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Ferre
Cannabis Sacrament Minister.
Joined: 14 Apr 2003
Posts: 7138
Location: Amsterdam
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 Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 3:13 pm Post subject: Take action UK: Cannabis IS medicine |
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| Alun (L.C.A.) wrote: |
You will have read about the recent failed appeal in London by "medical cannabis" users against previous court's decisions not to allow them the defence of medical necessity regarding cannabis. Previous to this, there have been several successful defences on that reason, by people such as Lezley Gibson, Colin Davies in his first two cases, Jeff Ditchfield and others, and some that failed.
This refusal by the three court of appeal judges to acknowledge that the dire medical need for cannabis in the treatment of certain serious ailments and symptoms and in the absence of any reasonable working alternative, constituted "necessity" as a defence against prosecution, has indeed angered and frightened thousands of medical users who now face prosecution with no defence, in fact, just like so-called "recreational users".
I have for a long time argued that the distinction between "medical use" and
"recreational use", indeed also "religious" use is hazy. There is often a
clear difference in "urgency" of need, and indeed some users consume only enough to ease their suffering without seeking to or getting "high", but for many people the use may simply be the difference in dose: a small dose may ease a burden, a larger does "may" be fun in some way - make one feel "even better", and a very large dose may even be perceived as some sort of religious experience or insight, for most people.
My case is that whatever the conscious "reason" for using cannabis, it is either medically beneficial or otherwise. It is said to have value as a PREVENTATIVE medicine: helping slow down any development of glaucoma, cognitive decline, development of tumours and cancers, and of course preventing the illness, absenteeism, violence, crime and premature death associated with STRESS. Of course cannabis may not be good for everyone, certainly in high doses, just like any medicine.
I claim that cannabis IS a medicine - that medicine, recreation, are therapeutic.
But the LAW disagree: the Misuse of Drugs Act and the International treaties state and thus "schedule" cannabis the plant as a "drug with no medicinal value" (yes despite the fact that it was used medicinally for thousands of years - until 1971 in the UK) (Schedule A). The Judges had no alternative than to reject the defence of medical necessity because the law says cannabis has no medical value.
We know that is wrong!
What we going to do about it? How can we all work together to correct this mis-scheduling (for starters).
I believe the most (cost-)EFFECTIVE ways:
write a letter to your local newspaper: address it to "Letters to the Editor" or put that in subject line of e-mail. Let me know when your letter gets printed please, name of paper, date, headline and letter itself: I will post it out to lists around the world, and others can respond to it.
write a letter to your MP (if you don't know who it is, send me your post code and I'll tell you)
Write the letter explaining why we think the law is accusing many thousands of people in this country of telling lies by refusing to acknowledge the medical benefits they claim to experience from using cannabis. Tell them that cannabis should be rescheduled without delay
Alun
http://www.lca-uk.org/
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Mystic Power
admin THC-Ministry YahooGroup
Joined: 23 Aug 2004
Posts: 3605
Location: Key West
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| Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 3:34 pm Post subject: |
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"Have you tried cannabis? I have heard it's the best thing for it."
~ Prince Charles to MS patient circa 1998 ~
www.cannabisculture.com/articles/2404.html
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"We are the Ones we have been waiting for."
~Hopi Elder ~
"In Lak'ech"
~ Ancient Mayan: "I am another YOU." ~ |
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Ferre
Cannabis Sacrament Minister.
Joined: 14 Apr 2003
Posts: 7138
Location: Amsterdam
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| Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2005 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
Source: Hull Daily Mail, UK
Pub date: Saturday, June 11, 2005
Pub LTE: Judgement flies in face of fact and decency
Author: Carl Wagner, Legalise Cannabis Alliance, http://www.lca-uk.org
Web: http://www.thisishull.co.uk
Contact: letters@hulldailymail.co.uk
"Judgement flies in the face of fact and decency"
There is no doubt that cannabis can cause anxiety and paranoia amongst politicians and prohibitionists, so much so that even medicinal use is perceived as a threat to society.
Despite defence lawyers arguing that cannabis was more effective than conventional forms of pain relief and did not have the potentially serious side effects of alternative treatments, the Court of Appeal has ruled that the defence of having cannabis due to medical necessity is not valid.
This Judgement flies in the face of fact and decency.
There is no doubt cannabis relieves the more distressing symptoms of multiple Sclerosis and many other illnesses: it has been proven in clinical trials.
Conditions such as MS involve excruciating pain.
Withholding a medicine is torture.
Any law which forces people to choose between obeying the law or providing relief to someone in chronic pain is a bad law and does not deserve respect.
Carl Wagner
Legalise Cannabis Alliance
Ella Street
Hull
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_________________
█ I hereby declare Peace on war!
█ Please read the Board Rules and Posting, and you
█ Radio Free Amsterdam
People who know truth, speak truth.
Those who don't, quote scriptures. |
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Echo
Cannabis Sacrament Minister
Joined: 14 Apr 2003
Posts: 1899
Location: England
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| Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2005 8:51 pm Post subject: |
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| It seems that here in the UK, once leading country in Europe for cannabis medical research, things are turning against us. Do the UN have anything to do with it? In my opinion YES. I feel like they want to isolate Holland. The UK was just a few steps behind and talking loud. Too loud. |
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