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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Pursuing social justice and compassion Derrick Large Romsey Advertiser, Hampshire Thursday 27 Apr 2000 Derrick Large, Legalise Cannabis Alliance, writes..."The Cannabis plant is remarkable in it that provokes so many, different responses in people. To some, it is the "Devil's own weed", to be eradicated at all cost. Parents worry in case their children are enslaved by it and led on to other drugs. For many others, it's a harmless way to relax after a hard day's work, or enjoyed when socialising with friends. Growing numbers of people now question its legal status after discovering its medicinal values, relieving the symptoms of many illnesses. Others are aware of the many commercial, industrial and environmental benefits this useful plant can bring. Most people though, maintain an indifference towards cannabis and the issues surrounding it, trusting it doesn't affect themselves or their families. Meanwhile, youngsters are continually attracted by the myths and spurious glamour surrounding its illegality. The arguments surrounding cannabis use, often typified by false propaganda and hysteria, detract from the reality that, despite the law, cannabis use has reached record levels and is endemic in Britain today. The inclusion of cannabis within the Misuse of Drugs Act, is now costing this country more than 1.5 billion pounds a year in enforcement costs. Most cases involve possession, a victimless crime in itself, wasting considerable amounts of valuable police and court resources that could be much better spent dealing with more serious crime. The law has become little more than a lottery for the millions of cannabis users, with the "unlucky losers" frequently paying a far higher price than the small penalty often imposed by the courts. The unluckiest pay with their liberty, - medical users included, others lose their jobs, their homes and families split up. Many suffer mental anguish, anxiety and depression after their conviction. For what purpose? Where is the social justice and fairness in punishing people whose actions have no impact on others? Where is the compassion in prosecuting ill people for using an ancient herbal remedy? Even here in Romsey, a cancer patient's home was raided, their medicinal plants uprooted, and several court appearances ensued. Finally, after months of anxious, stressful waiting, no penalty was imposed by the court. Meantime, this inhumane action meant this person was denied the relief cannabis brought for their painful, long-term, and ultimately terminal condition. This treatment is totally unacceptable in this day and age. Many people are in no position to wait for the results of the medical trials currently taking place. The Government should act immediately and demonstrate its compassion by implementing the recommendations made in the reports published by the House of Lords and the Police Foundation, amongst others, and allow ill people access to natural herbal cannabis without fear of arrest of prosecution. How much integrity does the law have, when it is regularly ignored by wide sections of the community? A fact now acknowledged, by increasing numbers of people including respected newspapers such as The Daily Telegraph, is that respect for law and order in general, is diminished when so many, otherwise law-abiding people feel compelled to commit a crime. Arrest and prosecution can alienate young people especially, isolating them from society's mainstream institutions and values, often the cause of far greater problems in the future. The Government says cannabis is a "controlled substance", a strange use of language. The truth is that cannabis is entirely out of governmental control. Its everyday use by millions of people should be acknowledged and cannabis brought back under control. Recognising this fact, by establishing a regulated, licensed and controlled system for its cultivation, sale, and use, would provide responsible adults and young people who experiment with cannabis, a safe, supervised, and most importantly, non-criminal environment to do so. This allows police/ health/ education resources to be freed up to better tackle the problematic drug usage that causes most harm to society. The Government continually refuses to address this issue. If you feel they should, then vote for Derrick Large, Legalise Cannabis Alliance."
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