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When will the UK show some Cannabis Compassion

By Clark French

Here in the UK, we seem to be very behind the rest of the developed world when it comes to the level to which cannabis has become accepted, not just as a recreational past time, but as a safe and effective treatment for a whole range of serious illnesses. It would be much quicker to do a list of the illnesses cannabis doesn’t treat in comparative length to the ones it does.

With Proposition 215 , or the Compassionate Use of Marijuana Act of 1996, allowing medical use in California and now 17 US state enacting medicinal acts, it begs the question:

Why are we so behind our North American cousins?

By 2013, over 80% of states could pass some type of marijuana law reform.

Marijuana reform is sweeping the United States of America at least at the state level. By the end of 2013, over 80% of the country could have some type of reduced penalties for cannabis.

 

Is it a case of British stoicism? Keep calm and carry on? After all we have a reputation for a “stiff upper lip” for never backing out of a fight - even if it’s an illegal one, diplomacy or public opinion never swaying the minds of the decision makers at Number 10 Downing Street.

Keep Calm and Carry On

Nothing wrong here!

 

I wonder why we can follow the Americans around in their illegal wars, but when it comes to the health and rights of our own citizens, we are very much behind.

Even our European friends are far ahead of where we are in the UK.

The Dutch were always ahead of the game - sadly that seems to be going a bit down the drain with their right-wing government, although they are starting to backtrack on their proposed Weed Pass scheme, which is proving to be the disaster just about everyone predicted. Only today Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, announced he is prepared to discuss problems with the calamitous Cannabis Club Registration Scheme, aka Weed Pass.

However there are causes to celebrate still at the ingenuity of some of our closest neighbours.

Portuguese decriminalisation and the emergence of Cannabis Clubs in Spain all are paving the way for sensible drug policy in the EU. The Czech Republic has liberalised its cannabis policies over the last 10 years, with Prague often being referred to as the ‘Amsterdam of the East’.

The question we must all ask ourselves now is - how long until our government finally sees sense by ending the prohibition of cannabis and allowing ill people like myself access to the medicine I need to have some quality of life?

They will not do it out of kindness. They will only change the law if we shout from the rooftops and shame them into doing the right thing.

We have to stand united and fight this Tyranny.

If you believe that the prohibition of cannabis is wrong, now is the time to get involved in the UK - especially with the formation of NORML UK and the current wave of BBC and media attention putting the issue of cannabis firmly in the public conscience.

If you want to help end this injustice then please not only join NORML UK, but also get involved; find out if there is a Cannabis Social Club in your area and if there is not, start one!

Clark French

Clark French is a medicinal user of cannabis with Multiple Sclerosis. He is a founding member of NORML UK and speaks on medicinal cannabis issues. Clark will be appearing on UK Channel 4′s 4thought.tv on September 24th 2012. To read Clark’s cannabis strain reviews, check out his blog at clarkfrench.wordpress.com.

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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=574243378 Kevin John Braid on Facebook

    from our lot, in Westminster hahahaha, compassion from them, lol *checks for theonion link…

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000891549567 Des Humphrey

    Well said Clarky keep up your great work my friend

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=628832925 Ruby Finnie on Facebook

    they would not know compassion if it punched them in the face

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=538871018 Pete Crowe on Facebook

    We banned it first so I guess we’ll legalise it last

  • honeynutcornflakes

    Arkansas state has medical marijuana on the Nov 2012 ballot.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002658464184 Sasha Dowding on Facebook

    Pete Crowe - Cannabis first became illegal in the UK, and most of the rest of the world, on 28th September 1928 when the 1925 Dangerous Drugs Act came into force. The first documented laws against cannabis were actually drafted and passed in South Africa 20 years prior in 1908.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG4WTvUBD18

  • weeshug

    this dude just talk nothing but sense .BRITHISH GOVERMENT LISTEN TO HIM!!& maybe just maybe this PLANT will get used for its intention??MEDICATION. not prohabition

  • anon

    Don’t forget the media who have a very large part to play in swaying public opinion.

