Most people will know Alex Winter from his acting career given his legacy starring in cult classic movies, but Alex is also decorated and highly respected documentary maker. His work includes The Panama Papers, Zappa, Downloaded, and the two in particular that we shall be talking about in this episode, Deep Web and The Youtube Effect.

At the time of recording of this conversation with Alex a large part of the dialogue was centred around his documentary Deep Web and the story of The Silk Road, an online marketplace which pioneered in bitcoin and the deep web, patrons were able to purchase nearly anything they desired. The creator of Silk Road, Ross Ulbricht, was given a disproportionately long prison sentence consisting of double life plus 40 years. At time of releasing this podcast episode, and over a decade of time served, Ross has been released from prison with a presidential pardon.

Alex Winter is able to give a unique insight into the Ross' case and the Silk Road journey, as well as the Ulbricht family to whom Alex got to know well over the years. Ross' mother, Lynn, has been a previous guest on the Stop and Search podcast. In this episode we will discuss Ross Ulbricht and his headline-making case, but we also speak about a great deal more, such as the delivery of information in this new era of global communications, what this means for the human race, challenges we face with online platforms, and yes, the 'drug war' and the many consequences of punitive policies.

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He was one of the very first television gladiators, the yardstick of 'sports entertainment', Dan Clark is better known as Nitro to millions of people across the world and will forever be the true definition of a TV gladiator. In a new Netflix documentary, Muscles and Mayhem, Dan and his co-stars delve deep into the real world of American Gladiators and provide an unprecedented insight into the television phenomenon. Having watched the documentary series, we were intrigued to know more...

Dan 'Nitro' Clark opens up and gives us such an honest and moving account of his personal life, from addiction to bereavement, and from stardom to his own health struggles, his life is quite something. Dan also has a book out which is titled F Dying: How Cheating Death Kicked My Ass into Loving, Learning and Living My Best Life.

In this episode we speak about Dan's family and the entrenched problems with trauma and addiction. We also of course cover his incredible career, both as a gladiator, but also his time in film and television. And also so much more - Dan really and truly gives us an open and honest conversation!

Please follow him on Instagram: @DanNitroClark

And you can see all of Dan's projects, including his heralded Ted Talk and his book, on his website: www.DanNitroClark.net

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Please meet Wes Cunliffe - he has the most incredible story...

As a teenager Wes was on the frontlines of county lines dealing. He's been stabbed multiple times, had literal run-ins with the law, and has experienced the harsh realities of a life fraught with struggle; Wes' life was one of survival.

He is now flourishing on the rugby pitch, as well as being one of the most respected youth mentors around. Wes dedicates his time to making sure young people don't take the route that he did, and he's even started a new charity called Rize & Reach, aimed to provide mentoring, training and services in the community. Keep an eye open for Wes and Rize & Reach's work!

Thank you Wes!

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How much do you know about the infamous site Silk Road and its creator Ross Ulbricht, also known as Dread Pirate Roberts?

We speak to Lynn Ulbricht, the mother of Ross...

Ross was a pioneer of the deep web and bitcoin. He created a new market place which ended up as a vending system for an array of things, including drugs. Ross was the mastermind behind the website but didn't actually partake in vending himself. Ross now serves a double life prison term and many people feel this is an injustice on many levels. The toll this has taken on the family is inconceivable.

We're joined by Lynn to speak about the history of Silk Road and the journey which led up to Ross' imprisonment. How is Ross now, and what is he doing? What hope is there of his release? And why is this perceived by so many people as a gross injustice? An incredible tale of criminal and social justice on trial.

If you would like to know more or support Lynn and Ross, go to: freeross.org

Disclaimer: All views expressed in this episode represent the individual only

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This is an epic episode with some of the all-time great voices from international drug policy. Recorded live at the Cranstoun conference in Brighton in February 2023, the guests were all briefed to go beyond the usual scripts and be as honest as they could be... and they did not disappoint. This conversation was one of the most open that you're ever likely to hear. Featuring:

Alex Stevens, Professor in Criminal Justice at the University of Kent

Niamh Eastwood, Executive Director, Release

Kassandra Frederique, Executive Director, Drug Policy Alliance

Danny Ahmed, Clinical Director, Cranstoun

Zoë Dodd, Co-organiser Toronto Overdose Prevention Society

Megan Jones, Director, Cranstoun

Thank you for all the work from the Cranstoun crew who put the event and conference on and enabled us to get this conversation recorded, and thank you to Stage One Audio and Visual LTD for all the work on the day. And of course, thank you to Peter Krykant for making this all happen.

