A 'sword in the side of prohibition'

Maxwell Kusi Obodum • Published 30 Sep 2012 12:00 96 Comments

A HEALTH campaigner who uses cannabis to ease the crippling pains of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) found himself on a national stage this week when he starred in a mini-documentary aired on Channel 4.

Clark French from Lower Earley claims his appearance on 4thought.tv on Tuesday night will prove a "springboard" in his campaign for the drug to be legalised in Britain for medicinal use.

The 26-year-old from Sutcliffe Avenue, who triggered a fierce debate on the Chronicle's website last month when we exclusively revealed how his campaign was sparked by a three-month trip to California where the drug is available for medicinal use, said after the programme: "It's really exciting. I hope to use this to get my story out there and use it as a springboard for more media attention. My whole Facebook wall has exploded with comments and with people congratulating me.

"It solidifies my belief that I have a valid argument and I plan to be a sword in the side of prohibition."

During the five-minute programme the former Reading University student speaks passionately about how the drug has eased his two year battle with the degenerative disease which previously forced him to use a walking stick. He denies it is a "gateway drug" leading to harder substances and claims its illegal status leaves him at the mercy of "the drug dealers and gangs",

While in California he obtained a prescription for oral capsules containing cannabis oil and after his return home uses a topical cannabis cream which he rubs on his limbs. He also smokes and eats the drug.

He said: "It's an emotional and emotive subject for me. My whole quality of life has improved with it and I shouldn't be denied a medicine that works."

*Clark also founded campaign group The Berkshire Cannabis Community which meets from 7.30pm on Monday, October 29, in Reading International Solidarity Centre (RISC) in London Street. See www.facebook.com/berkscc

Join the debate on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/readingchronicle

Tweet

This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 28 Sep 12

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

• 

  Stuart C
  Unregistered User
  Sep 30, 12:59
  Report comment

  Cannabis can be very beneficial to the symptoms of MS, however it also causes paranoia and turns people into couch potatoes who vegitate on sofas getting stoned, falling asleep and waking up again.
  
  If the gentleman is finding relief then I am very happy to hear this. The article states he has been prescribed oral cannabis capsules and uses a cannabis cream he puts on his limbs. Why on earth then is he having to resort to smoking it and eating it of all things? When cannabis can be taken safely in the form of prescribed oral capsules one can justifiably ask why a 'health campaigner' would be promoting smoking it and eating it?
  
  This looks and sounds to me like self justifying claptrap from someone who is addicted to cannabis and wants to get stoned.
  
  Please no hatemail saying I do not know what its like to have MS as I am a sufferer for the last three years.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 12     No 187

• 

  Jayelle Farmer
  Unregistered User
  Sep 30, 15:02
  Report comment

  @ Stuart C >Why on earth then is he having to resort to smoking it and eating it of all things? When cannabis can be taken safely in the form of prescribed oral capsules one can justifiably ask why a 'health campaigner' would be promoting smoking it and eating it?
  
  What's so wrong in smoking cannabis? There are scientific studies that show that smoking cannabis is not harmful to the lungs.
  
  http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=casual-marijuana-smoking
  
  Besides the which, many cannabis users now use a vaporiser to inhale their cannabis. It is not necessary to use tobacco with smoking or inhaling herbal cannabis.
  
  Why should people have to rely on cannabis pharmaceutical preparations when Mother Nature herself is the source of the true herb? I must add that to do so is against the law, which is why many people are currently campaigning to change the law.
  
  It is a valid argument that the pharm industry are instrumental in keeping herbal cannabis use illegal in the first place due to the enormous profits that they make, which is one of the reasons why there is the new NORMLUK group in the UK which has a focussed campaign to legalise herbal cannabis use.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 131     No 12

• 

  I Ron
  Unregistered User
  Sep 30, 16:37
  Report comment

  "It solidifies my belief that I have a valid argument and I plan to be a sword in the side of prohibition."
  
  Or a self-pitying stoner who feels the need to blow their own trumpet? Imagine a nation of potheads on the road or operating machinery? No thanks.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 13     No 174

• 

  Stuart C
  Unregistered User
  Sep 30, 17:01
  Report comment

  Cannabis has been proven to cause paranoia and overuse causes schizophrenia. It is a complete contradiction for a health campaigner to be promoting the use of a banned drug. It is banned for the above reasons not for a pharmaceutical conspiracy and any medically prepared cannabis will of been quality controlled for toxins and impurities.
  
  I am a teacher for adults and have seen many people fail due to cannabis abuse. If the above health campaigner is not happy with the medical cannabis it is either ineffective to his condition or he prefers a more expensive and dangerous way of getting cannabis into his system.
  
  It could be likened to an alcoholic with serious liver problems trying to refute that alcohol is causing any harm and argue that if anything its helping recovery and ease pain.
  
  All I can see here is addiction and self justification.
  
  There will never be any government that will legalise cannabis and campaigning for its legalisation is nothing new and also fruitless. Its up to the health campaigner if he wants to eat it, smoke it, take medical oral pills and cream but it all sounds unnecessary and exessive when only one method is reuired.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 8     No 157

• 

  ABTHREE
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 09:06
  Report comment

  Well done Clark French for standing up and telling the honest truth - and to those that try to contradict that truth by saying cannabis causes this or that, you miss the point.
  
  Most medicines have side-effects, and often the pills from the doctor need more pills to counteract the side-effects - those side effects that are possible are often listed on the sheet that comes with the pills, in small print - they range from paranoia, through drowsiness to depression, even suicide tendencies, impotence, rashes, sleep and digestion problems, constipation --- well, look for yourself.
  
  Secondly, not ever medicine works for every person that uses it.
  
  Clark was brave enough to try a PLANT product that helps him - that does not mean that he suffers from any side-effects, apart from maybe a "high".
  
  Other people have said they have had bad effects from cannabis - that does not mean that they or those that benefit should be punished - and THAT is what the law is about
  
  We have a choice here: first we must accept that cannabis is one of the most widely used substances / drugs,. possibly excluding beer, and caffeine drinks - that both have serious side-effects and are a risk to health.
  
  People are not allowed to grow their own even in their own homes for their own use.
  
  Therefore the only access is illegal dealers where there is no consumer protection, no quality control, no age restrictions, no credible advice, no tax on profits and possible exposure to other drugs and crime.
  
  On the other hand, the Government could do its duty and stop spending tax-payers money chasing growers, users and dealers, and set up a system of legal distribution for adults - outlets that are controlled and the profits taxed.
  
  Cannabis use will continue in this country because so many people find so much benefit for so many terrible ailments, conditions and pains.
  
  We can either remove the control from criminals and protect the consumers that do no harm - or else boost the illicit market and continue to spend billions annually in the so-called "war on drugs" - which is in fact a war on people
  
  Recommend?   Yes 124     No 3

• 

  Glyn
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 09:13
  Report comment

  It would seem that some folk commenting on here need to research what benefits cannabis can bring ,And their IS a pharmaceutical conspiracy as you only need t look as far as GW pharmaceuticals to find it.They cannot patent a plant, so they try and do the next best thing and patent an extract(even though it is whole plant extract) so they can profit massively from this procedure.Wake up and smell the cannabis is what these folks should do.Folks should be free to grow and medicate their own cannabis without being at risk of prison for it.Prohibition does not work obviously,as it just hands the market to criminal elements to "control". The war on drugs is a farce,it is a war on people......
  
  Recommend?   Yes 100     No 3

• 

  Winston Matthews
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 09:31
  Report comment

  Clark French is standing up against the odds, as the pharmaceutical companies, don't wish to lose money.
  
  Laws have to make sense, and stopping a herb that has no overdose levels, unlike drugs such as caffeine/alcohol.
  
  The crowd behavior of people that take cannabis on its own, is markedly different to crowds of alcohol users.... I could go on.
  
  There is no causal like to mental illness,( unlike caffeine/nicotine/alcohol/pharmacy) the only thing said, is that cannabis may make a condition worst.
  
  A couple of people on this thread says cannabis causes mental problems..( Humbug!)
  
  I would speculate from anecdotal evidence, plus articles I read from other countries that allow herb on prescription, that cannabis, is good for stopping depression, and stress, which are two very dangerous mental health conditions.
  
  Clark French should have as much local support as possible for this isn't an easy task , without the crowds, versed in propaganda, the gov tool, that keeps cannabis legality in the business sector without allowing the patient to self medicate, or grow, you have to qualify for a substandard substance called Sativex. which is legal cannabis , grown in the UK in large amounts for processing and export.
  
  No Victim, no crime, and with the reclassification of cannabis, being a bureaucratic joke, where experts were sacked, and laws were based on media hype, and twisted cherry pick data, totally illogical , when laws are loosely based on protection.
  
  We need to change this now, or more and more patients will be locked away for taking a sensible safer option IMO!
  
  Recommend?   Yes 96     No 3

• 

  Ferret
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 09:46
  Report comment

  "There will never be any government that will legalise cannabis and campaigning for its legalisation is nothing new and also fruitless."
  
  If you believe this statement to be true, then you are grossly misinformed my friend.
  
