the t‘ui‘e‘. "nu—”m headlines: hurricane harvey has made landfall in texas. the category 4 storm is expected to bring sustained winds of 130 miles an hour and up to a metre of rain. thousands of residents have boarded up thousands of residents have boarded up their homes and fled. donald trump has signed a disaster proclamation. the latest short—range missiles launched by north korea appear to have been unsuccessful. the united states military says one missile blew up almost immediately and two failed in flight. the latest firings come during a joint us—south korea military exercise, which has been strongly criticised by pyongyang. and at least 23 people have been killed in violent protests over the rape conviction of a popular religious leader in northern india. the victims are believed to be followers of the self—styled spiritual guru, gurmeet rahim singh. now on bbc news, newsbeat take a look at the arguments for and against the legalisation of cannabis. cannabis, weed, skunk.

call it what you will. for many people, it's a common sight at music festivals, house parties, and, frankly, at your local town centre. it's the most commonly used illegal drug in britain. last year in england and wales alone, over 2 million people admitted taking it, even though being caught could land you in prison. but all over the world, attitudes to cannabis are changing. these countries have decriminalised the drug, meaning that if you're caught with a small amount of weed, you won't go to jail. some have gone further, and legalised it. and if you want two things to see things changing at pace, look no further than north america. in the us, 21 states have decriminalised small amounts of cannabis for personal consumption, and eight have gone further, legalising it for recreational use. but a place that many are watching is canada, as the country is set

to legalise the drug next year. so with all this happening around the world, some in the uk are asking, cannabis — time for a change? i'm in brighton to meet rob. hello, how are you doing? he is the chair of the brighton cannabis club, and thinks the answer to that question is yes. basically, we are going to a restaurant for a fully medicated meal for members of the brighton cannabis club. when you say medicated, that means there is loads of weed in the meal. yes. it is cannabis infused. it will get you high if you consume it. so this meal is about taking lots of cannabis, basically? yes. lots of people today, it is a rainy, drizzly day at the seaside. but it will go to the pub at lunchtime. why notjust of a pint,

like everyone else? why does it have to be cannabis? we consider cannabis to be more harmless than smoking tobacco or drinking alcohol. where exactly are we going, because we are not exactly just wandering the streets? i can't say the exact location, but it is a venue in brighton that will allow you to book 2a hours in advance, to book in a fully medicated menu, if you are brighton cannabis club member. right. that makes it sound quite dodgy. unfortunately, that is just due to the locality. that is why it is only available for brighton cannabis club members. so in the kitchen here, a couple of shirts have been hard at work or morning, knocking up some food. just take a look over there, now, it looks pretty impressive, to be honest.

and, i'll be honest, it is not the kind of food you would expect in a cafe that you might get in amsterdam or something like that. it is not brownies and space cake or anything like that, it is pretty high end food. i've been chatting to the chef that is minded, and he has worked in some top restaurants. before you get the wrong end of the stick, this is not what they are going to be putting in all the food. this is actually genuinely a dressing for it. the food is good to be infused with an oil that goes through it, and that's where the cannabis will be. what's starters today, then? it will be grain—fed chicken goujons, black garlic aioli, and for the main course, we will be having grilled sea bream fillets and with purple afghan and arancino. it is strange, isn't it? we sat here and it is quite civilised event. we have are to wine and it is a relaxed atmosphere. the government would say that what you are doing is illegal, and it is illegal because of the harm it can do to you, your friends, and wider society. why do you think you be doing this? we believe that

information is outdated, and basically the researchers to outdated. if you look at spain, portugal, canada, in america, they are coming up with progressive, forward—thinking policies that are having a good impact, and are using the cannabis culture for what good can do. it is obvious, you resent brighton cannabis club, it is all a real shirt. how popular is the club? we have over 400 members. we have been around for three or four years. we basically keep growing. we had one of our outdoor events, green pride, and it has grown every year. this year, we had over 3000 people attend and about 35 different stalls, setting up for the day. and we are basically got limited police interruption. that might be rob's express in brighton, but i get a national view from greg, chair of the uk cannabis social clubs. people are basically grown their own, and now we have over 100 clubs six years

later working towards a model to try and say this is how we can integrate into the rest of society. we are self—regulatory model. it has been shown over the years to be successful. if the idea of all this sort of fancy food and this kind of environment trying to take people away from the idea of what cannabis clu bs away from the idea of what cannabis clubs might be. a lot of people think of them as smoky clubs in amsterdam. to be open about it is really important. it really does normalise it. it gradually changes mines in society. we are not asking people to suddenly say, ok, we accepted. we are asking people to listen to what we have to say, and tell them that we're not be dim and people they thought we once were. —— demon people. the thing about spending time with rob, greg and the

