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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Parliament Square goes up in smoke
The Cambridge Student Thursday 19 Feb 2009 I went along to join in the festivities and meet Don Barnard, a prominent figure in the party. In prior correspondence, Don told me, "if you have any trouble finding me ask a guy with a pink beard to point me out". It worked. Don greeted me with a hand shake and handed me a spliff. He was 67 but had a lively and mischievous spirit that revelled in telling stories. He explained that he smoked to ease arthritic pains but that he had also been a recreational user all his life. He said: "When I was campaigning in the 60s, 70s and 80s smoking was a private thing but at large festivals like Smokey Bears picnics everyone did it and the police just stood by and watched. It all depends upon the situation. "Back in the day we never got nicked because we were quite a powerful lobby and the media loved us. There were thousands of us, all out for the cause, all standing and fighting together. By the 80s and 90s society became more tolerant so people didn't have as much to fight for. Today attitudes are reversing - society is becoming more intolerant but people are scared to stand up in support of cannabis because they fear losing or being denied a job. People put themselves first; everyone is too comfortable and happy; they only care about themselves and that's a shame. It's a shame that I don't see students at rallies any more. "In the late 1990s Howard Marks�('Mr. Nice') and veteran cannabis campaigner Rob Cannabis (who changed his name by deed poll) regularly led groups of campaigners to police stations demanding to be arrested; it never happened. I recall one occasion in Norwich when we got to the police station and the doors were locked so we couldn't hand ourselves in." As we went to find a quiet cafe Don stopped by a policeman and asked: "I know you're not allowed to have an opinion, Officer, but if you could, wouldn't you like to be here with us today, smoking a gentle bit of weed?" The officer smiled and replied: "Like you said, I can't have an opinion; ask me when I'm off duty." Don let out one of his boyish laughs and continued: "So how have things been today then?" The officer responded: "Fine, there's been no trouble at all, very civilised, the odd whiff of cannabis every now and then but no problems." I respected the officer's tolerance and diplomacy - "whiff" was a massive understatement, the place reeked - you could smell it in any direction for 30 metres. This was a weird situation. I was in Parliament Square demonstrating against a decision to make cannabis even more illegal, yet everyone was breaking the law and smoking openly in front of police officers. *Isn't it hypocritical of the Police to turn a blind eye?* "Yeah, it's bullshit. They say one thing and do another. The Government is saying that cannabis is harmful; that's why it's illegal. They claim the reclassification reflects the increased potency and that this increases the danger of use. But the Government doesn't treat cannabis in the same way as other widelyused harmful drugs like alcohol and tobacco. "We all know the dangers of alcohol and tobacco but we will never stop using them. The Government understands this so focuses on regulating not banning. Remember that alcohol and tobacco are drugs too - they are just legal and regulated which means the negative side effects are limited. The Government tries to advertise the dangers, to educate and to inform people of the harm they can do. They also help those who are abusing it. They put a tax on it to discourage its use. They put age limits on to protect the young. They specify situations when you're not allowed to use the drug such as when driving. "This doesn't happen for cannabis. We all know it is harmful. The logic of the Government is to make it illegal because this stops anyone using it which in turn stops any harm but we all know that people will never stop smoking. Why not regulate it like they do with alcohol and tobacco? Now, I don't believe cannabis is harmful enough to warrant being illegal, but for the sake of argument let's say it is. It is clear that cannabis law enforcement is ineffectual. Everyone is bloody smoking and the Government knows it. Why is the Government maintaining these double standards; saying we shouldn't smoke it but allowing smoking to continue? This sort of approach pushes cannabis into a grey area and that benefits no one. "If I get caught with any other Class B drug I will automatically get arrested. There is no warning, no on the spot fine. But those caught with cannabis are hardly ever arrested, they are cautioned and let go. So cannabis isn't really a Class B or a Class C. It lies in-between in a grey area." *So you are saying that the current system is failing; that we get the worst of both worlds, that people use cannabis but completely unregulated?* "Precisely. Because we have to buy cannabis illegally we are exposed to a criminal world of violence and hard drugs. Even before we smoke we are at risk and there is the problem of quality because it is not in the public domain and no regulation takes place. 'Soap bar hash,' largely from Morocco, is polluted with all sorts of unknown dangerous substances. "In the US, alcohol is regulated so it is hard for teenagers to procure. Weed isn't so it's relatively easier to get - they are a nation of teen potheads. Dealers there and everywhere will sell to kids of any age. There is no protection for the young at all. There is also far less advice and information of the effects. Sure there are web pages like 'Talk to Frank' that inform people of the risk but these are limited in scope and influence. Anyway, talking to Frank and frank talking are not the same thing." *So what is the solution?