  In fact, the Uruguayan Government are currently attempting to legalise AND distribute Cannabis themselves. Finally a Government who aren't afraid to show some backbone.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 78     No 2

• 

  Tom Speed
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 09:55
  Report comment

  "Imagine a nation of potheads on the road or operating machinery? No thanks."
  
  Imagine? Millions of people use it daily, in all walks of life.
  
  Studies from the U.S. where many states now have a legal medical Cannabis system, have shown a marked drop in road traffic accidents, and also a correlating reduction in alcohol consumption.
  
  "self-pitying stoner" ('abusive' ad hominem.)
  
  Let's get something straight. Cannabis is medicine, that's 'Scientific' fact now, and isn't open for debate.
  
  Calling Clarke a 'stoner' for using a proven medicine for a confirmed medical condition shows you to be an ignorant man.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 82     No 2

• 

  agoodguy
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 09:55
  Report comment

  Bottom line is we are a country of common law and therefore it goes down to whether an action causes harm, injury or loss to the community and this does not, furthermore when this is a plant with oil that can, has and does cure cancer I think some need to step down from their high horse one on top of which no doubt a couple of bottles of rose lie?
  
  Recommend?   Yes 62     No 2

• 

  Jaydubble
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 09:56
  Report comment

  Taking too many paracetamols kills, lots of things are extremely harmful or can be or have serious side affects, marijuana does not kill FACT!
  
  The reason why paracetamols are not illegal because we are human beings and can make decisions for ourselves. Why can we not, as individuals, decide our own destiny, our own fate, why can we be left to make decisions that are detrimental to health and society (such as choosing to consume alcohol and cigarettes) but cannot for a plant created by nature?!
  
  Cannabis users do not harm anyone, If any ill comes from cannabis use it is simply the result of prohibition, not the plant consumption itself.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 63     No 2

• 

  janet
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 09:59
  Report comment

  if any of your journalist took the time to properly and thoroughly research the history of cannabis the reason why it was prohibited the extent of that prohibition the enormous volume of material available online regarding its efficacy then you would indeed have written a piece that would have given people an education that is much needed
  
  the hypocratic oath states do no harm and yet as an ms sufferer i am prescribed quite legally highly addictive drugs
  
  cannabis manages my symptoms better is not addictive and easily administered
  
  why am i and others denied an effective treatment that does no harm?
  
  Recommend?   Yes 60     No 2

• 

  AnonNurse
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 09:59
  Report comment

  "If the gentleman is finding relief then I am very happy to hear this. The article states he has been prescribed oral cannabis capsules and uses a cannabis cream he puts on his limbs. Why on earth then is he having to resort to smoking it and eating it of all things? When cannabis can be taken safely in the form of prescribed oral capsules one can justifiably ask why a 'health campaigner' would be promoting smoking it and eating it?"
  
  If you had read the article correctly then you would know that he was prescribed the cream and capsules in California! They are not available here and so he has to resort to smoking/eating it, hence, the campaign.
  
  People have such closed minds to things they know so little about.
  
  I work in a hospital and the number of people wasting our time and services due to alcohol is ridiculous.
  
  Keep going Clark! I support your campaign.
  
  Ps. He is not a 'stoner'.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 69     No 2

• 

  ingo
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 10:01
  Report comment

  Thanks for your eloquence Clark and for speaking out. There have been thousands of opthers who argue the same case, who had enough of the pharmaceutical pill pushers. Some 48 death/day are directly related to approved drugs and their horrendous side effects. Why should an uneducated public be exposed to such risks when they are far better of self medicating?
  
  How is it possible that cancer tumour reducing qualities of cannabis are ignored, by consecutive Governments, the researching cancer charities and belligerent scared politicians who dare not mention drugs for their own personal selfish reasons, their reluctance to debate and reform over the misuse of drugs act has cost us thousands of life's, we are using the full force of the law to lock people up for trying to get healthier, rather than debating the issue for fear of not getting re elected.
  
  Well done Clark and all the power to your words, be prepared to be shoot down by this minority club of speed daters in power.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 58     No 2

• 

  Fluff
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 10:08
  Report comment

  It just shows how bad society has become when nobody shows compassion to the people who suffer from disease or sickness,Clark has shown great courage to stand up and show that cannabis has worked for him,it also works for me in a different way,I suffered depression for most of the last 25 years and through extensive research online I also found that cannabis could be used to help,I didn't want to go down the pharmaceutical route as I saw antidepressants turn my mum into a zombie and ultimately suffer a stroke from the medication prescribed by her GP. I now feel 110% better as I'm able to fully function and interact with all my friends(smokers and non smokers) as my depression is under control due to cannabis helping me to deal with the black moods I had before even starting smoking,to say cannabis causes paranoia is rediculous,I WAS paranoid before using cannabis but now not ! GW pharmaceuticals have recently stated they have come across part of the plant they can use an "Antipsychotic" so who is lying to who here,all the people who have been helped by the plant,or the government who still say cannabis has no medicinal benefit when science has proved otherwise,do your research people as it cures many conditions.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 64     No 2

• 

  Andy Shaman-E
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 10:11
  Report comment

  I'm disgusted at the negative comments made here by most people who really do NOT have an understanding as to what Cannabis is all about. It is one of the least toxic plants on this planet that we call our home. A human being cannot acheive a toxic dose with Cannabis-you need to ingest 685 kilos in 15 minutes or smoke the equivalent of 555 pure joints in 1 minute in order to acheive toxicity. It has over 2,500 medical applications, over 125,000 uses in industry and it get's you high, relaxed/stoned or a mixture of both. Cannabis per se does not cause mental disease-it bring's it to the fore in people who ALREADY have a mental condition. People of the UK you seriously need a re-education about this safest and most miraculous plant. The scientific and medical eveidence is on the net for you to read> The UK Govt. have been lying about Cannabis for years and they are cowards to admit this. Most of you drink alcohol-yes one of the most addctive drugs in the world.It is legal but kills people around the world everyday. Those of you that drink and condone Cannabis are in my book hypocrites and you do not have a clue as to what you are talking about.And NO, Cannabis is NOT physically addictive. Have a good day UK and re-educate yourselves or continue to be slaves and puppets of the govt. and the pharmaceutical industry.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 65     No 2

• 

  Dr Dank L High
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 10:21
  Report comment

  Wow some people really, really need to be educated befor they start jumping to conclusions, basically @ Stuart C do you know what GW Pharma are, do you know that they grow cannabis, in england and a hell of a lot and then it's send it to other countries for £££££££, the fact is Clark ha found a natural medicine that relieves his pains from the crippling illness ms. I don't know if you know anyone with ms or anyone with arthritic pains, anxiety, insomnia, glaucoma, depression, ADD,Social Awareness, Emotional Stability,Chronic Pain, Spasms,Joint and Muscle Pain, insomnia, cancer, etc , etc etc (thats just a small list of things cannabis is beneficial greatly for, depending on the person of course) if you did know anyone with any of these illnesses, wouldn't you want them to get better, wouldn't you support them if they felt happier with self medicating with a 100% natural medicine which can be grown under the biggest natural energy source in the world for free, the sun, or would you rather them take numerous amounts of chemicals unnatural chemical's modified in a laboratory, to me the answer is extremely simple in fact its only your own naivety to believe you know whats best for someone else, Clark is happy self medicating he feels that the cannabis is helping him more then the unnatural meds the doc's are prescribing, why should he feel as though he is going to be punished, labeled a criminal for all in all making him self and his lifestyle easier. I met him once didn't really speak to him that much because he had traveled quite far but the blokes on the front line along with many others trying to end the ridiculous prohibition and doing a fine job at that, keep up the good work Clark your a fighter for the people and what you believe in and that is whats gonna end this prohibition.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 54     No 3

• 

  Thom Bleasdale
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 10:22
  Report comment

  Referring to schizophrenia and psychosis shows no knowledge at all of the true effects, as this are simply citing disproven propaganda and choosing to completely ignore the studies (the largest ones - the Dutch study, the Leeds study, the California study, the coptic study, The jamaica study) that disproved it.
  
  And no, it doesn't make people into zombies that waste their days on their sofa, being a feckless layabout causes that, NOT cannabis. That is another ignorant myth (disproven centuries ago and still today by field workers in the Caribbean and Africa who smoke before, during and after work).
  
  Psychoactive? It is not anywhere near as psychoactive as alcohol which is an extremely mind-bending drug (far more mind-bending than cannabis - YES, this is a fact, those who drink and have never used cannabis get far more out of their heads than a pot smoker ever will) and it causes psychotic breaks within minutes of minor overdose as is demonstrated every friday and saturday night.
  
