Lee Harris in his shop Alchemy, Portobello Road, London. HomeGrown was the UK's first cannabis magazine and published in 1977.
Lee Harris in his shop Alchemy, Portobello Road, London. HomeGrown was the UK's first cannabis magazine and published in 1977.

Remembering Lee Harris

Those who have wandered the Portobello Road will have come across Lee Harris ambling down the street picking up conversations or stumbled upon his legendary headshop Alchemy. Countercultural icon, legalisation campaigner and local legend, Lee was at the centre of grassroots activism for over seven decades. Here we remember Lee's incredible life and enduring positive spirit.

Text by Lisa der Weduwe | Cover Photo from the Lee Harris Archive | 28.12.2023

Dedicating his life to enlightening the world, cannabis campaigner Lee Harris was at the forefront of British grassroots activism for over 7 decades. Born in South Africa to Lithuanian Jewish parents, he was a member of Nelson Mandela’s ANC party and campaigned against Apartheid. But it was landing in the London smoke at the cusp of the Swinging Sixties that would set him on a radical course for the rest of his life.

Lee’s work as a legalisation campaigner had unexpected beginnings. Finding himself in the midst of Soho clubland, he was shocked to find young people popping purple hearts. Looking to help his newfound community, his campaigning helped usher in laws criminalising amphetamines and making personal possession a crime. Inadvertently, he had sent his new friends to prison. 

This episode and surrounding public hysteria led him to dedicate the rest of his life to campaigning for legalisation. Soon he was a key player of London’s growing underground scene, from helping organise the first Legalise Pot Rally in Hyde Park in 1967 to being part of the pioneering Arts Lab. From Allen Ginsburg to John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Lee was at the centre of a citywide creative and activist community looking to change the world.

“Sometimes it's necessary to shock society.”

Alchemy poster
Alchemy poster

Legalisation was never far from his mind and in 1972 he opened London’s first and longest running headshop. Located on Portobello Road, Alchemy became the de facto HQ for the grassroots campaign to legalise cannabis. Looking for different means to spread the message, in 1977 he launched Europe’s first dope magazine HomeGrown. The magazine aimed to combat the continuing stigmatisation and demonisation of cannabis by providing alternative perspectives. Sales helped fund campaigns from Operation Julie to bailing out activists. Its launch caused shockwaves across Europe, but as Lee dryly commented about the affair; “Sometimes it's necessary to shock society.”

Throughout his life he held an unwavering dedication to the cause. It led him on many twists and turns, from running psychedelic club night Megatripolis in the 90s to being the mayoral candidate for the Cannabis Is Safer Than Alcohol campaign in 2016. Coming 9th out of 12 candidates with tens of thousands of votes, it showed the growing public appetite for new drug policies that move away from criminalisation. A respected elder within activist circles, he was always on hand to lend advice and support to emergent campaigns and young activists. Amassing an incredible archive of countercultural ephemera, the Museum of Youth Culture worked with Lee to digitise and promote this incredible legacy. What marked out his extraordinary journey was a dedication to One Love and a true belief in the positive power of humanity. This tireless work and endless positivity will resonate throughout activist communities for generations to come.