drug barons. Instead, he resigned from the force to focus on advocacy of drugs decriminalisation. He believes Cannabis has benefits that everyone should be allowed to avail of.

Remarkably, when Woods was first selected for this arduous work, there was no profiling for his suitability, nor any advance training. “Some drug squad officers suggested I have a go at it and it started from there really. It was by chance because I had no training for a few years. It’s not something that was tried in the UK before. The process of selecting people nowadays involves courses I helped to create and you normally only get 2 out of every 12 persons who pass and those courses were quite vigorous.”

Good cop, bad cop

Woods is a fan of the police show, Line of Duty, and says much of its content tallies with his experience. Interestingly the makers of that series have seen enough from his two published books (‘Good Cop, Bad War’ and ‘Drug Wars’) to consider bringing his story to television audiences. “Corruption was rife and you couldn't put anyone at risk by telling them about what I did really. I managed and still got to bring my kids to swimming Sunday mornings.”

“Line of Duty is much more well-informed than people realise and it's the first time the scale of corruption is being presented like that. It’s a shame some people might see it as a far-fetched drama but the corruption is real.

The closing sequence of the final episode where the young criminal is joining the police. That’s the reality. I've come across criminal gangs having members join the police. That is a reality of drug prohibition.”

The practice of embedding a young criminal in the police force was notably dramatised in the Oscar-winning ‘The Departed’. The person becomes familiarised with police culture and learns how to blend in and not arouse suspicion. Woods says it is just one of a number of reasons current drug policy is counterproductive.

Counterproductive policing

“The action of policing drugs is what creates that corruption, because the police never reduce the size of the market. Never. Arresting a dealer just creates an opportunity for the next one. So what the police do over time is thin out the competition for the most successful gangsters. Those gangsters are constantly increasing their share of the pie, which over time gives them the wealth to corrupt the system. It is that actual act of policing drugs that leads to corruption.”

Woods' hard-won and unique perspective has certainly helped drive a change in attitude in police forces around the UK. He is not a stereotypical advocate and the organisation he works with, LEAP (Law Enforcement Action Partnership), a collection of police, undercover operatives, intelligence service, military and a range of figures from the criminal justice system, have proven highly influential.

Senior police fully on board

“I've shared a stage with the Chief Constables, the current commissioner of Durham, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, Arfon Jones– they are all on board. You've got police from Avon, Somerset, Dorset, Thames Valley, Lincolnshire. There is a huge amount for support for reform in the police at all levels and it has grown massively in the last 3-4 years.”

His experience in the front line gives him a plausibility to senior officers, who know all about the limitations of combating illegal drugs. But at first, he had to contend with a cold front from former colleagues and the force in general, when he handed in his badge in 2015.

“When I went public I was public enemy number one to policing. Now the arguments we express are winning. Police are receptive to this because they experience the everyday frustrations and the harm done by policing drugs all the time.”

“Of course it has coincided with a time of austerity destroying policing. Police managers have to make a decision on what they spend their money on. Places like Durham have very publicly said they are not targeting cannabis users and people who grow cannabis in their home. It's a matter of public record that they say their resources will be allocated to areas where there is true evidence of benefit. Austerity has brought these arguments very much to the fore.“

Covert police, politicians and press hindering progress

Resistance to drug policy reform is mainly comprised of police working in the world of complex covert drug investigations, politicians and a scaremongering press. Covert police have, says Woods, tended to remain supportive of the status quo. They have spent years investing in their expertise and applying that in the front line fight so it is hard for them to change their mindsets.

Politicians being politicians are often more concerned with keeping a conservative voter base happy than supporting a logical change of law, that might disturb that base. Despite the traditional reticence, a core of politicians in all the main parties are now developing their own reform groups, and they are not the only parties whose activities contradict official policy.

“In terms of policy, I met a civil servant working on drug policy from the Home Office and he said it definitely needed reform but people like him ‘have to do what the politicians and elected officials say’. Government in recent times have just repeated the same old fashioned mantra.”

Police not following the party line

Hard-pressed police commissioners are not waiting for government to see the light. Woods is fascinated with the flagrant disregard by different police forces to the official government line.

“Police have been so progressive in the UK, saying they won’t target cannabis users. The government just came out with a bland statement – we expect the police to carry out the law.

It’s not outright conflict but there is very distinct disagreement between the Home Office and the police and the police are basically not doing what they are told. It’s interesting as the Home Office could be firmer but they don't want to be firmer because they don't want to lose. They don't want it to be highlighted anymore.”

What’s the answer then? – Work to gradually change mindsets at the Home Office and maybe convince covert police to try a different approach to policing cannabis? Woods is unequivocal in that he sees the input of police into drug matters as something that should be removed altogether.