  It is clear that due to the illegality, many people do not actually have a clue as to it's actual effects - yet for some reason they still feel qualified to speak about it.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 55     No 2

• 

  david march
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 10:26
  Report comment

  i cant hear anyone of the people ,who think Clark is self indulgent,calling for the prohibition of alcohol ....imagine a nation of alcohol users ,driving on our roads,turning up for work hung over ( or suffering from taking a poison as its known in reality ) blah blah blah ,oh sorry ,this country is already like that .....the word full blown hypocracy comes to mind
  
  brilliant work Clark ,youre a brave man
  
  Recommend?   Yes 53     No 2

• 

  garym
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 10:27
  Report comment

  Well i for one support Clark in his quest to be able to legally use the most effective medicine to allieviate his condition, if we had the same situation as in 17 states of the U.S.A. he would be able to legal effective help , ironically it is the same U.S.A. that started and continues with the massively costly and ineffectual war on drugs.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 50     No 2

• 

  tom1818
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 10:46
  Report comment

  i support this it outrageous that no patients can get a stable supply of tested and regulated cannabis and they have to go to the guy on the corner and get ripped off. it wont work for everyone but if a patient knows it works for them and its less toxic than the 10 kinds of other medications they would have to take why not allow this? so inhumane
  
  Recommend?   Yes 46     No 2

• 

  YourBrainwashed
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 10:51
  Report comment

  @ Dr Dank L High - @ StuartC has quite clearly said he has suffered from MS for the last 3 years, geesh... And @ Clark French... what other drugs did you do in California?
  
  Recommend?   Yes 6     No 47

• 

  NattyFido
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 10:52
  Report comment

  Well done Clark Keep fighting the good fight
  
  Normalise now!
  
  Recommend?   Yes 51     No 2

• 

  Jenny
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 11:12
  Report comment

  I am the only person to comment here to say that I disagree with using this method. It is illegal and thats that. Find anorth way where these chemicals exist or identify them, extract them but please do not legalise it for the sakes of our future generations. The drug in its raw format can be devestating on young lives, I know I have lived through it with my eldest son, seen it with a friends twin boys and I know of many more cases.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 6     No 65

• 

  Clark French
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 11:16
  Report comment

  @ your brain washed. In california i took LOADS of drugs. i drank alcohol, i drank coca cola ( you know the stuff with that caffine drug in it? ). i had a puff on a shisha in a shinha bar ( which i instantly regretted) when my eczema flaired up i also had a cream to put on that. i drank the tap water so there was probably loads of crap in that ( it certainly tasted that way). i ate chocolate and drank lots of tea while i was out there. when i was on the plane and when i landed i also took the tramadol (synthetic morphine) which my Dr prescribes me as i was in lots of pain and unable to have the safer substance which i use for my pain... cannabis... straight away. what drugs did you take on your last trip abroad?
  
  Recommend?   Yes 59     No 3

• 

  YourBrainwashed
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 11:21
  Report comment

  hahaha...brilliant
  
  Recommend?   Yes 6     No 16

• 

  Monsieur Kantarez
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 11:26
  Report comment

  Stuart = A classic example of the corporate medias decades long cannabis misinformation campaign doing exactly what it was designed to do: misinform.
  
  And Ron how old are you like 90? Move over Gramps, your dinosaur government along with it's tyrannical ideology is rapidly losing it's grasp on a world which is transcending into a new age.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 25     No 4

• 

  ******
  Oct 1, 11:35
  Report comment

  This comment has been removed by a moderator

• 

  Clark French
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 11:35
  Report comment

  " The drug in its raw format can be devestating on young lives, I know I have lived through it with my eldest son, seen it with a friends twin boys and I know of many more cases. "
  
  Although i would argue that it is in fact prohibition which causes all of the problems with young people and cannabis, i have found that most problems with young people using cannabis actually come from the uneducated and ill informed people around them making it into a problem.
  
  never the less if it were to be true that it is actually cannabis causing these problems ( which it isnt) then how does prohibiting it keep your children safe? a drug dealer asks for no ID. with a regulated market people found selling cannabis to minors should be under the same pena;tys as those selling alcohol or tobacco and face a fine an loosing their license. when i was 15 it was so much easier to get weed then alcohol - again simply becuase of prohibition. You show an extremely uneducated opinion which seems to be based on what the daily mail tells you. Which is extremely Irresponsible.
  
  If you did your research you would know that CBD is actually an antipsychotic, whats more modern strains are lacking in CBD because it is made later in the flowering stages of the plant. criminal gangs growing for profit dont let the plant fully mature. therefore cannabis has less CBD and therefore less antipsychotic properties - which is again the fault of prohibition. If it was the case that cannabis cause the sort of mental health problems you speak of then why; despite cannabis use having increased dramatically in the last 50 years, is there no marked increase in mental health problems?
  
  on a final note.
  
  I have a degree so if you are saying that cannabis destroyed your sons and other young peoples lives. Then by the same logic i can say that cannabis makes people get degrees - it must be true, i smoke cannabis and i got a degree....
  
  Recommend?   Yes 62     No 3

• 

  James
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 11:46
  Report comment

  Wow I'm vERy shocked at the attitudes of the readers of the reading chronicle towards clarkes use of cannabis as medicine!! How can many of you be so negative towards the use of a PLANT that has replaced the use of synthetic chemical drugs with terrible side effects, both long and short term..? Cannabis on the other hand has been used for medicine for thousands and thousands of years and was only demonised due to special interest groups in the USA during the early 1900's... Some of you need to wake up and smell the ganja.. Or would you prefer a coffee??
  
  Recommend?   Yes 39     No 2

• 

  Freedom Shares
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 11:53
  Report comment

  > Stuart C,..and Prohibitionists
  
  the- like,,..Cannabis/Cannabinoids certainly can be very,very beneficial to/for Humans with a variety of ailments/illness',..and have been for thousands of years(don't be scared to research it now). Cannabinoids...are constantly being re-discovered almost daily with testimonies from many wise fellows such as Clark, & also with quite the history of abstracts from PubMed, supporting the discovery of the Endocannabinoid System and Cannabinoids as novel targets for a variety of conditions,..and with many therapeutic advantages.... as many who are "Awake" know Cannabinoids are helpful not just for MS but many,many,many other conditions too. Also, please know that ALL synthetics are far,far more harmful to the Human body. I would much rather medicate with Mother Natures yield, than Big-pharma's large profit margin.~TRUTH
  
  With regards to any opinions/banter about "... turns people into couch potatoes who vegitate on sofas getting stoned, falling asleep and waking up again..."~(Stuart C.). Don'tcha know yet,..you are doing it wrong.. and it is called "medicating",...you know feeling a little better...also Stu...when the Human body deeply sleeps, it is the time when it heals/repairs itself.
  
  The prohibitionist comments here sound like they are typically motivated by "traditional-type" old-school bred prohibitionists, fuelled by generations of misinformed, reefer madness-type propaganda.
  
  They(Prohibitionists) actually display a very fixated & addictive nature(which tells me here,..it/they likely require a lot of Cannabinoids...likely due to their Cannabinoid-deficiency, or perhaps a broken Endo~cannabinoid System, which perpetuates their un-natural ways, and only fuels the fires of prohibition.
  
  ~Perhaps your Endocannabinoid System is broken Clark C...,..it IS possible.~
  
  To me, Smoking Cannabis in its natural form, when farmed correctly is an excellent top-up(PRN) for pain of all sorts. Eating Cannabinoids is excellent too(very good for you, what with omegas 6 & 3,anti-oxidants,natural anti-biotics etc,etc.), to flood our receptors towards better health,...and yes this would include for serious conditions.... quite a bit of healing while sleeping(sleeping while healing) too.
  
  To: Prohibitionists your whole "spin" on Cannabis and lies about addiction are unjust. Youse are the folks with addictive personalities, or fixations to perpetuate prohibition....and youse likely have a poorly functioning, or broken Endo~cannabinoid System.Soooo,..guess , if you wear glasses or even shoes...you could be addicted to them too huh?...yet would you refer to yourself as an "addict"?? ~~Think about things more openly here.~~
  
  Peace OneLove
  
  Recommend?   Yes 29     No 2

• 

  Freedom Shares
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 11:58
  Report comment

  > Stuart C,..and Prohibitionists
  
  the- like,,..Cannabis/Cannabinoids certainly can be very,very beneficial to/for Humans with a variety of ailments/illness',..and have been for thousands of years(don't be scared to research it now). Cannabinoids...are constantly being re-discovered almost daily with testimonies from many wise fellows such as Clark, & also with quite the history of abstracts from PubMed, supporting the discovery of the Endocannabinoid System and Cannabinoids as novel targets for a variety of conditions,..and with many therapeutic advantages.... as many who are "Awake" know Cannabinoids are helpful not just for MS but many,many,many other conditions too. Also, please know that ALL synthetics are far,far more harmful to the Human body. I would much rather medicate with Mother Natures yield, than Big-pharma's large profit margin.~TRUTH
  
  With regards to any opinions/banter about "... turns people into couch potatoes who vegitate on sofas getting stoned, falling asleep and waking up again..."~(Stuart C.). Don'tcha know yet,..you are doing it wrong.. and it is called "medicating",...you know feeling a little better...also Stu...when the Human body deeply sleeps, it is the time when it heals/repairs itself.
  
  The prohibitionist comments here sound like they are typically motivated by "traditional-type" old-school bred prohibitionists, fuelled by generations of misinformed, reefer madness-type propaganda.
  
