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It would be more expected for Russell Brand to pay a visit to Parliament-Funkadelic than to the actual British parliament. But the actor and comedian rarely does what anyone expects him to, and yesterday Brand walked into the House of Commons to testify at a hearing on Britain’s drug policy.
A recovering heroin addict who had been arrested a dozen times for possession, Brand told the Home Affairs Select Committee that an abstinence-based recovery approach would better benefit addicts. “We don’t want to discard people by writing them off on methadone and leaving them on the sidelines,” he said, as reported in The Guardian. Brand also made it clear that he wasn’t pro-drug legalization. “I’m not a legal expert. I’m saying that, to a drug addict, the legal aspect is irrelevant,” Brand told lawmakers. “If you need to get drugs, you will. The criminal and legal status, I think, sends the wrong message. Being arrested isn’t a lesson, it’s just an administrative blip.”
(FROM THE MAGAZINE: Russell Brand Is Far from Crazy)
The passionate and fast-talking comedian was extremely candid about his drug use, as well as the fact that he was testifying merely because of his fame. When one lawmaker suggested he could become a role model for young people, Brand responded: “Who cares about bloody celebrities? Their role is insignificant.”
MORE: ‘Witnessing a Genius:’ Russell Brand’s Touching Tribute to Amy Winehouse