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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Gran's no dope
Ken Oxley Sunday Sun
Sunday 11 Mar 2007 Sweet-faced granny Patricia Tabram looks like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. . . but a butter cookie laced with cannabis? That's an entirely different matter. The 66-year-old is, by her own admission, a criminal, guilty of rustling up all manner of tasty dishes with the drug, from chicken casseroles to chocolate cakes. Dinner parties at her house must be pretty laid back. She is not, however, your run-of- the-mill dope head. Patricia, of Humshaugh, Northumberland, suffers from depression, aches, and pains, and relies on cannabis to ease her symptoms. This week, she was sentenced to 250 hours' community service after being convicted of growing the class C drug, and possessing it in powdered form. She must also pay £1000 costs. No matter which way you slice it up - her situation, that is, not her chocolate cake - it doesn't seem right that this harmless pensioner is being penalised for having the temerity to manage her pain in a way she sees fit. The law dictates that she must use prescription drugs, but Patricia says she does not want powerful chemicals in her body. The cannabis she grows herself, on the other hand, is an entirely natural product. The problem, of course, is that no matter how much you might sympathise with her plight, you know that if the law turns a blind eye to Patricia, it must do so to tens of thousands of other users. And so long as cannabis remains an illegal substance, that's an untenable position. So here's the thing . . . why can't the law be amended to take account of Patricia and others like her, such as multiple sclerosis sufferers, who swear by the medicinal qualities of this drug? I've heard all the arguments. I know cannabis has been linked with an increased risk of developing schizophrenia, and that users can experience anxiety and panic attacks. I'm aware that people can become both physically and psychologically dependent on it. I realise that those who smoke it risk inhaling higher concentrations of tar than are found in cigarettes. And I even accept the theory that legalisation could encourage some users to try harder drugs. But despite all these factors, I still believe that denying the drug to those who can truly benefit from it is morally wrong. There are plenty of drugs already in circulation capable of causing far more harm than cannabis - tobacco and alcohol being the two most obvious examples - and we haven't banned them. There is a strong case for decriminalisation, but even if we don't go that far, surely we could allow cannabis use for medicinal purposes, with supplies available on prescription. Granny Tabram might have to stop growing the weed at her home, but I'm sure she'd regard that as a small price to pay if it meant she could control her pain legally. http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/ -- LCA on Myspace; http://www.myspace.com/cannabis_people_uk
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