  They(Prohibitionists) actually display a very fixated & addictive nature(which tells me here,..it/they likely require a lot of Cannabinoids...likely due to their Cannabinoid-deficiency, or perhaps a broken Endo~cannabinoid System, which perpetuates their un-natural ways, and only fuels the fires of prohibition.
  
  ~Perhaps your Endocannabinoid System is broken Stuart C...,..it IS possible.~
  
  To me, Smoking Cannabis in its natural form, when farmed correctly is an excellent top-up(PRN) for pain of all sorts. Eating Cannabinoids is excellent too(very good for you, what with omegas 6 & 3,anti-oxidants,natural anti-biotics etc,etc.), to flood our receptors towards better health,...and yes this would include for serious conditions.... quite a bit of healing while sleeping(sleeping while healing) too.
  
  To: Prohibitionists your whole "spin" on Cannabis and lies about addiction are unjust. Youse are the folks with addictive personalities, or fixations to perpetuate prohibition....and youse likely have a poorly functioning, or broken Endo~cannabinoid System.Soooo,..guess , if you wear glasses or even shoes...you could be addicted to them too huh?...yet would you refer to yourself as an "addict"?? ~~Think about things more openly here.~~
  
  Peace OneLove
  
  Recommend?   Yes 23     No 2

• 

  Acay
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 11:59
  Report comment

  I've never done cannabis and never will, but if the drug is known to cause certain hazards to health, why is it legal for medicinal use in californer? Surely the government would have weighed up the pros and cons of legalising it, and what are the results of this decision? Seems to me if one government can legalise it for medical use why can't another?
  
  Recommend?   Yes 33     No 2

• 

  Anon Jones
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 12:02
  Report comment

  Stuart C we wouldn't hate you for what you believe, we pity you for ignorance of what you don't know or don't want to understand so do not learn.... Not only would legalisation bring a cheap but valuable medicine to many people with differing ailments, it would also bring much needed cash to the Economy. Within a year of legalisation there would be 1000's of businesses and 100,000's of jobs created, with coffee shops and medical centres to safely sell to adults taking away the crime and risks. And the Hemp industries that would be created. If all the people with negative comments could be bothered to look into it they would find the Hemp industry being the true reason for the War on Drugs for legalisation would be a danger to Corporations like Big Pharma, textiles, Oil and energy (it's possible to make and run a car from Hemp and also build almost a total house). I do hope some of you with negative views on Cannabis can take a bit of time to learn about what we are stating, and be big and know when you're wrong and help the cause.... I am a stoner and medical user, it's my preference to being a drunken loser with no wish to be of feel better!!
  
  Recommend?   Yes 30     No 2

• 

  Elliott
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 12:38
  Report comment

  Anyone trying to offend, insult, or devalue Clark or anything he has said should be ashamed of themselves - this man has suffered enough in his life, and has managed to overcome his MS to complete university AND campaign so that others may do so, too.
  
  He's worked harder than the lot of you probably ever have and if you think he (or any of the many incensed people on this page) or just lazy stoners or whatever, then you have another thing coming.
  
  We're entering a new age for cannabis - so many people smoke it, rich, poor, important, unfortunate, ill, healthy, old, and young. Just because you don't doesn't give you the right to try and hurt or look down on those who do. As a medicine, it could be the most important plant in the world.
  
  Take a long hard look at yourself in the mirror - you spend your mornings insulting people with crippling illnesses on the internet, while Clark is out and about helping a cause he (and millions upon millions of others) are passionate about. Get a life.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 32     No 2

• 

  ABTHREE
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 12:52
  Report comment

  So does anyone think people that do no harm to others through cannabis use deserve either the punishment of the protection of the law - are you happy to know that your taxes are being spent arresting people for possession / cultivation of cannabis, IN THEIR OWN HOMES, FOR THEIR OWN USE - ?
  
  Recommend?   Yes 28     No 2

• 

  Tsktsktsk
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 12:56
  Report comment

  "The drug in its raw format can be devestating on young lives, I know I have lived through it with my eldest son, seen it with a friends twin boys and I know of many more cases. "
  
  Well, to be as judgemental as you evidently have been, I would suggest that the real cause of that is your and your friend's bad parenting skills, not cannabis.
  
  I first came across cannabis at university. In my hall, everyone tried cannabis and a significant, if a minority proportion, smoked it regularly. So far as I am aware, all graduated with 2:1s or 1sts, several became elected sabbatical officers, and some are now pursuing postgrads.
  
  If you take drugs to mess you up, they will mess you up. If you take drugs for recreational enjoyment, then you will enjoy them. The crossover of people who take drugs recreationally and then just ended up a junkie is very small as a total proportion of drug users.
  
  If your son ended up addicted to cannabis, then you should be asking yourself what kind of environment you were putting him in that he found cannabis addiction to be more palatable than the rest of his life.
  
  Or maybe he was just using cannabis recreationally and when you found out you went mental. I've had a fair few parents tell me that cannabis ruined their child's life and further enquiries turned up that they'd smoked weed a few times and their parents had gone apeshit and actually ruined their lives by spying on them, vetting their friends, and in one case, sending them to military school.
  
  In either case, cannabis is not the problem. I won't pretend that drugs don't cause problems, they can and do. But blaming cannabis for your children not fulfilling your wishes for them is usually the sign of a controlling parenting style that was never going to pay off, whether your kid got into drugs or not.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 30     No 2

• 

  Stuart C
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 13:02
  Report comment

  Let me be clear no UK government will ever legailise cannabis! I keep reading of the side effects of alcohol and medicine but my points over cannabis been proven to cause paranoia and schizophrenia are completely ignored. It would appear cannabis also causes a blinkered view like all other addictions.
  
  It seems like this is the potheads forum for addicted users with blinkered views!
  
  keep kidding yourself that its harmless and coming up with daft ideas to make it legal and tax it. Addicts will always find some self justification to feed their addiction and live incredibly boring uneventful lives!
  
  Recommend?   Yes 1     No 52

• 

  Mike Morton
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 13:03
  Report comment

  If anyone thinks cannabis is a bad thing, go to Portugal, a western country that very quietly some years ago decriminalised all drugs. Is Portugal falling apart?? Are they knee deep in washed up stoners/drug addicts every day?? Are they now a non productive nation?? NO, why, because the old dated image of people who smoke cannabis is ridiculous. Portugal has managed to stop spending wasted money on fighting simple things like those who use cannabis for a medicine or in the same way someone would have a beer after work and they spend this money on those who need it.
  
  If people truly think clarke is 'such a stoner waster' then how did he have the gumption to get on tv? how did he have the drive to try and put forward a sensible argument only for the masses to react like an idiot and proclaim silly stereotypes. If people truly think stoners are not capable and a burden to society why are some of the best achieving people on the planet known users of cannabis either now or in their past?
  
  I'd also ask how many people who are so scared of what the world would become if weed was legalised or decriminalised and available, what about alcohol?? A known killer, something that has social effects far beyond the obvious. Cigarettes, a known killer! Something that is addictive, bad for your body, has been treated with an assortment of over 500 chemicals before you get to toke on that cotton death tab AND IS DIRECTLY LINKED TO 1 in 10 DEATHS GLOBALLY!! 1 IN 10!! Yet how many deaths have been linked to those who use cannabis?
  
  There are a lot of uninformed people commenting on Clarke and his campaign, but before you all look to say things like 'The sooner the above joker takes a turn for the worse the better. Not a role model merely a bowl model. Smirk' should be ashamed because you show yourself up to be a fool and as uninformed as anyone could possibly be. You show yourselves to be part of the bigger problem when it comes to sensible policy and open debate on new ideas and ways of working as a people, society and a nation that needs to adapt as we move forward.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 32     No 2

• 

  jayblunt
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 13:05
  Report comment

  cannabis helps with many illnesses without the nasty side affects of a big pharma chemical medication , all those that wont open there eyes are playing into the eyes of the reefer madness government , if it was allowed to grow , all mankind would benefit , fuel , medicine , paper , food and many more to those who are blinded just google it . respect Clarke French fighting the good fight
  
  Recommend?   Yes 30     No 2

• 

  Woodrose
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 13:24
  Report comment

  There is overwhelming evidence of the safety of cannabis as a recreational drug, & of its efficacy as a medicine. Please visit this website which provides a wide range of evidence, as well as scrutinizing the methods with which all evidence is measured or obtained.
  
  Please examine this evidence & make up your own mind.
  
  http://berkscc.webs.com/evidence.htm
  
  Recommend?   Yes 26     No 2

• 

  Tomassi
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 13:29
  Report comment

  I feel a rush of anger through my body hearing some of the negative comments on here.
  
  Clark is a young man who's MS has caused him great suffering! He has tried numerous conventional methods for his illnesses all of which have been unsuccessful! Apart from cannabis which has helped him control his illnesses without the negative sideside affects that generally come from pharmaceuticals. There is a difference between drug use and drug abuse ppl.
  
  Its pretty obvious and proven that cannabis as a medicine works and has done for thousands of years and for those who believe cannabis is illegal your wrong its possessing, supply and cultivation which isn't an actual law its an "ACT" of parliament punishable by Law.
  
