A Brief History of Cannabis Culture in the UK

The Devil’s Lettuce. Our glorious Wacky Backy. Weed, Pot, Herb, Reefer, Ganja, Bud – whatever you want to call it. Whether you’re from the mountains of the Himalayas, the streets of Liverpool or the Pacific Islands, these words will be synonymous to you with one beautiful species of plant that has been used for its spiritual, medicinal and recreational purposes across many cultures and regions for thousands of years. 

We’ll get onto the cannabis culture of the UK very soon, but it’s important to know the history too. So, briefly – lets discuss the come-up of our herb, so you can attend your next session with that little, extra bit of knowledge. Let’s go -

During the beginning of the 20^th century, cannabis started to evolve from localised medicinal and spiritual practices into a commodity to be globally traded by colonial powers for a wide range of uses. Cannabis extracts were being sold legally in U.S. and European pharmacies for conditions like pain and insomnia! In the UK, the cultivation of hemp was a crucial cog in the engine of the British Empire, being industrially used for the manufacturing of ships, textiles, fishing nets, canvas and many more vital materials.

However, alongside this rapid growth of trade, came a rise of migration. And, with this growing migration, the seeds for the crackdown and stigmatisation of cannabis were sown. Racially fuelled, anti-immigrant propaganda, particularly in the USA, linked cannabis to violent crimes and ‘foreign cultures’. Cannabis became feared. ‘Reefer Madness’ is probably the most well-known of these propaganda films – it’s worth a quick watch of the trailer, just to really grasp how they wanted weed to be viewed. 

Despite countless restrictive laws and long history of stigmatisation, worldwide cannabis use has constantly been increasing over the last 50 years. I wonder why. Conservative post-war values, racism, consumerism and strict legislation were challenged by the weed smoking, mushroom munching hippies of the 60s and 70s. Smoking weed became an expression of non-conformity - a rejection of the hypocrisy of mainstream institutions that criminalised a plant whilst glorifying war and alcohol. It became a tool of creativity and sparked a cultural shift in attitudes. Artists like The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Hendrix and of course, Bob Marley, paved the way for a slow but steady destigmatisation of cannabis, whilst modern artists continue to do so. As cultural perceptions shifted, deeply engrained racist attitudes faded away and medicinal uses became more widely recognized, the resurgence of cannabis began. 

Now let’s get into the cannabis culture of the UK. From the start of this herb resurgence in the 1960s, to the modern day, the UK’s cannabis culture has adapted and evolved massively. In the 60s and 70s, cannabis use was growing amongst many sub-cultures of society - Caribbean immigrants, travellers returning from India, North Africa and Jamaica, musicians, the hippie movement and the liberal youth. Smoking weed became more common in many areas in London, especially Notting Hill, Camden and Ladbroke Grove, where there was a strong Caribbean and Rastafarian cultural influence. The anti-establishment and rebellious element of cannabis use was further growing. Then, came the 1980s and 90s. And, as always, came Thatcher and with her, the tough, American inspired ‘War on Drugs’ attitude towards the sticky icky. But this didn’t stop cannabis use in the UK. Oh no. It just moved more underground towards rave culture, punk culture, squatters and reggae fans, particularly in London, Manchester and Bristol. The end of the 90s saw cannabis becoming more mainstream and less threatening, through the rise of Britpop bands, student activism, and growing public debate around drugs. TV shows like Ali G and the emergence of Grime and UK Rap helped drive conversations about weed. And let’s not forget about characters abroad, like Snoop Dogg or Cheech & Chong, who used their platforms to vocalise their advocacy for cannabis. People were smoking skunk weed at squat raves, at house parties, at rap battles in Jammer’s basement, and at universities across the country. In the 2000s, Cannabis became even more tolerated and normalised, with the black market hugely growing. These underground growers were ramping up their operations, with large indoor setups and complicated hydroponic growing systems that I don’t understand. This introduced some classic UK strains that will never be forgotten. Cheese, Stardawg, Lemon Haze, Ammi and Sour Diesel, to name a few. These OG strains, whose genetics come from various regions across the globe, would become synonymous with smokers across the UK. At the same time UK Cannabis advocacy groups were growing in numbers and influence. The 2010s saw the eventual legalisation of medical cannabis after a high-profile social media campaign involving epileptic children drove changes to UK legislation in 2018. Today, cannabis has a paradoxical place in British Culture. Despite being mostly illegal, it is widely used by millions of Brits every year and is often portrayed in British films, music, memes, internet culture, fashion, streetwear and the skating scene. Every year on April 20^th, thousands of stoners gather in London Hyde Park to continue the iconic 4/20 tradition that has been held since 1968! You will see businessmen, pensioners, young professionals, college and university students, endless groups of friends, curious tourists and cannabis advocates smoking all together, mostly left alone by police although some incidences do still occur.

