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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Pot and pain
The Guardian Tuesday 31 Jul 2001 Canada became the first country in the world yesterday to legalise the use of cannabis by people suffering from terminal illnesses and chronic conditions. It will still be illegal to sell the drug for non medical use but patients, with the approval of physicians, will be able to grow and take the drug or appoint someone to grow it for them. Even bolder, the Canadian government is preparing to produce the drug as well as set up a research study to examine its therapeutic use. Good for Canada. Scientific opinion remains divided over the therapeutic use of the drug. The House of Lords select committee on science and technology, heavily weighted with distinguished medical scientists, conceded three years ago that there was insufficient scientific evidence but was so impressed by the evidence from patients that it concluded "cannabis almost certainly does have genuine medical applications". But a recent report in the British Medical Journal which looked at nine relevant studies on the drug's control of pain - five relating to cancer, two to acute post-operative pain and two to chronic pain - found it was no more effective than codeine tablets. It was worried by the way the drug depressed the nervous system and its side effects when used to prevent sickness in people undergoing chemotherapy. There is more hope with respect to its therapeutic use for multiple sclerosis patients. A pain relief study on this front, funded by the Medical Research Council, is already under way and a commercial pharmaceutical company is examining wider use. Until this research is complete, ministers should insist that there should be no more prosecutions of British patients who decide to try the drug. Meanwhile, our political editor, travelling with the prime minister in Jamaica, reported yesterday that Mr Blair had no intention of liberalising the social use of any drugs. Reformers should not get too depressed. This reform will not be driven by politicians, but the police and public. The Met is already experimenting with decriminalising cannabis in Brixton. For good reasons. A cannabis arrest can take two officers off the street for five hours and end up costing £10,000 in court time. Opinion polls show that half of all adults - let alone young people - believe cannabis should not be illegal and 99% think it should have the lowest police priority. The Brixton pilot should prove the correctness of these polls.
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