“Police should have nothing to do with drugs at all, other than the same way they treat alcohol”

“From my perspective police should have nothing to do with drugs at all, other than the same way they treat alcohol, with opening hours and not serving the wrong people. There should be no covert policing at all to do with drugs. I would advise taking the full-fat version of reform and regulate every single drug. The need to do so is urgent. I'm more radical than wanting to wind things down. I want things to stop right now.”

He reserves much of his ire for the press, whose long track record of distortion in how they report on drugs, has not helped. He accuses them of peddling lies and exaggeration for decades, with the sole motivation of selling news, irrespective of damage being done.

Woods believes social movement is the only way to bring about change, but it’s quite a battle to arrest the media-driven narrative to date.

“There is a constant moral panic about drug use, whether its Spice or cannabis or mCat (Mephedrone). The result is we have decades of propaganda to get past and changing public opinion is really slow.”

New York this week historically decriminalised cannabis but Woods warns against following their example. He believes Canada’s lead is the example to follow and distrusts what he sees as the capitalist-driven approach of the US.

“If you look at the Red C poll data in places like Colorado, the biggest reason people voted for regulation in these places is the tax benefit- but that doesn't fit the British sensibility at all. We’re more in tune with the Canadians. When you ask them why they were happy to support it, it was a child protection issue. They wanted to restrict access to children by regulating the market and wanted to protect their children from contact with the criminal market. The motivation for change is different to that in the US.”

Facing real life or death scenarios

Woods routinely put his life on the line in pursuit of what he now believes to be an ill-thought out and ultimately failed policy. Just how did he manage to remain collected, when faced with mortal danger? Does it call for acting ability?

“I had a slight advantage in situations like that. We all deal with adrenaline spikes in our own way. When the situation forced an adrenaline spike I would get the sensation that time had slowed down and I had all the time in the world to think.The adrenaline surge to me was like a relaxing thing – I felt I had plenty of time to think it through and solve the problem but maybe that was my mind speeding up.”

“When we eventually did have training, it was made clear that we are not actors but we are merely playing a different version of ourselves. So I wouldn't necessarily say I was a good actor but I was a good liar- that was one of the enjoyable things about the work to be honest – I just loved that manipulation of everything around me and maintaining a lie. Maintaining a lie in difficult circumstances is a real intellectual exercise and I enjoyed that challenge.”

PTSD and keeping a roof over your head

Unfortunately for Woods, while his life is no longer in danger, he can no longer count on a steady police wage. Since he resigned from the force, there is no pension. But he is contesting that on the basis of the PTSD he now suffers due to the dangerous nature of his work across two decades. There are probably many rank and file police like Neil Woods, who for understandable reasons of financial security, choose to keep their heads down, but he says he found himself ‘duty-bound.’

“I understood the situation clearly and obviously completely changed my views over the years. I felt I had to explain this to people as there wouldn't be change unless people like me do this.”

At the moment several jurisdictions have opened up to allowing medical cannabis to be prescribed. Despite positive results, other countries don’t necessarily see the possibility of best practice and follow suit.

‘Adult’ not ‘Recreational’ cannabis

Legalisation of adult cannabis as Woods advises me to refer to it, instead of recreational cannabis, faces a similar issue. To detour slightly, using the word ‘recreational’, says Woods, “conjures up images of hedonism and recklessness. If you replace it with ‘adult’, it conjures up images of responsibility and grown-up behaviour.”

The dangers of Orwellian perversion of language aside, Woods believes all will change sooner than many think. EWe continue to see the growth in large UK cbd whitelabel companies and tax revenue usually brings change!

“I think cannabis will be regulated in the UK within five years- I think it will come that quickly – I really do.”

Pointing to the inevitability of the next General Election,” he says, “whichever government comes in, it will have cross-party support and the two recent pollings see the public majority support reform and a regulated market.”

“That’s impossible to ignore and exactly what politicians are looking at. I’m not saying I want Boris Johnson in power, but it gives an indication of just how close to power the issue of reforming cannabis is. Reformers chosen as advisers to the Prime Minister – you can't get much higher influence that that.”

Woods memorably told another publication recently, that the UK doesn’t allow 70% rum any more, because it used to kill people, so the authorities regulated alcohol strength. He says it’s logical to do the same for other drugs, and protect children in the same way.

“Cannabis can be the first one for an adult market but it's not the most important one for me because people aren't dying from cannabis. The heroin and MDMA markets need to be regulated – 74 UK kids died last year and they all died because it's an unregulated product. MDMA is not banned because it's dangerous- it's dangerous because its banned.”

Enjoy reading more in our guide to the CBD laws in the UK