Cannabis is often seen as being no more harmful than a cigarette. But for one Swindon man it meant 30 years of addiction. Report by TAMASH LAL.

IT IS is a harmless way to relax for many. The side-effects are no more serious than a bad case of the munchies.

But for one Swindon man, smoking cannabis turned into an addictive habit which wrecked his life.

Phil not his real name was hooked on dope for 30 years.

Now, after months of counselling, the 50-year-old former lorry driver has shaken off its grip, and is celebrating six-months of his new drug-free life.

"We're not talking about something that is as addictive and destructive as heroin, and most people think nothing of smoking cannabis," he said.

"But it can be psychologically addictive.

"I ended up being stoned all the time instead of living, and just shut myself away from the world.

"It takes away all your motivation, and at its worst, it made me a prisoner in my own home."

Phil is slowly starting to re-build his life, and one of his new goals is to educate teenagers about the dangers of cannabis. He hopes to join drug workers in visiting schools to tell his story.

"When you are young you think you know everything," he said.

"I did, and I thought cannabis was cool because stars such as Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney were into it.

"I liked it because you didn't get hangovers, and I was into the whole hippy philosophy.

"But I want school kids to realise that they could end up like me, and they won't like it.

"I could have had more fun in my life without it."

It was at a student party in the 1970s that Phil smoked his first joint.

A bit of a loner, he struggled with depression, and found cannabis eased his dark moods.

"I was on anti-depressants at the time, and I thought if it's okay for doctors to give me these for my mind, then it must be okay to experiment with drugs," he said.

"In fact, the cannabis worked against the anti-depressants, and made me worse.

"It's an easy way to forget your problems, you just think, I know I'll get stoned.

"I rapidly began smoking it everyday. Later, when I was working as a lorry driver, all day I would be thinking of having a joint when I got home.

"It affected my relationships, because my relationship with my favourite drug was more important than anything else.

"My girlfriend would want to go to bed, but I would want to stay up and get stoned."

A year ago, Phil decided to do something about the problem.

Helped by Druglink in Old Town, he stubbed out his last spliff on April 14.

He still attends the drug agency four days a week for counselling and group therapy.

"I managed to stop because I really wanted to," he said.

"The hardest part is changing your behaviour patterns."

On a wider level, Phil believes the decision to downgrade cannabis from Class B to Class C earlier this year was wrong.

"It sends out the wrong message to kids," he said.

"This is not like smoking a cigarette. It is a drug that can ruin your life."

Druglink can be contacted on 01793 610133.