  • mark

    We are behind other countrys when it comes to cannabis, i believe we can learn alot from them to speed up the process, all they were going through to preech the truth about cannabis same hard times at their begining of reform etc. i will cotinue to hold my head up high knowing more and more evidence to support natral cannabonoids cures for ilnesses,cancer etc is the case . now is the time for us to go from strength to strength and we will not run from a cure and we will not wither so dont be brainwashed stay calm and together we will free natures finest! ps clarkey keep the good work up respect to you! peace to all mankind too!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1411445059 Rich Devereux

    Any Cannabis clubs in London??

  • http://www.facebook.com/cj.burton1 Claire Louise Louise

    Uk government might want to take some notes from US government. I can’t wait for the day I see cannabis dispensaries open up in the UK, might take some time but I reckon it will happen eventually, why it’s illegal i really don’t know when where I live (southeast kent) streets are covered in crystally citrus lemon haze, super silver haze & uk cheese lol the first strain I love so so so much it’s herb wtf idk :p

  • http://www.facebook.com/cj.burton1 Claire Louise Louise

    Any collective’s / clubs in uk lol I wish.

  • http://www.facebook.com/cj.burton1 Claire Louise Louise

    Idk their was a cannabis movement in the uk till now cool.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Marcus-Smith/100002612453908 Marcus Smith

    Just legalize it.. but control the level of THC. The only reason it’s a problem is because people try to grow it quickly to earn there money & anyone of any age can buy it with it being illegal.. I and others have been smoking it and we disagree as well as many people that it is a pathway drug.. that’s just peoples choice maybe because there being irresponsible with the weed, smoking too much too often and there toleration’s gone up.. it wouldn’t be as bad if it was controlled and grown safely.. just usually there is no balance just a lot of THC. No one can complain about cancer or what ever in the slightest because tobacco is Legal so smoke.. you have a much higher chance of getting it with that.. just do what Amsterdam does and have a set amount of what people can buy, have them check if they have any weed before buying.. least than no one is getting too much over a safe amount……… if it was meth, crack or shrooms I’d understand the no, but weed is harmless with the right amount. Plus it would sort out tax, after all that is the main reason it got banned in the 1960′s.. because there wasn’t enough tax getting in, even if I had to pay more for weed because it was legal and there was tax on it.. it would stop kids from being able to buy it and there would be a safe amount.. not everyone would try to ‘take the piss’ with it, some of us aren’t bad people, we just prefare to smoke weed/get high rather than get drunk because you don’t feel ill and your actually in control of what your doing.. In Amsterdam or Holland do you see people getting ‘too high’ or ‘causing trouble’? Have they ‘legalized cocaine, meth or even heroin?’ no.. because they are still aware that these are bad.. people over there smoke less than us any how! So why does Morinic David Cameron think different considering HES THE ONE WHO KEEPS MAKING CUTS AND IS BASICALLY FUCKING EVERYTHING UP AND MAKING PEOPLE LOOSE THERE JOBS? YEAH CAUSE I’D TRUST THAT LIER! -.- I rest my case. Please do not take his word for this because he just talks out of his arse making false promises & no one likes him anyway.. oh yeh & my final point.. is I’ve tried the ‘legal highs/weed’… it sent me in a panic would never smoke it again.. its so much worse! Look at m kat million times worse than weed yet that was legalized only two years ago.. you need to get your priorities straight because it is a fact alcohol and smoking cigarettes cause FAR MORE deaths than cannabis does.. infact you don’t even hear of anyone dying off cannabis.

    WAKE UP & REALIZE NO ONE WILL TAKE U SERIOUSLY IF U TRY AND MANIPULATE THEM. CANNABIS USE IS WELL OVER EXAGGERATED & QUITE FRANKLY WERE ALL GETTING PRETTY FUCKED OFF WITH IT.

    • http://twitter.com/_JoBlogz I JoeyT

      think people should be able to grow there own cannabis

      because simple fact is i would like to grow my own cannabis i would like cook with my own cannabis i would like to smoke my own make my own oils etc just like i can grow other veg en fruit plants for my own self well being

      but still not everyone are going to wont to grow cannabis that’s like saying everyone wont’s to make cider or wine or alcohol or tobacco i wont beef i go to the butchers i don’t farm my own animals that’s a other humans job but you get my point

      so for taxing cannabis would have to be a good rate for the tax man and a good rate for the consumers how they would tax is that like you have a pub for alcohol or a shop for tobacco or butchers for meat fishery for fish so on so forth

      there would be cannabis bars pubs cafes shop public spaces etc if you legalize cannabis you will have a boost in public services the tax man would be able to make there money and the consumer would be happy people would be able to grow if they choose to do so,

      not every man and woman are going to grow cannabis that’s what people need to understand there is big money for are country

      its like food same principle tax it like food or drink or tobacco you cant tax the plant its self you can only tax the services around it and there will be a lot of humans involved peace to all Free The Herb its here to help us