  Most of what I had to say has already been covered by Mr Matthews comment.
  
  I also find calling Clark a stoner offensive! Seriously would you call a cancer patient a heroin addict due to been prescribed morphine/opiates! similar issues in the slander department.
  
  At the end of the day Clark is harming nobody and Just using the best medication available to him so all the above who believe him to be a criminal please get educated...
  
  Recommend?   Yes 25     No 2

• 

  Mzi-lou
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 13:55
  Report comment

  I have the upmost respect for Clark, it takes guts, passion and belief to stand up and stand proud. The negative comments I have read on here are just ridiculous, it just goes to show how uneducated people actually are when it comes to the subject of Cannabis as a medical treatment, there are so many studies showing its beneficial properties, not just for the treatment of MS, that I am in awe of the ignorance! Just remember that hemp was used for years before prohibition, it was (and still is) the most versatile plant on the planet, its uses are limitless and the sooner people realise this the better! Clark maybe getting negative comments but he is just being honest, Cannabis is the only thing that has eased his symptoms and made his illness tolerable. Should he have to suffer just because Cannabis gets classed as a 'drug'... I say NO, nobody should have to suffer, if there is a plant out there that can help them then surely its their right to be able to self medicate in the way that suits them! I applaud Clark, at least he isn't hiding in the shadows like many people who use it, be it medically or recreationally! Getting classed as a criminal for choosing Cannabis as a medication makes me sick, its time for change, hopefully this article will open at least a few more uneducated eyes.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 23     No 2

• 

  sTEAM-pUNX
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 14:03
  Report comment

  “Cannabis is a beneficial herb that has been used medicinally for centuries and used to be sold by local chemists in tincture form. Prohibition is failing as it always will. More and evidence is slowly emerging about this wonder drug. The Government allows the growing of thousands of cannabis plants under license by GW Pharma here in Tunbridge Wells, yet destroys the lives of those who grow a few plants for personal use, mostly otherwise hard working, law abiding people who use it medicinally or to relax after a long day. This law does not discriminate between the criminal gangs who grow for profit and those who grow for personal use, this is insane. When a 55 year old Grandfather goes to prison for 18 months for growing his own medicine with no suggestion of supply surely something is wrong in our society? (I refer to the recent case of Winston Mathews). There is no breach of English Common Law, nobody else is harmed, there is not even a victim in such cases, so how can growing a few herbal plants for personal use justify a custodial sentence? Just as those who selectively grow any kind of plant, the numbers are deceptive, most will be cuttings or at different stages, even un rooted cuttings are counted, I know from personal experience of going through the same experience as Dean at the age of 50 and having never once been in trouble before in my life. The experience can be devastating enough, my body, my life, my own home I worked for since the age of 18 all violated, this is an unjust law and at odds with many other European countries more civilised than our own. ( thanks Lee....)
  
  Recommend?   Yes 27     No 2

• 

  Jenny
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 14:04
  Report comment

  Disagree with all of these pro cannabis comments, nothing will change. Let`s see 1 year, 2 years 50 years from now. You are criminals and need locking up and they key destroyed.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 4     No 44

• 

  Alan
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 14:29
  Report comment

  Whether you agree with him or not Stuart there's no need to launch unfounded personal attacks on him. Perhaps try arguing your point with the use of evidence and we may actually get somewhere.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 20     No 3

• 

  Anon
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 15:11
  Report comment

  I agree with Jenny there is no excuse for breaking the law to serve your own needs. Lobby for change dont assume you can change the law by breaking it repeatedly. I wonder if Clark would happily do his stint inside for doing so to prove the point?
  
  Recommend?   Yes 2     No 28

• 

  Malibu Beach
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 15:51
  Report comment

  I challenge the people who are still skeptical or that completely dis-believe in the medical properties in cannabis to go look at the scientific evidence against what the mainstream has been reporting for years...You will find discrepancies...many of them. You will find out that prohibition doesn't work. You will find your huge amounts of your tax squandered on keeping the public 'safe' from it. You will find that the people who present you with evidence are not 'crazy' or 'stoners' . You will find yourself proven wrong. You will feel stupid. I did because I wasn't aware. This whole thing is about education. Cannabis is a medicine, realistic regulations and guidelines need put in place to ensure safer,cheaper,productive,open societies and communities! Those silly comments Stuart have helped ensure that a majority of well informed opinion is also here...with yours! So thanks Stu...hope you get yourself educated on cannabis...or your a troll in which case thanks again lulz... much love coming your way Stu! peace
  
  Recommend?   Yes 19     No 1

• 

  Stuart C
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 16:23
  Report comment

  All I am hearing is self justifying claptrap in order to legalize a drug that will never be legalised. I have MS and find the medication very effective. Clark has MS and needs to find 4 different ways of getting cannabis into his system.
  
  It ruins peoples lives particularly teenagers, causes paranoia, memory problems, cognitive impairment, schizophrenia but according to the charlatans above its a wonderdrug that cures all.
  
  Clark will fail as many others before him have in this country and even thinking he could have it legalized is enough to show me what effects its having on his mental health.
  
  This is a potheads forum now not a comment section!
  
  Recommend?   Yes 2     No 27

• 

  garym
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 16:39
  Report comment

  Hi Jenny from your comments you seem to believe that if someone uses cannabis even as a medication you believe that these people should be locked up in prison forever and never let out, is that really what you believe ? really ? wow thats really very sad , never mind it takes all sorts to make up the world even really unintelligent people like you.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 20     No 1

• 

  david march
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 16:42
  Report comment

  theres a lot of hate in some people ,and anger at life which shows in their disgusting attitude to a decent member of our society ,who is couragous enough to stand up against an obvious injustice, well obviuos to anyone who takes the time to find out the truth
  
  Recommend?   Yes 16     No 1

• 

  1WordSOFWisdoM
  1 post
  Oct 1, 17:07
  Report comment

  @stuart c you say '' It also Cause's Paranoia And Turns People Into Couch Potatoes Who vegitate on sofas getting stoned, falling asleep and waking up again '' how would you know if it causes paranoia is it because you was told so or because you know someone who has suffered from so called paranoia or is it because you have seen/ heard stories about ''cannabis'' giving people paranoia well first of all if some one told you so how do you know if there telling the truth and if its because you know someone who got paranoia through cannabis how do you WHAT cannabis it was maybe they have it in there genectics and cannabis brought it out i dont know but i do know im smoking right now and have been heavily for years and also been to the doctor and they didnt even know until i told them thought i was totally normal remember your opinion and preception is different to everyone elses
  
  Recommend?   Yes 17     No 1

• 

  Monsieur Kantarez
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 17:13
  Report comment

  I pity the sheep among us. It is they who are drugged.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 15     No 1

• 

  selfish mother
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 17:31
  Report comment

  Remind me not to visit Reading anytime soon. By the sounds of it some of the residents have had a compassion transplant.
  
  What a lot of hatred focused on someone who's life is hard enough already.
  
  Shame on you
  
  Recommend?   Yes 23     No 1

• 

  nick b hhc
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 17:51
  Report comment

  Stuart C, cannabis in it's base form is nonpsychoactive, you should really educate yourself so as to not sound so naive. Cannabis is a safer alternative to every prescription pain medication. How many meds have death as a side effect, if easing my pain means getting the munchies or dying...
  
  Recommend?   Yes 18     No 1

• 

  GR420
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 18:07
  Report comment

  I Wish i brought my popcorn to read what all of these ignorant straight edge dildos have to say what they THINK they know about something they've probably never even tried. I use it on a regular basis it helps me sleep and helps with my depression and when i cant get it guess what. There's no withdrawal, there's no bad side effects or anything I just go back to how i was before the Cannabis, where i'm depressed and struggle to sleep, EXACTLY like i was before, no added violence, stupidity, paranoia or any of the horrible things you people are saying this plant causes. I have a full time job which i excel at, lots of friends who do and don't do Cannabis, ALL of which accept me for it and support it, i'm not a danger to society and in my line of work am actually a help, the only difference between us and all of you is that we don't judge you for not using a plant that makes you feel happy, normal, healthy, and more. You all stick to modern medicines and chemicals and if i'm being honest things that CAN potentially kill you if that's what you choose, and i'll stick to medicine from the earth.
  
  Peace this next hit's for all of you.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 15     No 1

• 

  Stuart C
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 19:44
  Report comment

  Its just taking advantage of a medical condition to use an illegal drug. it will not be legalised and those denying it causes any harm are no different to an alcoholic dying of liver failure pouring themselves a double short and saying it helps or a smoker dying of cancer trying to say cigarettes have nothing to do with it.
  
  Cannabis is addictive and changes normal personalities into serial bigots as seen above. Next thing these bigots will want it in the flaming water supply!
  
  Recommend?   Yes 2     No 23

• 

  Stuart C
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 19:53
  Report comment

  www.cannabisaddiction.co.uk/
  
  Check out the above website for those who think cannabis is not addictive.
  
  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120926213930.htm
  
  Now try this link which shows a study regarding cannabis withdrawal symptoms.
  
