Cannabis in Britain - Chaos and Confusion
Cannabis seems to be a highly controversial and emotive subject in Britain today. Everyone has an opinion but at the same time no one can make up their mind. The politicians keep changing their minds as to how to deal with it. A drugs company is battling to be allowed to produce a synthetic form of it. While all this is going on there are sick and disabled people who are suffering more than they need to when they could be helped by cannabis in a clean, unadulterated form.
(PRWEB) May 4, 2005
Cannabis seems to be a highly controversial and emotive subject in Britain today. Everyone has an opinion but at the same time no one can make up their mind. The politicians keep changing their minds as to how to deal with it. A drugs company is battling to be allowed to produce a synthetic form of it. While all this is going on there are sick and disabled people who are suffering more than they need to when they could be helped by cannabis in a clean, unadulterated form.
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In terms of the law the government really can't seem to make up its mind about how to classify cannabis. Many medicinal users were thrilled when David Blunkett, the then Home Secretary, downgraded cannabis to a class C drug. However Charles Clarke is now intending to review this decision. All this is just adding to the confusion for everyone concerned. The official reason being given for reclassifying cannabis is due to health concerns after recent studies. However this possible reclassification seems to an example of cannabis being used as a political pawn. The current labour government is appearing to want to appear harder on drug use before the looming election when other parties are taking a much softer stance. Maybe this is a cynical view but the timing does seem a little too coincidental particularly when the decision to downgrade cannabis was made only a year ago.
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PHP (People Helping People) contacted several political parties regarding their views on medicinal cannabis. The Liberal Democrats were the only one of the major three parties to actually reply in a positive and encouraging way.
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Whilst all this is going on GW Pharmaceuticals in Britain is producing Sativex, which is basically whole-plant extract liquid marijuana. The fantastic recent news is that the Canadian government have approved this. Unfortunately proceedings seem to be dragging on slightly longer here in Britain but hopefully it's only a matter of time until it's approved here as well, even though it is grown here! This would be a wonderfully positive step for users of and campaigners for medicinal cannabis.
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The government would then have to admit that cannabis could be used very positively as medicine. (The members of P. H.P. already know this and use medicinal marijuana, in a way that is wholesome and healthy, they don't smoke it, and they don't abuse it).
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This could either be seen as cynicism or realism but there would probably still be a huge fight required before cannabis is legalised even if only for medical purposes. For one thing our Government really doesn't like admitting it was wrong! Â The drugs companies love to make as much profit as possible even if it is from a substance that can be produced naturally and is much cheaper in its natural form.
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We don't want manufactured marijuana. We, as sick and disabled people, have the right to choose what we put in our bodies. Many of our members are suffering from the side effects of pharmaceutical drugs; we want to use marijuana in its natural form, uncorrupted.
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There are undoubtedly a lot of hurdles ahead but that wont stop us and many others campaigning and fighting for what we believe.
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The Team at P. H.P.
People Helping People a non-profit organisation formed to help the sick and disabled obtain the best quality medicinal marijuana available, to stop them being vulnerable to criminals and 'dealers' who sell the poisonous man-made product, Soapbar. (See our Soapbar warning leaflet on our website www. people-helping-people. org. uk ).
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