Special mention and praise to Nigel Brunsdon who provided all photography and images - as ever Nigel is a legend and you must check out his work via Instagram: @nigelbrunsdon and also nigelbrunsdon.com

Disclaimer: All views expressed in this episode represent the individual only.

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On today's Stop and Search we're joined by Matt Hutchinson. He's a doctor specialising in Rheumatology and General Medicine, and also a comedian - what a combo!

We have a very open and wide-ranging conversation about drug policy, medicine, addiction, the prescribing of pain medication, comedy, and so much more. We really do cover some bases in this chat. Matt is also performing at the Edinburgh Festival, so if you would like to see him in action then go to Assembly George Square Studios on the dates of Aug 2-14, and 16-27 - see his new show Hostile.

We're going to be coming back to Matt as he has so much more to say - so thank you to him for such a wonderful chat! Find him on Twitter @Hutch_up

Small disclaimer, let's be honest and real, you know how it works: All views expressed by guests are their own and don't necessarily reflect that of Law Enforcement Action Partnership.

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In this breaking news, emergency broadcast, special podcast, we'll be discussing the bold new moves by the Scottish government to reform their drug policies.

We speak to retired Police Inspector Ian Andrew, and former Detective and author of The Ten Percent, Simon McLean - both of whom are LEAP UK and LEAP Scotland members. Both Ian and Simon have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help these new proposals come about.

So, what are we talking about here? Well, a new report recommends that Scotland decriminalises all drug possession, as well as safe consumption rooms, diamorphine assisted treatment, and drug checking services. This is also a step towards a conversation around legal regulation of all drugs.

Hear from inside the circle, how this came about, how it's shaping up and crucially... how will the Westminster government react?

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Louise Marwood is an actress and comedian - you may recognise her from the British soap opera Emmerdale. In recent weeks Louise has bravely spoken out via the media about her own struggles with addiction, using her platform to help build the discussion around addiction and stigma... but Louise is now embarking on a new project!

With her background in the arts and comedy, Louise will be putting on a one woman show titled: Rita Lynn: The Life Coach Who Wanted to Die - part autobiographical, part comedy, part drama, this stage production looks to start a deeper conversation around what it's like to be at "rock bottom". In this podcast episode we discuss this exciting new venture as well as some very personal insights from Louise's own life, and we also discuss the much-needed nuance around 'recovery' and what that actually means.

At the time of broadcast of this podcast episode Louise is crowdfunding the stage show - please do support her with whatever you can via the Go Fund Me page. All kind donations go towards making the show bigger and better, and with a chance to tour!

And tickets are already on sale! You can get tickets via the Rosemary Branch Theatre.

Please do support and listen to Louise's words in this podcast - and share share share if you can! Let's have this big conversation around addiction and kick the stigma right out.

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A journalist, newspaper editor, radio presenter, author, Stig Abell has just about done it all in the world of media and journalism. In his book, How Britain Really Works, Stig writes about the many institutions of the UK and how policy making is not always what it's cut out to be. Having done a lot of work in prisons and the justice system, Stig has seen firsthand how we may want to make some changes to the way we currently work.

Stig currently co-presents the Monday to Thursday breakfast show on Times Radio and has a new fiction book out called Death Under a Little Sky. In this podcast episode we cover a lot of ground, from Westminster, to prisons, from Fleet Street and the responsibility of journalists, to the way in which politics and the media crossover. And of course, drug policy.

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Having served as the chief judge of the Newark Municipal Court, Judge Victoria Pratt is also professor at the Rutgers Newark School of Criminal Justice. Judge Pratt has a written a book called The Power of Dignity: Transforming Criminal Justice which delves into her work in and out of the courtroom. Having looked for alternatives to the criminal justice system for many years, Judge Pratt is an advocate of community solutions and going deeper than your average courtroom. Her TED talk, "How Judges Can Show Respect," has been viewed over thirty million times and is well worth a watch.

In this podcast episode we speak about the many ways in which the justice system needs to change and how judges and police officers need a tangible link to their communities in order to understand the people in which they deal with. We also speak about the many pipelines to prison, and how people from BAME backgrounds are inherently at a disadvantage in the justice system... and of course addiction, we must speak about addiction.

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