* "I would like to see cannabis removed completely from the Misuse of Drugs Act. For cannabis to be sold in an outlet of some description. We can't have coffee shops because of the general smoking ban, but essentially I want to see a system in which cannabis is not illegal but regulated. Cannabis outlets would separate the trade in cannabis from the trade in Class A and Class B drugs. Users could get good quality and safe cannabis, for a fair price in a safe environment and it would only be sold to those legally old enough. All of this would also put money back into the economy not the pockets of drug dealers. This money could also be used to help fight the worst effect of cannabis use. *So just how dangerous is cannabis?* "It's the most dangerous drug in the world. It can land you in jail for 5 years. How much more danger do you want from a drug?" *And in terms of health implications?* "Well it is harmful. But looked at in a relative context it is far less harmful than either alcohol or tobacco. Cannabis has never killed anyone- the other two are mass killers. There have been hundreds of studies on the physical and psychological effects but they all end in small print. More information is needed. "Saying that, I've read hundreds of reports that conclude cannabis use is relatively safe. Some research suggests small minorities of people do suffer some negative psychological effects but even then this is extremely hard to prove. It is hard to say definitively that cannabis caused a mental problem and that it was not some other factor. For example, many argue that cannabis doesn't induce psychological disorders but that the type of person likely to use cannabis is also likely to suffer from psychological disorders. "Smoking anything puts you at risk of cancer because combustion creates carcinogens but we don't have to smoke cannabis to gets its effects. We can always eat it or use a vaporiser. Regardless, if people feel cannabis is having a negative influence they should simply stop using it. The law doesn't force anyone to smoke it merely gives you the option." At this point Don handed me a list of quotes from reputable sources and scientific journals. The following two stood out: *DEA Judge Francis Young* "In strict medical terms marijuana is far safer that many foods we commonly consume. For example, eating 10 raw potatoes can result in a toxic response. By comparison, it is physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death." *Lester Grinspoon, MD, Harvard.* "Cannabis is remarkably safe. Although not harmless, it is surely less toxic that most of the conventional medicines we use every day." I continued my questions. *Is the Government infringing upon our liberty by stopping us from using cannabis?* "Yes. Cannabis use is a matter of personal choice. The Government has no right to stop me using it. If we have the right to harm ourselves through drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco shouldn't we have a similar right to do so with cannabis? If there is no victim there is no crime. Who am I hurting other than myself if I smoke? "This matter does not concern the state. Cannabis users are not a drain on society. Unlike alcohol, which makes people aggressive and violent, cannabis is calming and peaceful. There are no grounds for the Government to argue that my using cannabis has a negative effect upon others. I'm 67, how does my smoking a bit of weed to ease my arthritic pain and relax impact upon anyone else? "The onus should be on the Government to prove why I shouldn't be allowed to smoke. But the Government is happy to hide behind the Law and refuse to open up debate about it. I'd like to see a lot more discussion of the matter. I'd like to see your researchers and professors in Cambridge carry out further testing and research of its effect. "In addition I'd like to see students reading these studies and thinking critically about the Law and enforcement strategy. Everyone should be looking at the successes and failures of the current strategy to cannabis. I'm quite sure that if people go through the arguments and consider them carefully they too will see the violation of rights that is taking place." *Have you ever been prosecuted for smoking cannabis?* "Not for smoking, but I was done for cultivating cannabis in 1994. A few weeks after I was arrested a doctor in Liverpool was found not guilty for supplying cannabis to his daughter who had MS. Being a political animal I thought 'I'll have some of that'. I pleaded not guilty on the grounds of medical necessity but it didn't work. In the end I was ordered to do 50 hours community service but it was great. We spent the whole time smoking joints and cutting hedges. Since then there have been a number of people contesting the law in court - some won some lost." *Do you know of anyone who has received the maximum 5 year jail sentence?* "The short answer is 'no'. In theory anyone caught it possession can go away for 5 years but I don't know of anyone getting banged up for that long. In reality prison sentences for possession are extremely rare. It could happen; it all depends upon the circumstances and the discretion of the court. Mostly people receive a warning, then heavy fines, then community service before jail is considered. This begs the question why the maximum penalty has been increased if it is never going to be used." http://www.tcs.cam.ac.uk/story_type/site_trail_story/parliament-square-goes-up-in-smoke/
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