Last Updated on 19th September 2020

The UK’s first-ever cannabis education centre is set to open in Weston-Super-Mare.

The site, located on Station Road, was bought by drug advocacy group FACES, which stands for Free Addiction Cannabis Education and Support.

FACES was founded by former project manager Steve Melhuish, who became a drug safety activist after the death of his 24-year-old brother, Robert Cox. Cox was stabbed to death by a fellow patient while staying at a mental health facility for people with substance abuse issues.

Through FACES, Melhuish hopes to “educate about the benefits and risks of cannabis”.

As well as cannabis education the “potentially revolutionary” facility plans to provide community amenities such as a radio station, live music, comedy nights, a mentoring facility and art exhibitions. FACES also plan to provide a drug testing service for members of the public to test the safety of illicit substances they have purchased.

Once the centre is set up, Melhuish also plans to open up a CBD restaurant. So far, Melhuish has raised £20,000 from crowd-funding efforts and has won support from local police.