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Teesside Cannabis Club

Teesside Cannabis Club is a members-only cannabis social club in Stockton-on-Tees, England. It is known locally as the Exhale Harm Reduction Centre. The club does not sell cannabis, operating with a bring-your-own policy, but does sell snacks and non-alcohol drinks and acts as a social venue for consumers of cannabis.

History

Teesside Cannabis Club was founded in 2014 by Michael Fisher, beginning as a Facebook group, and opened its current permanent location in 2017. Fisher was inspired by the prevelence of cannabis social clubs in Spain.[1][2]

Under the policing policy the Durham Police and Crime Commissioner Ron Hogg, cannabis policing was relaxed with users only being arrested for growing plants commercially or smoking weed in a "blatant" way.[1] Fisher maintained a good relationship with Hogg, and the local Cleveland Police, and the club's focus on harm reduction enabled it to operate it with police support.[1][3][4] The club has also received support from other senior police figures such as Arfon Jones.[2][5] The club donates a portion of its proceeds to local artists, and has resources to point members to local alcohol and drug support services.[3]

In 2018, the club was featured in the first episode of season four of the Jeremy Kyle documentary series The Kyle Files.[6]

In 2023, the club released a grinder in tribute of Ron Hogg, who had died in 2019.[7]

As of 2024, the club has approximately 850 members.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c Cedar, Ali (2017-04-26). "Inside the UK's Secret Cannabis Coffee Shops". VICE. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  2. ^ a b c Busby, Mattha (2024-04-24). "The Rise and Fall of UK Cannabis Social Clubs". TalkingDrugs. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  3. ^ a b Sinclair, Sarah (2023-06-23). "Inside a UK cannabis club: changing lives, tackling stigma, building community". Cannabis Health News. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  4. ^ "Britain has a police sanctioned cannabis club where celebrities go to legally smoke weed". LADbible. 2023-11-17. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  5. ^ Parveen, Nazia (2018-08-09). "Police chief calls for more cannabis clubs where drug can be used and traded safely". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  6. ^ Cain, James (2018-03-05). "Jeremy Kyle visits Teesside cannabis club for new TV series". Teesside Live. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  7. ^ "Teesside Cannabis Club pays tribute to former police boss". BBC News. 2023-03-07. Retrieved 2025-04-27.

Further reading