  • MeeMan

    Is the UK really behind the times in comparison to the USA? Let’s see…

    1894 After sitting for two years the British government’s Indian Hemp Commission produces a 3,281 page report that concludes “…for the vast majority of consumers, the Commission consider that the evidence shows the moderate use of ganja or charas not to be appreciably harmful…”

    1901 Royal Commission concludes that cannabis is relatively harmless and not worth prohibiting.

    1910 After the Mexican Revolution of 1910, Mexican immigrants flooded into the US, introducing to American culture the recreational use of marijuana.

    The drug became associated with the immigrants, and the fear and prejudice about the Spanish-speaking newcomers became associated with marijuana. Anti-drug campaigners warned against the encroaching “marijuana menace,” and terrible crimes were attributed to marijuana and the Mexicans who used it.

    1916 South African mine workers were encouraged to smoke because “after a smoke the native work hard and show very little fatigue”. The usual mine practice was to allow three smokes resembling coffee brakes a day.

    1916 - 1937 William Randolph Hearst’s newspapers introduced the word ‘marijuana’ into English from Mexican slang.

    Hearst sold lots of newspapers using stories about “coloured” men using drugs to corrupt white women. Many of them allegedly carried big knives and would go wild at any provocation. New techniques for processing hemp for paper that pose a serious threat to his timber based paper businesses provide the motivation.

    1936 Propaganda film “Reefer Madness” is made to scare American youth away from using cannabis. The movie remains a cult classic.

    1937 Cannabis made federally illegal in the US with the passage of the Marihuana Tax Act

    The act is pushed through by former Prohibition Commissioner Harry J Anslinger, now head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. The American Medical Association and Oil Seed Institute opposed the law, but ignored.

    Anslinger used the new law to expand his Bureau. He began an ugly campaign against “demon dope” using films and posters, associating it with jazz “voodoo music”, inter-racial sex, madness and death

    1968 The UK government committee headed by Baroness Wootton concludes that “the long-term consumption of cannabis in moderation has no harmful effects”.

    1975 America establishes the Compassionate Use programme for medical use of marijuana.

    1988 In the US, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) administrative law Judge Francis Young finds after thorough hearings that marijuana has clearly established medical use and should be reclassified as a prescriptive drug. His recommendation is ignored.

    2000 Tony Blair agrees that cannabis should be legalised for medical purposes.

    2000 Police Foundation Report suggests that certain drugs be reclassified and penalties reduced. The government rejects the recommendations.

    2003 Canada is first country in the world to offer medical marijuana to its patients

    2005 Sativex, the world’s first cannabis derived medicine is licensed for use in Canada. The drug is developed by British Company GW Pharmaceuticals. The UK considers licensing Sativex as well.

    As you have read, the UK is NOT behind the times in comparison to the USA. It was, in fact, USA corporations’ scheming that lead to the UK adding cannabis to their controlled drugs acts when they had no intention of doing so at all. Thanks USA; for nothing.

    And for historical interest to “Christians”…

    Strange but True!

    2,000 years ago in the Middle East it was common practice for religions to anoint people using Cannabis Resin (Hashish Oil)

    That’s right, Christians, Jesus and his disciples and followers used Cannabis Oil to anoint each other. As the oil gets absorbed through the skin, it can be said, in all honesty, that they got high from it.
    Add to that, the small drugs parcel he was handed as he was dragged off by the Romans.

    So yes, Jesus got high from using Cannabis. Holy Shit indeed!

    Jesus - long hair, sandals, no job, no money, against war, Gov’t military profiteering and terrorism, and money-lenders…

    Funny old world, isn’t it?!

  • scott

    If you think the Uk is bad for prohibition, Australia is the worst. We cannot even legally buy seeds as souvenir purposes or buy a decent bong from a shop. Online different story. Our Government likes of think out of sight out of mind but in reality it is flourishing underground online and in sheds and homes.