U.K. activists launched a cannabis legalization pilot campaign at Hyde Park 4/20, seeking regulated trials to inform policy as millions rely on illicit supply.

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UK cannabis activists on Monday gathered in London’s Hyde Park for a 4/20 celebration that featured the launch of a new campaign calling for recreational pot legalization pilots. Dubbed TRACD, the new campaign is spearheaded by activist Charlotte Caldwell, a Northern Ireland mother who made news in 2018 fighting for her epileptic son Billy's right to access medical cannabis.

Caldwell’s mission to access cannabis for Billy culminated in the government's landmark rescheduling of cannabis-based medicines in November 2018. With his cannabis medication, Billy has now been seizure-free for three years.

Group Seeks Recreational Cannabis Legalization Pilots

Caldwell is also the founder and CEO of TRACD, which is seeking permission from governments across the UK, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man to run controlled, evidence-gathering recreational cannabis legalization pilot programs. The new group eyed this year’s 4/20 celebration of cannabis culture in Hyde Park as the perfect opportunity to spread its message, finding many revelers at the annual demonstration who were eagerly receptive to the cause.

“This week TRACD has sparked a revolution at 420 Hyde Park, a spectacular celebration of global cannabis culture,” Caldwell writes in an emailed statement. “We were met with such an extraordinary wave of support that our systems literally couldn’t keep up – the sheer volume of people rushing to join TRACD actually brought our payment processor to a temporary halt!”

“We are profoundly moved by the incredible generosity and vibrant spirit of London’s cannabis community,” she continues. “Their passion will only spur us on as we work to ensure a future in which prescription cannabis patients can receive the world-class care and dignity they deserve, and recreational users are finally granted the safety of a regulated, legal supply.”

Strong Police Presence At Hyde Park 4/20 Event

Those who came to Hyde Park on Monday were greeted by “No Drugs” signs placed at entrances, the Daily Mail reported. Police were out in force for the event, keeping a close eye on the crowd the publication characterized as “hordes of cannabis lovers spread across the park.”

While the government legalized medical cannabis in 2018, recreational weed remains a Class B drug in the U.K. Possession is punishable by up to five years in prison, with cannabis production and distribution convictions carrying sentences of up to 14 years. In practice, police often issue a warning or levy an on-the-spot fine of £90 (about $122) for low-level cannabis possession.

3 Million Recreational Cannabis Users In The U.K.

More than 3 million adults in the U.K. use cannabis recreationally each year, according to estimates based on Office of National Statistics data and cited by TRACD. Without a regulated supply chain, consumers rely on illicit cannabis, which carries the risk of being tainted by pesticides, heavy metals and microbial contamination.

“Recreational cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in Britain, and demand will exist whatever its legal status,” Caldwell said in a press release about the Hyde Park event. “The current legal limbo means that cannabis users must buy from criminals, exposing them to unknown toxins, a wider array of health risks, and needless involvement in the justice system.”

Under TRACD’s proposed pilots, participants aged 21 and older who clear a mental‑health screening would receive regulated cannabis products and routine health check‑ins. Each item would come with a verified certificate of analysis and full genetic and supply‑chain traceability, with monthly allotments capped at roughly 36–40 grams.

Anonymized, aggregated use data would flow straight to policymakers, giving governments across the U.K. and Crown Dependencies a real‑world evidence base to inform future legislation.

The pilots would be carried out with biotech firm Caritas BioScience and Cannavigia, the compliance platform behind Switzerland’s closely watched recreational trial that is expected to lead to legalization.

TRACD has secured the support of Gavin St Pier, former chief minister of Guernsey, and Dr. Alex Allinson MHK, Treasury minister for the Isle of Man, both of whose jurisdictions are among those being invited to host pilots.