people at a restaurant, but the thing is what they are doing is illegal. and they can be arrested for it. and that is the question: should weed, cannabis, whatever you wa nt to should weed, cannabis, whatever you want to call it, be illegal? had has been done in a country with much stronger drug laws, it probably would be. somewhere like sweden, which has some of the toughest drug laws in europe, arguably the world. this is the minister for public health policy. we have a broad political support in both the government and parliament for our drug—free society. government and parliament for our drug-free society. at the heart of swedish drug policy is this idea that cannabis is a gateway drug. can you explain why you hold that policy so you explain why you hold that policy so close. we see, especially among young people, and studies show, that

extensive use of cannabis, or regular use of cannabis, at an early age, also affects especially young people's brains. while many agree with the government's strict drug policy, there are many who don't. this former musician is a judge on sweden's got talent. essentially, it has been the saudi arabia of drugs in europe. in sweden, we have this idea that we have a government, they could be socialist or conservative, and the government would sponsor an aggressive anti—drug policy. in sweden, where the drug policy and culture surrounding drugs is changing fast. we come here because people say it is the strictest country in europe, but you say it might be stripped from the politicians, and is putting the laws in place, but lots of young people are moving away from that, and their attitudes are changing. totally,

totally. the aggressive anti—drug stands is an anomaly in swedish culture. sweden is incredibly liberal about sex, for example. so there is this conservative states about drugs that is an anomaly with swedish policy. swedish drug policy has always been about this idea of gateway drugs. cannabis was seen as a gateway drug. all your drug policy is based around this philosophy, and lots of people still believe that to be the case. we have spoken to the head of police, who was tackling narcotics, and we have spoken to mps. all these people say that is still the case. why do you think thatis still the case. why do you think that is different? it turned out to bea that is different? it turned out to be a lie. it is not the way it works. if i come back in be a lie. it is not the way it works. ifi come back in five be a lie. it is not the way it works. if i come back in five years' time, will be completely different? will it be a legalised, liberal system ? will it be a legalised, liberal system? we have to distinguish between recreational drug use and

addictive drugs. addictive drugs can be incredibly destructive and i don't see those being legalised in a long time. rather we need to have an advanced and civilised debate about how we deal with addicted people. and sweden to be at the forefront of that. later that evening, i find two friends in a bar, who have very different views on cannabis. so i jumped infora different views on cannabis. so i jumped in for a chat. it is like without goal. i think it should be as prohibited as alcohol. —— it is like alcohol. you would like to see it heavily regulated ? like alcohol. you would like to see it heavily regulated? yes, i think so. it heavily regulated? yes, i think so. you can have a beer or a glass of wine or anything, paired with food. but when it comes to drugs, it isjust drugs. food. but when it comes to drugs, it is just drugs. and you food. but when it comes to drugs, it isjust drugs. and you think they should just be banned, and that is the easy way to deal with a? absolutely. but this is a generation

question, actually. ithink absolutely. but this is a generation question, actually. i think the younger ones, they smoke more, like... have you ever smoked a drug? yes, i have. do you think that would jeopardise yourfridge yes, i have. do you think that would jeopardise your fridge and? no, i know that she loves me anyway. —— jeopardise yourfridge. know that she loves me anyway. —— jeopardise your fridge. the laws are very different to what we have in the uk. but my next up is somewhere with a completely different approach. 16 years ago, portugal decriminalised or drugs. and while that does not mean they have been legalised, it does mean that if you have been stocked with an small amount of anything from cannabis to heroin, you will be treated as if you have a medical problem, not a criminal one. this man designed the system. we started from eight catastrophic position. but we have one “— catastrophic position. but we have one —— we had one of the highest problematic users of drugs in europe. —— a catastrophic. it was

difficult to buy their portuguese family with no problems with drugs. we decided to try a new approach. we are happy, 15, 16 years later, we can look back and say that we have a lot of improvement in the consequences of drug use in portugal. chatting to people in lisburn, it is clear that most people seem to think that the government has it about right when it comes to a more liberal, medical approach to drugs. —— lisbon. but as with these things, not everybody agrees. we are heading just outside of the city, now, to meet a guy who i’u ns of the city, now, to meet a guy who runs his own drug clinic. the interesting thing about him is that he thinks it has gone a little bit too far. hello, carlos, how are you doing? palace has been working to help users for over 30 years, and

