By Jo Moss
Cannabis demonstration announcement from board of NORML UK
For a number of years an idea has widely circulated within the UK cannabis community, with every activist laying claim in someway that it was unique to them. Now is the time when the idea becomes a set of plans and shortly an event, which the NORML UK team believes will help promote positive change to the cannabis laws in the UK, and raise further public awareness as to the reality of cannabis as medicine.
On 9th October 2013, NORML UK will be staging a peaceful protest by way of a static demonstration in close proximity to the Houses of Parliament in London. Exact times and the assembly point will be announced through the events page and our website a couple of days prior to the event. We would advise supporters of this event to arrive in central London in time to assemble just before 12 noon, and it is envisaged the protest will conclude within 3 hours. The event will be a static, peaceful assembly and we will advise supporters with mobility problems the best ways to access and exit the assembly point.
The purpose of this peaceful protest is to demonstrate the hypocrisy and the flaws of cannabis legislation both here in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world. The attendees will mainly comprise legal and illegal cannabis consumers smoking or consuming their cannabis within the same public space. We will be making the distinctions by way of large banners, which tell the story for each group of patients.
Herbal Cannabis which is available on prescription in the Netherlands
Most supporters will be people with diagnosed medical conditions who use cannabis, prescribed or otherwise, to treat the symptoms of their medical condition. A few of those in attendance will be residents from The Netherlands, who are permitted under the terms of the Schengen Agreement, to bring their prescribed herbal cannabis, to the UK, and consume when and wherever their needs dictate.
NORML UK wishes to highlight the hypocrisy of the Cannabis laws, especially as at this juncture the UK government is seeking to amend The Misuse of Drugs Act which will schedule cannabis and Sativex differently. Giving Sativex legitimate and therapeutic use. Sativex is a whole plant extract, made into a tincture spray, and available on prescription in the UK and an increasing number of other countries. However, in the UK Sativex is so expensive that most doctors budgets do not allow them to write any NHS prescriptions for it. The product is manufactured by GW Pharmaceuticals, under license in the UK. They are permitted to grow tons of cannabis every year in the UK in their factories, to produce a product which is not affordable to most NHS trusts/councils, yet the government still wishes to prosecute people who have been denied Sativex prescriptions due to funding issues, and grow their own medicine out of desperation, in order to gain relief from their symptoms. Where on earth is the logic, which allows a plant and a whole plant extract to be scheduled and considered differently?
Sativex: legal spray tincture available on prescription in the UK via a NHS postcode lottery
NORML UK are looking for UK residents who are currently prescribed Sativex, either privately or through the NHS, and for patients with MS and other health problems for which Sativex is indicated, but who have been denied a prescription for Sativex. If you are one of these people, and would be happy to join the event or share your story, then please send a message to jo@norml-uk.org
Cannabis Plant… not permitted in the UK and not available on prescription.
For more information and to keep updated, please visit our official Facebook event page.
Good luck guys! I use Cannabis for medical use (arthritis and a lot of medical complications with my knees etc and I don’t have a prescription because I live in England and as mentioned, Sativex is hard to get prescribed. Will have a toke for you guys in the comfort of my own home though!
I’m confident that within a year or two we’ll have either Decriminalised Cannabis/Medical Cannabis or it’ll be at least in class C and it’s pretty much down to everyone pitching in and putting in some effort and time into spreading the word.
Im wanting to go to this event as I had chemo last year, so this is very close to my heart. I am looking for anyone traveling in a car from Leeds/Harrogate/Knaresborough/York. I can get to any of these destinations but cant afford to get to London!!!
Pls help… Thnx Greg
Ill try and get there from hull so leeds may be podsible if i can get there
I have a recentlty diagnosed spinal stenosis at 32 with a long story attached so may have to send an email
theresonly1gregsta@yahoo.co.uk
Pls do send me a mail…..
Greg 😉
Just going through some toughness at the moment trying to leave the perscriptions on my past but its not as easy as I would like give me a few weeks and I reckon ill be up for putting it on paper and moving on thank you for the intrest its put a little joy back in my hart
Putting scripts down is hard but well worth it…. keep on going
god bless the herb
UK is not belong to the Schengen Countries,so I am not sure about the Schengen Agreement. This protest sounds good, but just checked the calendar and I have to work that day. Whish you all the best!
No, but the UK subscribed to certain elements of the Schengen Agreement.
Please contact your local cannabis social club to arrange/plan transport A FULL LIST OF CLUBS CAN BE FOUND HERE http://ukcsc.co.uk/official-club-list/
Yes its time to legalize weed. For both Medicinal purposes & the millions of users/smokers of weed. 20 States in the US have done it so this Country should show common sense & get it done pronto!!
You people are wonderdul, look at this! you have manifested a webpage and forum to raise conscious awareness to the truth of the matter. Sights like this make me proud to be in the UK. we can get the legislations changed, victimless crimes are wrong.
Its a shame that legislators who have no scientific or technical evaluation can hold a biased view on the substance. I have witnessed judges executing sentence on a married mother of two because she found the substance alleviated her depression and anxiety. I hope to see more conscious awakening and a reform through parliament to take the criminal aspect out of the black market and regulate this just as alcohol and tobacco is a drug. I hope a formal apology will be sent to David nut for his biased dismissal regarding his scientific evaluation of the plant.
All of these convictions have been victimless causing no true harm to others, infact the abuse of alcohol has show to have more violent effects on the public.
i hope UK can learn from these mistakes and evolve to a higher understanding for the integrity and moral of the public to keep the trust safe.
I will most probably be attending this demonstration.
Hope to see you all there !
Greetz,
Peter Lunk
Dutch cannabis activist
Admin of http://www.coffeeshopnieuws.nl
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http://ukcsc.co.uk/official-club-list/ Unfortunatly this link is dead now ! i support the movement and always will. Iwant enough herbs for oral use so i can give up smoking except for on special occasions like birthdays, xmas day, NYE and New Years Day 🙂
Pot is peace 😀