Published letter: Let's Have Tolerance
Source:
York Evening News
Pub
Date: 19 August 2005
Web: http://www.thisisyork.co.uk/
Ref: http://www.ethical-business.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=2001
'LET'S
HAVE TOLERANCE'
In 1998 Viscountess Runciman reported
to Parliament that Cannabis should be
moved from schedule 1 to schedule 2 of the Misuse of Drugs act to enable its
use as a medicine. They went on to say that a defence of duress of circumstance on medical grounds be allowed
for possession, cultivation or supply.
Seven
years later we see the High court rule that 'medical neccessity' as a defence
is no longer admissible in court, a month later the MS support group THC4MS who have openly supplied Cannabis
chocolate to hundreds of sick people, free of charge, have been charged with
'conspiracy to supply cannabis'.
This
will leave many people suffering and probably resorting to the black market to
obtain toxic street resin to try and combat their symptoms thereby fuelling crime
contrary to anybodies benefit. In fact one of the accused is herself an MS
sufferer facing potentially 14 years in prison.
Any
prosecution should be brought 'In the public interest'. What is in the public
interest in taking medicine away from people who have asked for this help or to
prevent them growing a plant for their own use forcing them to suffer and to
turn to dealers to obtain an adulterated alternative. Who is the victim in this
crime?
The
fact our Government are able to do this is more like an authoritarian
dictatorship than an understanding and caring free democracy, Whatever your views may be on the
recreational uses of cannabis it's medical uses are beyond doubt and denying
these to people is torture. I find it corrupt that our politicians play these
games with peoples lives on the basis of protecting the financial interests of
pharmaceutical companies who force many far more dangerous drugs into our lives
. Remember that hundreds of people a year still die from Aspirin and the like,
available in every corner shop in the land.
The
Runciman Report states: The evidence
strongly indicates that the current law and its operation creates more harm
than the drug itself. (Ch.7, para.75, Police Foundation Report of the
Independent Inquiry on the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, U.K., 1999).
Judge
Francis Young Of the US Drug enforcement agency stated 'Marihuana in it's
natural form is the safest therapeutically active substance known to man'
The
evidence of the medical benefits of cannabis use is overwhelming and growing
almost daily, after all it was in our chemists until 1971, when American
pressure on our Government had it removed
on the grounds that it had no medical value.
MS,
AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, chemotherapy, bowel disorders, sleep disorders,
appetite stimulation, chronic pain, the list of the uses of this plant is
endless. There is no risk of overdose from this natural source of healing. Dr Lester Grinspoon, Associate Professor of
Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School says ' there is no risk with marihuana that justifies denying it's use to adults
for any purpose'
The
Government continually refuses to enter into a debate on the subject and
despite recent reports on the disastrous failing of government drug policy they
do nothing but pander to the bizarre rantings of certain tabloid newspapers.
I have
spent many hours studying cannabis and all associated research for many years
and have no doubt whatsoever that this is one of the most useful and safest
medicinal plants known to man. The continuing tabloid misinformation hysteria
is doing far more harm than good and is adding nothing to the debate aside from
scaring many parents with teenage children, and yet the booze
fuelled
world continues unabated.
Upto
25% of disabled people use cannabis, why should we want to prosecute them? For
what purpose could this possibly serve?
Tony
Blair's failed 'War on Drugs' is now a
war on the sick and defenceless, in an attempt to show he is tough on crime? A
crime with no victim, a crime committed by millions everyday, a crime to ensure
a huge minority have little respect for the law or it's makers. It's quite clear that drug policy is an out
and out disaster, a fresh approach is required, surely ' tough on crime' is
where control is taken on by the authorities rather than leaving it to the
hugely profitable black market?
The
criminalisation of personal choice, to choose a safer alternative natural
medicine than the parmaceuticals with terrible side effects is a crime against
humanity for which Tony Blair is responsible.
Drug-related
deaths per million population (in Holland) are the lowest in Europe. In 1995,
the figure for the Netherlands was 2.4 as against 31.1 for the United Kingdom.
Steve
Clements
Legalise
Cannabis Alliance, York