110w help users for over 30 years, and now runs his residential rehab centre for recovering addicts. what is it about the portuguese system that you think has just overstepped the mark? we need more restrictive measures, because it is too easy for our youngsters to get drugs. as we have walked around, we have seen clearly people dealing in the streets, at in certain areas, and thatis streets, at in certain areas, and that is because, in your mind, they allowed to carry quite a lot of drugs on them, because it is an easy cover, you can say it is just for you. that is the main problem we have. but i must clarify that i am in favour of the decriminalisation. iam not in favour of the decriminalisation. i am not against the system. i think the rural problem is the business thatis the rural problem is the business that is behind all this movement. players, they just want to have that is behind all this movement. players, theyjust want to have a good time. —— real problem. they

just want to have fun doing drugs, but then it becomes a nightmare.- old andreas shabby around the centre. he is bidding for months, and was keen to tell me about problems. —— 23—year—old andrea showed me around the centre. problems. —— 23—year—old andrea showed me around the centrelj problems. —— 23—year—old andrea showed me around the centre. i tried cannabis at parties, then i started to ta ke cannabis at parties, then i started to take amphetamines, and when i was 16 or17, i to take amphetamines, and when i was 16 or 17, i started to take cocaine. and that was very bad to me. it destroyed my life. quite a common pa rt destroyed my life. quite a common part of people mention, isn't it? it is controversial, people don't ee, is controversial, people don't agree, but this idea of a gateway. so you start work on cannabis, then move so you start work on cannabis, then m ove o nto so you start work on cannabis, then move onto other drugs. do you see a link between your cannabis use and your later use of other drugs? yes, because we get used to the drugs and then they seem to the drugs and then they seem to stop working and we need something harder. how have drugs, specifically cannabis, effected your mental health?

have you suffered with mental health issues? cannabis has thd and psychotropic skunk, it really hurts your head. i started having psychotic episodes and was in the hospitals because i hear voices in my head and that was very bad. when i walk in the street, i had always have the feeling that someone is stalking me andi someone is stalking me and i need to hide. and run. then i started to take the right pills and medication to cure myself and it is working and i am grateful for that. it is getting weirder. users who are caught with small amounts of drugs and dealt with as medical patients and dealt with as medical patients and not criminals. this is the waiting room. these are rooms where we have the preliminary interview.

this is the room where we are having a hearing now. you're to join us. ricardo has been given an appointment after being caught with cannabis at a music festival. he said we could film we do not show his face. he was caught with a small amount of hashish. he is a recreational user, it is the first time. we suspended the procedure for six months. and we will close of the procedure if he is not caught again. after the hearing, i am keen to have a chat with him to think about what he thinks of the dissuasion court. gst could this process, chatting to

a psychologist, has major think about your drug use? a psychologist, has major think about your drug use ?|j a psychologist, has major think about your drug use? i am not addicted so i.. i do not need it. i think this is the best, the system in portugal because it is not for one mistake that a person has to be given a life sentence. back in the uk, is it time for a change? given a life sentence. back in the uk, is it time fora change? 0nly one major party said they wanted to do things differently at the last election. i went to see their new leader, vince cable. the evidence is clear that if you want to stop abuse and damage to young people, you have got to bring the trade into the open. the government says it bases its policy on research and evidence and it says it is protecting people from the harm drugs cause. and it says it is protecting people from the harm drugs causelj and it says it is protecting people from the harm drugs cause. i am not

supporting drug use. there are some forms of drugs that are legal, like cigarettes and alcohol, and you try to minimise the use by using taxation and regulation to try limit it. 0thers taxation and regulation to try limit it. others are illegal. cannabis for examples. but there are negative effects from driving it underground. we should try and regulate and control this. to prevent having a free market anarchy in the underground. the part of cannabis are important when it comes to users. thc is what get is people highs but increase levels can lead to mental health issues. cbd acts as an antipsychotic and counteracts some of the negative effects of thc. depending on thejeanette dicks, you

can have high thc and low cbd, high cbd and low thc or something more hours. the row three types of types of cannabis. skunk is the most common type of cannabis sold making up to 90% of the market in the uk and some argue it is this lack of cbd which leads to mental health problems especially with those with underlying problems. we wa nted with those with underlying problems. we wanted to put what we found in sweden and portugal to the government but it would not speak to us. saying... the government would not speak to us

in person but we are going to meet someone who is very passionate about the subject. lord monson has a very personal reasons are being interested in the subject. that looks like a suitably grand house for a lot. he has invited me along to talk about his 21—year—old son who had a problem with cannabis. we noticed something, he was becoming strange about a year ago. he was diagnosed with a drug induced psychosis and he was duly sectioned. 0ne psychosis and he was duly sectioned. one day in january, psychosis and he was duly sectioned. one day injanuary, he said to his mother that the voices were getting so strong in his head and he was really scared. anyway, two days later he went out in the evening and... he killed himself.

