One in seven of all known offenders in England and Wales were arrested for the possession of cannabis. There has been a tenfold increase in the number of possession offenses since the mid-1970s. The financial costs of policing cannabis amount to at least £50 million a year (including sentencing costs), and absorb the equivalent of 500 full-time police officers.
Findings: The Policing of Cannabis as a Class B Drug, (London, England: Joseph Rowntree Foundation, March 2002).

John Gayder Interview

What was the experience of filming Damage Done like for you?
JOHN GAYDER: It was a lot of fun. Hard work, but definitely fun. The hard work came in being careful about what to say, because I am still on the job; so I had to frame things a certain way to avoid trouble. Connie and Kyle were great — very patient. They are real professionals.

Were there any surprises for you?
JG: The biggest surprise was the amount of film that we shot but never used. We shot in Long Beach California, Montreal and the Niagara area. Probably about four six hour days in total — all for about twelve minutes of finished product. Another surprising thing was to see the attention Kyle paid to the lighting. We would be looking for places to shoot and he would get this faraway look on his face like a sailor judging the wind. I had no idea about the number of details that went into shooting a professional documentary.

Were you happy with the finished product?
JG: Absolutely. I think it is fantastic. It was no surprise though as I had seen Littlefield's Hofman's Potion, so I knew she could make a good film.

Have there been any negative repercussions from your coworkers or your boss?
JG: No.

So what have people's reactions been?
JG: Almost entirely positive. I don't talk about drug policy at work, so when people say they saw it and though it was great — which is the usual reaction, I thank them and then politely change the subject. Drug policy reform is something I am passionate about, but it's just not possible to talk about it at work. If the person insists I suggest we meet after work and talk about it.

Do people recognize you from the documentary?
JG: There have been a few times when I am out shopping and someone will say, "Hey, are you that guy...?" It has all been very positive.

What is it about the drug issue that strikes you the most?
JG: The weird grip it has on society. It is really strange, a bit terrifying actually, to see how something so artificial can continue to fool so many people.

What else?
JG: The way the war on drugs exposes the hypocrisy of both conservatives and liberals. The conservatives say they stand for freedom, free markets and less government intrusion into peoples lives — except when it comes to drugs, and then they want a cop on every corner, unlimited search powers and the ability to "hang those damn druggies." Liberals are usually wanting to set up a socialist state in which everything is run by the government and personal freedoms are restricted — except when it comes to drugs, and then they suddenly become staunch laissez faire free marketeers. Weird, huh?