The modern cannabis scene has also prompted the rise of canna-influencers, like our local legend Drewissharing, or from the other side of the pond - Dope As Yola, or Eric Khan. The UK’s influence on the worldwide cannabis scene cannot be ignored. One prime example is The TENco, created by Gerry and Staks, who is British. The TENco has become an incredibly successful globally recognised cannabis brand, dropping some of the most exclusive and sought after strains, such as their famed Blue Zushi. Another personal favourite is Dank of England – originating from Edmonton, North London. They’ve been at it for years. A solid representation of UK cannabis culture, coming from humble beginnings and now led by Screech and Iron Barz, Dank of England (DOE) keeps a cannabis legend’s legacy alive. Dean West, or Black the Ripper, at one point perhaps the UK’s loudest and most popular cannabis advocate and founders of DOE, unfortunately passed away in April 2020. The UK’s cannabis scene was devastated by his untimely loss. The boys at DOE keep his spirit alive with the expansion of their brand into the medical market and into legal markets in Barcelona, with the establishment of the homely Dank of England Barcelona Social Club. Black the Ripper’s message, image and brand truly lives on. As of 2025, Cannabis in the UK remains a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 - the same classification as Amphetamines and Ketamine, which I personally find slightly funny. To most stoners in the UK, it is no secret that there are still slight undertones of stigma and judgement associated with cannabis use. Despite the UK’s legalisation of medical cannabis in 2018, it still feels as though we are way behind. A quick trip to Amsterdam, Barcelona or a longer, dreamy journey to California or Thailand leaves us questioning why the law is still so strict back home. But we’ll discuss this in a minute. 

In 2023, 7.6% of people aged 16 to 59 years (around 2.5 million people) reported using Cannabis in the UK, making it the most commonly used drug by citizens who were from a wide variety of backgrounds, ethnicities and socio-economic circumstances. You can’t walk through many areas of most big cities in the UK today without the potential of getting a sweet whiff of some weed. Furthermore, since 2018, the numbers of legal prescription holders have been rising, with campaigners calling for wider availability, lower prices and subsidies on treatment plans. It should be mentioned that medicinal cannabis in the UK is still far too costly for some patients, whilst others have raised complaints about the quality of the flower. Despite this, it’s still a great start. Particularly as the medical market is undoubtedly growing, with new players rapidly entering growing and distribution networks. 

Now, let’s go back to other countries for a minute - Amsterdam, The Netherlands. I can’t shake this feeling of injustice after seeing how smoothly and without incident the legalisation of other nations, like the Netherlands’ just a few hundred miles away, works in practice. Approaching the Amsterdam Coffeeshop tills for the first time, feasting your eyes on the menu and ordering weed as you would a coffee, seems simply surreal. Then, it begins to feel normal. You look around – everyone is talking, listening to music, smiling, working on their laptop, white people, black people, brown people, short, tall, men, women – everyone is represented in these coffeeshops, reminding me of the universality of the cannabis plant once more.

But more importantly, whilst in these coffeeshops, I was reminded of the stark contrast in my experiences with bars and pubs. Yes, pubs are a massive part of British culture and this can’t be ignored, but neither can the idea that an establishment serving alcohol is completely acceptable, whereas one serving Cannabis using the exact same system is disallowed and frowned upon by some portions of society. My opinion is as follows - the medical implications of alcohol and weed can be debated endlessly. At the risk of sounding slightly reductive, there are inherently negatives and positives to everything that we eat, drink and do in our daily lives. However, the overwhelming positive evidence in support of legalization drawn from other countries, rising public acceptance in the UK and clearly illogical, outdated legislation that allows you to easily buy two packs of B&H Blues and 1.75L Grey Goose at a petrol station or corner shop, but not a 3.5, leads me to one simple conclusion. We need further relaxation of our cannabis laws. My question is this – why can’t we have the pubs AND the coffeeshops? Why can’t we have the choice? Imagine if the UK had an ‘Amsterdam style’ coffeeshop system. The instant decimation of all black markets would ease crime rates, particularly knife crimes fueled by gang wars and county lines violence. Incidences of psychosis-inducing laced ‘spice’ weed would become almost nil. The inevitable heavy taxation and strict regulations on legal shops would drive huge revenues for government. One can only dream for now.

Today, the cannabis culture in the UK lives on and thrives. You can get rolling papers and a grinder at almost every corner shop. The black market is huge, with massive imports of California weed reaching all across the UK. Talented and reputable British growers themselves have created their own brands. Every village and hamlet has a plug somewhere. Our European companions are setting examples that the British government will not be able to ignore as the arguments to legalise get stronger.

Things are slowly improving for British stoners. UK-based medicinal cannabis companies and their voices are growing. Advocacy groups are gaining influence. Whilst it’s a difficult industry to get into due to strict regulations and advertising restrictions, there have nevertheless been a rapid growth of cannabis-focused, brick and mortar and online smoke shops and head shops across many British towns.

So let’s wrap up. Despite heavy stigmatisation, cannabis has remained a constant presence in British life for centuries, shaping music, pop culture, activism and medicine. Today, as global attitudes shift, the future of cannabis in the UK looks somewhat bright. Will upcoming British governments cling onto outdated policies or modernize? No matter what, one thing is clear – cannabis is not just a sub-culture anymore, but a key part of British culture. Now I’m going to roll a joint. 

@thehigheststreet