afterwards, i spoke to the doctors, some said it is it yet another kind of casualty of skunk. and i said, isn't that just cannabis, of casualty of skunk. and i said, isn't thatjust cannabis, it must have changed. he said this is not really cannabis. something you may have known that 40 years ago when you might be next —— have been experimenting it is very different. i was shocked how strong this variant of cannabis is and as such it is my belief that the way to tackle skunk is to legalise the old—fashioned cannabis so it has the right balance of thc with cbd and it

has only a certain level of potency. lots of people listening to this will find it strange that a drug you say killed your son are now planning to legalise. i think skunk has been labelled as cannabis but it is not really, it is a frankenstein variant. some people will argue that your son may have had underlying mental health issues and that is what led to him killing himself and it was not the drug. yes, there has been... it has been put to me. i have received a lot of letters. can i read you one out. i was so sad to hear about the loss of your son, rupert. there are so many parallels to the death of my son. he had issues following smoking skunk. he

has received a number of letters containing stories similar to rupert's. his friend luisa arrives while we were there. they had been working together on an approach to high potency cannabis. people use all different types of drug and you work with those people. how does that compare. i would say give me a heroin addict rather than skunk addict 's. heroin addict rather than skunk addict '5. if i take my therapists have hot and remember saying my son, i would prefer you to take heroin than smoke skunk. he does not work with the impact. heroin and crack, it does what it says on the tin. it is physical, emotional, spiritual whereas skunk has a psychotic aspect. someone has to wake up and say the unstable riches the reggae

to be generations of kids with severe mental health issues or kids are dying. and it will not be from the normal 0d from heroin overdose in but from suicide because they cannot deal with the voices and it is the voices i work with. you say you have had this correspondence with the prime minister, that is going backwards and forwards stopped recently, the latest drug strategy, the idea of decriminalisation was mentioned but dismissed as having not enough evidence.” mentioned but dismissed as having not enough evidence. i think the liberal democrats have embraced my argument and i know there are many people in the conservative party who beforehand you would never expect to embrace a counter in chile chief initiative. —— counter intuitive. and i think in the next five years i

hope there will be a change of heart from the government. since meeting lord monson, i have spoken to the prime minister. unfortunately, we we re prime minister. unfortunately, we were not allowed to film the conversation but she said she stands by the government strategy which she saysis by the government strategy which she says is about helping people recover. walking around here, it is not hard to find signs of people using cannabis. anywhere you go in most using cannabis. anywhere you go in m ost pla ces using cannabis. anywhere you go in most places in the uk, you can see it and most places in the uk, you can see itand on most places in the uk, you can see it and on a weekend morning, you can smell it. we have had the same experience in portugal which on the face of it has much more relaxed drug policies but i keep thinking that the ricardo and the dissuasion court. he had to go through a half—hour appointment with a psychiatrist, a court case experience and a kid thinking, what would have happened to him if that

would have happened to him if that would have happened in the uk? realistically, i suspect not a lot so it does beg the question, when it does to weed, do we already have one of the most tolerant approach is in europe? —— approaches. hello. the uk weekend weather coming up in a moment, but first of all, what a night in texas. dealing with a major hurricane that once it comes dealing with a major hurricane. this is it on the satellite picture, here. but it's a hurricane that's just going to hang around for several more days to come, which means the rain willjust keep on coming. this is how it looks during saturday, bright colour showing the intensity of our rain. but sunday into monday, as well, it's still close by. we are talking hundreds of millimetres of rain, here. catastrophic, life—threatening flooding could well be taking place over the next few days in texas.

we'll keep you updated. 0nto our weekend weather, and some warm, sunny spells on the way for many of us. the chance for catching a shower. for saturday and sunday, even though there'll be some around, most of us will not. sun for england to begin with on saturday. some showers — one or two dotted about in northern england. most places will avoid those and stay dry. if you do get shower in scotland, it could still be on the heavy side, maybe with a rumble of thunder, but pleasant when the sun makes an appearance, and some spots with temperatures into the mid—20s. for with temperatures into the mid—20s. the women's sunny for the women's world cup final, sunny spells during the day. what showers of there are on the weekend will fade. clearer skies showers of there are on the weekend will fade. clearerskies for saturday night. this is how we start off on sunday morning. sunday is

promising to be a fine dayjust about across the board. but not quite. more cloud in the far west of scotland. patchy up rates of rain. filtering to other parts of north—west scotland. but for most places, sunny spells, some cloud and temperatures in the low 20s. 0n monday, this weather system coming in will produce rain through scotla nd in will produce rain through scotland and northern ireland with a strengthening wind. the england and wales, holding on to the fine weather for most of us and the best of the sunshine across southern areas. quite the rage. cooler fresher towards pastor of the north. very well in the south—east. —— warm. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. i'm duncan golestani. 0ur our top stories:

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