  If cannabis is not addictive then withdrawal symptoms should not exist.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 1     No 17

• 

  dabs77
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 19:55
  Report comment

  To all you people out there that have been saying he is just a lazy stoner who wants cannabis to become legal, i really hope one day that you too suffer an illness that can only be helped by the use of cannabis. You are all still stuck in the past where the USA condemmed the drug after it was seen as a replacment for paper and many other man made substances that would effectivly cost the government money. If cannabis was dicovered in a rain forrest today scientists from all over the world would be clambering over themselves to use the plant to its full potential, its only idiots that are stuck in the past that don't see this. I myself suffer from an illness that requires me to take up to 50 opiats per day to ease my pain, where as if i smoke a bud through my vaporizer ( no tobbaco needed) i don't need to take any of my normal drugs... now think why its illegal, the pharmacutical companies and the government are making more money from more dangerous man made drugs!
  
  Good on you Clark its about time this country grew up and smelt the roses!
  
  Recommend?   Yes 13     No 2

• 

  Stuart C
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 21:13
  Report comment

  As previously said the blinkered view of an addict. I'll bet thewy come from of same school of thought as those who say you can drive a car better when your drunk.
  
  Bigots!
  
  Recommend?   Yes 1     No 20

• 

  SChorley
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 21:55
  Report comment

  @Stuart C.
  
  Sorry to hear you're not well, and always pleased to hear someone's found something to help their problems; you and him. People are just asking for an evidenced based approach.
  
  Our extreme policy of prohibition, thinking we can prevent use, is preventing experiences being shared, lessons being learned and safe guards put in place. I don't want to see this young man be locked up for years for his method/choice.
  
  Whether pigs fly or cannabis is poison like tobacco, public health promotion is no place or moralising. Else you alienate the people to try to help. Which is why our present system of enforced morality has to change if our objective is really to reduce harm.
  
  Ending prohibition will not make your kids run off and join the circus or make more take drugs. Yet it might help reduce the long list of harms. Lets all be practical for the sack of a better world.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 14     No 1

• 

  SChorley
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 22:09
  Report comment

  @Stuart C.
  
  Please don't think those links you posted are any sort of evidence. And even if science said I was killing myself with a poison, it's my choice. And much like the 'Caucasian Chalk Circle' if you really care you will except my mistakes.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 10     No 1

• 

  Stuart C
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 22:15
  Report comment

  Typical addict answer and gives excellent insight into the mind of a bigot who will refute anything that contradicts their self justification to addiction. I'll bet you think you are in control as well!
  
  Recommend?   Yes 1     No 18

• 

  SChorley
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 22:28
  Report comment

  @Stuart C.
  
  What sort of addiction are you talking about? A physical one like opium? No.
  
  Any dependency with cannabis is what you would not get with any activity you like. Like seeing your partner, and yes we become addicted, in a way, to activities we like.
  
  Yet as was proven with 'Rat Park' (search google) even physical addictions will be dropped if opportunities are in place. So why should I not do something I like until something else comes along, especially as its not poisonous like other drugs such as tobacco and alcohol ?
  
  It's about moral control and how I 'should' live my life.
  
  But like I say, don't worry your kids will not run off and join the circus (unless there's good reason).
  
  Recommend?   Yes 9     No 1

• 

  Stuart C
  Unregistered User
  Oct 1, 22:52
  Report comment

  Ive put 2 links there and you have not even read them. Like an alcoholic, drug addict or gambler they all think they are in control and kid themselves with useless information and refute any evidence to the contrary.
  
  I think I would have more chance telling a neo nazi that the holocaust actually did happen and it was not a big lie!
  
  Recommend?   Yes 2     No 22

• 

  James Gree
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 02:14
  Report comment

  @Stuart C
  
  You have been here all day calling people bigots, potheads, stoners etc etc. not very nice really now is it? I suffer from a few ailments. Insomnia is one (look at the time) I have used cannabis to help me sleep rather than a man made 'sleeping pill' for example. But I would like to ask you some questions. Do you drink alcohol or smoke tobacco? How many prescription drugs do you take yourself? Could these drugs have side effects? Could this be why your being nasty to people on this forum? That could be a side-effect. Or you could just be a Troll. You don't like it fine, voice your opinion. But no one wants to hear the same spoon fed rehtoric that's always said over and over again.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 14     No 1

• 

  Andy Shaman-E
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 09:21
  Report comment

  I have found in life most of the Cannabis prohibitionists have very closed minds and rather immature in their outlook and refusing to take on board the overwhelming, positive evidence about this plant. And Stuart you wrote that we cannabis smokers are lazy boring people.
  
  How wrong you are! Personally, I have 2 degrees, I am most probably older than you are and have over 30 years of experience in studying this miraculous plant. Stuart you have a very narrow view on life and I can see right though you. Become a more loving and compassionate person toward your fellow human beings. They use the safest medicine on this planet. Do not make yourself out to look a fool. I am sure that you are not but your comments really do make you look like one. Come on put a pair of long trousers on and become a man. Clark is a hero for what he is doing on behalf of ALL sick people in the UK.
  
  No more no less. He should be praised for this and not put down by somebody who really, yes that is the way it is Stuart, really does not understand. Have a great da-y in all that you do Stuart and Peace and One Love to everyone from Amsterdam.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 9     No 1

• 

  Stuart C
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 09:23
  Report comment

  @James Gree
  
  I take a weekly injection and my body is tolerant to it, I smoke cigaraettes and occasionaly have alcohol in moderation.
  
  I have posted links which provide evidence to support what I am saying and no one will even read the links because they are right and they know they are right.
  
  Addicts will always have some justification for their addiction and if someone has to resort to taking cannabis by oral tablet, limb cream, eating it and smoking it then it looks like they have a serious problem.
  
  I am reading its less harmful than cigarettes, yeah right its swelling the brain, people refuting evidence over it being addictive and withdrawal symptoms. Finally people thinking they can campaign to make it legal which will never happen in this country but they will still go on with a fruitless campaign. Cannabis is not banned due to a pharmacological conspiracy, no its not true really it is because it causes harm when taken in an uncontrolled way. Cannabis smokers generally start to get immune to its effects and need to increase their intake which causes problems and turns people into recluses.
  
  James Gree says "no one wants to hear the same spoon fed rhetoric over and over again" In reply I say we does not mean me and the term 'rhetoric' is not spelt 'rehtoric'. Looks like you have been smoking too much! I am sure though you would argue with the top medical opinions in this country and probably misquote your doctor as saying smoking is good for you.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 2     No 25

• 

  Geoff
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 10:01
  Report comment

  @Stuart C
  
  I've read your links, I've also read studies with very different outcomes. What I have yet to read however is a study proving a causative link between cannabis and schizophrenia. I've read studies that hint that there maybe a very small percentage that could be affected, but I've also read studies that point to a causative link being unlikely.
  
  Your cherry picking of the evidence seems to point to a blinkered view and a desperation to justify your bigoted views more than any other post on here.
  
  I'm guessing you probably use opiates for pain relief from time to time, by your own reasoning this surely makes you a smackhead? You maybe should't be so fast to throw around the derogatory terms.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 17     No 1

• 

  MR.H
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 10:29
  Report comment

  @Stuart C
  
  You keep going on about 'addicts'...as a smoker that makes you one too!
  
  The links you have posted provide no real scientific evidence whatsoever ones a website set up by someone who's obviously had a bad experience with cannabis and lists a few 'facts' with no reference as to where this information is from and the second is merely an article making a brief mention of a journal...again no links to the actual published piece...which im guessing you wont have read either.
  
  If you want to argue that cannabis is more dangerous then provide us with some actual documented scientific evidence, i mean swelling the brain...really!? id like to see your proof of this! and for all these other claims you make about its dangers...where's the evidence? who are these 'top medical professionals' you speak of, i doubt you even know.
  
  How can you possibly say cannabis is more dangerous than cigarettes! in 2010 1 in 5 deaths were related to smoking tobacco
  
  http://www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/003_Health_Lifestyles/Statistics%20on%20Smoking%202011/Statistics_on_Smoking_2011.pdf
  
  I have yet to see any evidence whatsoever of cannabis use causing death....and that's with thousands of years usage.
  
  Im certainly not saying cannabis is without danger...but you are severely mis-informed
  
  If someone overdoes it with cannabis they will likely suffer ill effects, much the same as someone who drinks to much, stop doing it and the bad effects go away. Quite simply if it does you no good then leave it alone but for those that it does good for or has no ill effect then why not let them carry on? whats the big effect on your life and the way you live it? Ill leave you with this quote from Bill Hicks which pretty much echoes what myself, and i think many others are thinking.
  
  “Here is my final point...About drugs, about alcohol, about pornography...What business is it of yours what I do, read, buy, see, or take into my body as long as I do not harm another human being on this planet?
  
  Recommend?   Yes 17     No 1

• 

  Des
  2 posts
  Oct 2, 11:01
  Report comment

  Reading through a lot of the comments and the anti-cannabis crowd really have not got a clue at all about cannabis use, they have been brain washed by today's lying governments and the international media.
  
  Some quotes from Harry J Anslinger:
  
  "The primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races."
  
  "Marijuana leads to pacifism and communist brainwashing."
  
  
  
  "There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana usage. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others."
  
  "Reefer makes darkies think they're as good as white men."
  
  "You smoke a joint and you're likely to kill your brother."
  
  "Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind."
  
  With so much evidence available today about the medical benefits of cannabis this government should hang its head in shame for not allowing people like Clark and tens of 1000's like him to consume cannabis without fear of being arrested, charged, dragged to the courts, convicted, fined, criminal record but it does not stop there, job prospects are then ZERO, possible eviction from their home, banned from travelling to some countries, all this because they consume cannabis. The police should be left to do real police work such as this.. http://childalerts.org.uk/?p=4239.
  
  Cannabis is here, it's not going anywhere, governments have tried for years to try and eradicate the plant with no success what so ever, cannabis consumption has gone up not down, the consumer is getting younger, the dealers are getting younger as young as 13 and this is all down to prohibition.
  
  Most people think of cannabis as something that makes you lazy, tired, stoned, stuck to the sofa....well that's just how much most people really know about cannabis, if you done some research into the subject you will finds that there are many different strains of cannabis available such as Sativa this type of strain will motivate you, make you more creative, make you want to get up and do things, gives you some added energy, but this type of strain is seldomly found on the streets of the UK because it take to long for the criminal gangs to flower it usually 12 weeks, the strain often found on the streets of the UK are mostly of the Indica strain that only takes up to 8 weeks to flower and then the gangs usually harvest it 2 weeks early because demand is very high, they will also add substances to make it weigh more such as ground up glass, sand, silicone, this is also due to prohibition and no quality testing.
  
  What we should be doing is educating people how to consume cannabis safely, how to inspect to check for anything bad added, understand the different strains that can be grown, understand the many uses cannabis has, EDUCATE AND REGULATE.
  
  By regulate I mean outlets that sell the product must make sure the product has been grown to the highest quality so that the consumer need not worry that the product they have just purchased is not like the crap we see on the street...wet, early, contaminated. Regulated outlets will also reduce teenage use, evidence in both Holland and states in America where cannabis is permitted proves teenage use and crime are reduced, Holland has one of the lowest teenage use in the whole of Europe, UK has one of the highest....all because of prohibition.
  
  I ask you all...What is so wrong with a person consuming cannabis in their own home after a long day at work? What is so wrong with a person consuming cannabis as a form of their medication? What is wrong with someone consuming cannabis to get closer to their spiritual side?
  
  I was prescribed 21 tablets a day from my doctor and Morphine being one of the strongest I was on(heroin in other words) it made me into a zombie, I lost all my emotions, I didn't care about anything or anyone, the only thing I cared about was being pain free and when my next tablet is due, then I tried cannabis and within a month I was tablet free and the old me started to come back to life, I started to go out more, 3 yrs done the road and I am still tablet free, but I have been punished, criminalized, fined and threatened with prison because I grow my own cannabis instead of go to the street crap, I've never sold any of my cannabis as it would be a pointless task as I would then have to go looking on the street for crap that would not work for me.
  
  I take a group of men twice a week to help community projects that are in need of help, we volunteer, we are all cannabis consumers, we slog from 10am till 5pm, the people we help are very grateful for what we do, so please do not tar us all with a lazy stoner brush, give us the opportunity and we will show you what we can achieve, take that opportunity away by criminalizing us will only result in more heartache, more innocent people being victimised for consuming something that is far safer the other legal products that wreck peoples lives and even kills.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 24     No 1

• 

  ABTHREE
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 11:17
  Report comment

  Stuart C:
  
  By calling those that disagree with you because they have had a different experience to you, names like addict and bigot, people you have never met and know nothing about - you devalue yourself and your stance, nobody will listen to you, you make yourself look like some sort of fool jumping up and down screaming --- my friends, you say you smoke tobacco and sometimes drink alcohol - well light up, pour yourself a little glass of your favorite poison and CHILL OUT!
  
  Don't you see just how hypocritical you are sounding by smoking tobacco and drinking booze - and in your condition - it clearly isn't helping much, or is your anger a sign of withdrawal symptoms?
  
  I have lost many good friends old and not so old, who spent their lives smoking tobacco and / or drinking booze - they are DEAD!
  
  That is what will happen to you if you carry on using those dreadful drugs.
  
  Learn to tolerate the choices of others - in their recreation and in their medication - so long as they are not harming you or anyone else - what on earth is your problem?
  
  Recommend?   Yes 18     No 1

• 

  Stuart Wyatt
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 11:38
  Report comment

  Thank you so much Clark for everything that you have done. It amazes me that despite there being so much scientific and anecdotal evidence that proves cannabis is hugely beneficial for many illnesses, it is still denied to sick people, and that people who use it risk persecution and prosecution.
  
  I have CFS/Fibromyalgia. I used to be a successful professional musician, and prior to falling ill I was playing 6 nights a week, setting up my own music school, working on two film-score projects and doing studio session work for others. The illness stopped all of this in it's tracks.
  
  I tried the legal NHS medication for my illness, and ended up on amitryptiline, gabapentin and prozac - chemical coches. I literally went mad, lost 2 years of my life and it took a long time to get my sanity back.
  
  I now use just cannabis based medicines for my illness, and I have a criminal conviction for doing so. Cannabis works ten times better than any NHS medication I have been offered (I did refuse opiate painkillers btw). It is not a cure-all, but it reduces any aches and pains to tolerable levels, it gets rid of any nausea and seems to help my entire digestive system... I rarely lose control of my bladder when medicated... I sleep well, and my mood is often quite improved. Cannabis also gives me the illusion of energy, and when fully medicated, I can interact a lot more with the outside world. In what way are my actions a danger to society? All I want to do is feel well. Why should that be well?
  
  Clark has been doing some outstanding work lately, and he has won the respect of the community. Thanks again for doing what you do. I really hope that someone in power finally listens and takes action.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 20     No 1

• 

  Mike Ocaine
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 11:45
  Report comment

  @Stuart C. -I feel more pity for you than anything. You ought not trash what you are doing wrong(ie:Cannabis & public relations).You are quite the prohibitionist. But please know the times of cannabis prohibition are coming to an end. Then you will likely hide behind the new majority huh Stuart?. Thats all you are doing now is hiding behind an old-school "fading" majority.I will keep you in my prayers and such. For the love of God though Stu, refrain from being so toxic.By the way Cannabis is non -toxic and can help you on so many more levels,unlike those toxins(boozing & cigs/fags) you choose for your toxic lifestyle. As for Mr. French,...way to go keep telling the truth,...it will set us all free.Cannabis is the new gateway to excellent HealTHCare and improved health. Obviously Stu is Cannabinoid deficient... a leading pre requisite to bad/poor health.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 13     No 1

• 

  Shaun
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 11:55
  Report comment

  Can't help but laugh at some of these stupid comments, from what seems fully grown adults. I'm the son of an alcoholic mother. I saw my mum stab my dad on several occasions. Didn't look after me properly as a child due to being constantly drunk! I know many, many good people with young and older families who smoke, vape, digest cannabis on a regular basis and non of the above happens in their homes! Now, someone please explain why some folk have decided to attack this young man for his beliefs. I wished someone would have attacked my mother in the same way! I don't smoke cannabis, so before you try and have a pop at me, don't bother! There's is plenty of rubbish links/sites etc, but if you are passionate enough to post troll like bile, then you really should use the time to find the correct very informative information! I'm sure Clark has had to deal with this kind of small mindedness before and will unfortunately have to again in the future.
  
  I suppose you're going to dismiss all the research into cannabis for treating cancer now too :( meh
  
  Recommend?   Yes 13     No 2

• 

  henry chinaski
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 12:02
  Report comment

  Cannabis has helped humankind since... before we are human, as other animals (i.e. primates) enjoy it too!
  
  Anyone can learn history to realise that prohibition and violent punishment and discrimination of drug users started when, after thousands of years of peaceful drug taking, violent prohibitionists decided to forcibly stop people from buying, selling and possessing drugs. Of course, the consequences have been exactly the same in every country were this violent prohibition has been applied: aggravating to unheard extremes a hypothetical evil, justifying the destruction and plundering of countless persons, promoting the ill-gotten wealth of corrupt inquisitors, and creating a prosperous black market for all the forbidden items.
  
  Some prohibitionists still have the drivel to insist that all this violence has nothing to do with prohibition, that it is your drug consumption what is causing prohibition enforcers to violently steal and kill thousands of peaceful drug users and producers, while at the same time giving the control of dangerous drugs to violent criminals which are in most cases indistinguishable from prohibition enforcers. This is, obviously, not true, as drug consumption used to take place peacefully long before violent prohibition was forced on us and prohibitionists started violently kidnapping (some) drugs users, sellers and producers of (some) drugs, with the most terrible consequences:
  
  In India, a huge opium production there during the nineteenth century did no give rise to anything that could be called "abuse", and in 1981, not a single case of heroin addiction was reported there. But in 1985, when the county accepted a harsh repressive legislation to comply with international directives, the population began to substitute poppy juice for heroin, and in 1988, the number of Indian heroin addicts, mostly young, was estimated to be one million. Its neighbour Pakistan, with a much smaller population, had double that amount, according to the health minister of the Benazir Bhutto government, whereas a decade earlier the phenomenon had been largely unknown.
  
  In Malaysia, where the death penalty was invariably applied to anyone possessing more than fifteen grams of heroin, the government estimated in 1986 that there were 110,000 heroin addicts, exceptional in a country with a population of ten million. The same thing occurred in Thailand, were the penalty was death or a life sentence but there were about half a million junkies. The principal result of these draconian laws was to create a monopoly of the traffic concentrated in a few hands, well infiltrated into institutions, and excluding competition. Something similar was true in Latin America, where even though legislation drifted into harshness, cocaine production in 1991 was a million kilos, something inconceivable twenty years before, and great land extensions were assigned to poppy cultivation.
  
  In Europe, where illicit drug problems were largely unknown until the seventies, a persecution initially directed against psychedelics ended up being identified as a battle against the Enemy Within, American style, creating conditions favorable for organized bands around the hashish, heroin, and cocaine traffic. Starting at the end of the eighties, this traffic began to include MDMA and other design analogues. Criminality related to drugs had passed from being a negligible chapter to one encompassing three-fourths of all convictions, saturating prisons catastrophically, multiplying by a factor of a thousand the involuntary deaths from fatal intoxication, and filling the streets with sellers and informants, paid with a percentage of what they turned in, whose intervention adulterated the product and at the same time assured its ubiquitous presence. News about substances that "disappeared" or "were reduced" after confiscation suggested that there was an informal tax, destined to support that dense layer of double agents, and that everything confiscated tended to en up, in whole or in part, in the black market.
  
  In the early 19th century, when opium smoking was gaining popularity in China, the Emperor took counsel from his mandarins. One party argued for taxation and regulation, the other for prohibition. The prohibitionists won, with the result that the profitability on opium sales to China rose over 1000%. The consequence was an unparalleled wave of smuggling, the penetration of opium to every corner of China, a rate of addiction never seen before or after, and ultimately the collapse of the Manchu dynasty into civil war, invasion and famine. Had the Emperor chosen the pragmatic choice of regulation and control, the use of opium in China would never have followed the course it did.
  
  Here in Britain we seem determined to repeat the same mistakes. The adoption of strictly prohibitionist policies in the 1980's resulted in an unprecedented explosion in drug use, especially heroin, across Britain. Eventually in the 1990's it was recognised these policies were making the situation worse, and pragmatic harm reduction approaches were developed. Now it seems the Coalition wishes to abandon harm reduction and return to a strict abstinence only prohibitionist position. Its time we woke up and realised that drug prohibition is an abject failure, which affects all members of society, whether you use drugs or not. The answer is not tougher laws, or more police, but a regulated supply of drugs to those who need/want them, combined with highly visible public health education to prevent another generation from experimenting.
  
  Although the majority of the governments generally lined up with the intransigent position favored by the United States, the example of liberal Holland was embarrassing because of the results if produces. The Dutch actually had the highest rates of illicit drug consumption but the lowest rates of fatal intoxication and related criminality, as well as the least correlation (6 percent) between the use of heroin and AIDS, when by omparison that correlation exceeded 60 percent in France and Spain. Dutch authorities explained their country's privileged position by the population's high awareness (instead of ignorance- of pharmacology), by the absence of counter productive mythologies or alarmist reactions that distort the real effects of drugs, and by the availability of drugs though noncriminal routes.
  
  At the beginning of the nineties, several Swiss cantons adopted this position as well, even testing the free distribution of heroin to anyone who requested it, and making certain zones available for its consumption.
  
  Take a leaf from the Swiss. They give heroin to addicts in government clinics. Young people don’t want to try heroin, as they can visibly see its for sick messed up people queuing at some boring clinic; rather than falling for the fake glamour created by harsh prohibition combined with the latest celebrity drug scandal.
  
  The reasons given by law, social science, medicine, and history against prohibition have not changed in the last forty years, when Szasz, Becker, and Schnur, among others, diagnosed its probable route. Within strictly scientific circles, dissidence was (and continues to be) as unanimous as support for it appears to exist among political and religious leaders.
  
  Drugs have always been around, and they will certainly ever remain. To pretend that both users and non-users will be better protected because some of them are impure, very expensive and sold by criminals (who are, by the way, indistinguishable from undercover police and plain businessmen) is simply ridiculous, and yet more so when the street supply grows year after year.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 9     No 1

• 

  henry chinaski
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 12:05
  Report comment

  ...but then... Why does your government wants to keep prohibition? If it is not to protect the public or reduce crime, why it is then?
  
  "How a big US bank laundered billions from Mexico's murderous drug gangs" http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/03/us-bank-mexico-drug-gangs
  
  "Drugs and crime chief (Antonio Maria Costa) confessed $352bn in criminal proceeds was effectively laundered by financial institutions" http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/2009/dec/13/drug-money-banks-saved-un-cfief-claims
  
  "Wall Street's Role in Narco Trafficking, The War on Drugs is a Fraud" http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article28449.html
  
  "Banks Financing Mexico Gangs Admitted in Wells Fargo Deal" http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-06-29/banks-financing-mexico-s-drug-cartels-admitted-in-wells-fargo-s-u-s-deal.html
  
  "The Banking Industry’s Dirty Little Secret: Money Laundering For The Drug Cartels": http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/91579
  
  "Bank of Credit and Commerce International" http://www.economicexpert.com/a/Bank:of:Credit:and:Commerce:International.html
  
  "The "War On Drugs" Is A $2.5 Trillion Racket: How Big Banks, Private Military Companies And The Prison Industry Cash In" http://www.sott.net/articles/show/231370-The-War-On-Drugs-Is-A-2-5-Trillion-Racket-How-Big-Banks-Private-Military-Companies-And-The-Prison-Industry-Cash-In
  
  "Why can’t the US legalize drugs? There’s ‘too much money in it,’ Clinton says" http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/02/07/clinton-legalize-drugs-too-much-money/
  
  "US Agents Helped Launder Millions In Drug Proceeds" http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=144943061
  
  "Killing for Opium : If You Speak Out, You’re ‘Suicided’" http://theindependentlifeboat.wordpress.com/2012/01/07/killing-for-opium-if-you-speak-out-youre-suicided/
  
  
  
  "Colombia: US corporation linked to death squad; new evidence revealed" http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/47893
  
  
  
  "Sunday Focus: Drug money supports drug war" http://www.galesburg.com/news/x600916521/Sunday-Focus-Drug-money-supports-drug-war
  
  "CIA drug trafficking" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_drug_trafficking
  
  "The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Politics_of_Heroins_in_South-East_Asia
  
  "US Arming Mexican Cartels" http://www.talkingdrugs.org/texas-gunstores-arm-mexican-drug-traffickers
  
  "The Contras, Cocaine, and Covert Operations" http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB2/nsaebb2.htm
  
  "A Tangled Web: A History of CIA Complicity in Drug International Trafficking" http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/1998_cr/980507-l.htm
  
  "Beast friends: Gangster & cop": http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/447785/Frank-Lucas-New-Yorks-biggest-drug-baron-Friends-with-cop-Richie-Roberts.html
  
  The Statesman, "Police and drugs": http://www.thestatesmanonline.com/pages/news_detail.php?newsid=106§ion=1
  
  "DSI Duffy Corrupt Middlesbrough Police Officer; Secret pay deals give top police thousands extra" : http://www.david-duffy.cleveland-police.co.uk/
  
  "Top cop's house used as cannabis factory" http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/12/27/top-cop-s-house-used-as-cannabis-factory-115875-22808908/
  
  "Man Says Officer Seized $14,000 That Wasn't Drug Money" http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2011/01/man_says_officer_seized_14000_that_wasnt_drug_mone.php
  
  "Cash-Strapped Police Departments Find New Source of Revenue: Stealing!" http://reason.com/blog/2009/12/04/cash-strapped-police-departmen?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reason%2FHitandRun+%28Reason+Online+-+Hit+%26+Run+Blog%29
  
  "Policing for Profit – The Abuse of Civil Asset Forfeiture" http://www.copblock.org/94/policing-for-profit-the-abuse-of-civil-asset-forfeiture/
  
  "CIA funnels drugs to poor Americans" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0CeEKzCYCY&feature=share
  
  "Feds allegedly allowed Sinaloa cartel to move cocaine into U.S. for information" http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_18608410
  
  "Reports: CIA Working with Mexican Drug Cartels" http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-mainmenu-26/north-america-mainmenu-36/8599-reports-cia-working-with-mexican-drug-cartels
  
  "'Smash and Grab': Property Seized During Dispensary Raids Boosts Law Enforcement Budgets"
  
  http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2011/11/smash_grab_property_seized_dispensary_raid_boosts_budget.php
  
  "NYPD Planted Drugs on People to Meet Drug Arrest Quotas" http://www.alternet.org/drugs/152727/former_detective:_nypd_planted_drugs_on_people_to_meet_drug_arrest_quotas
  
  "UK implicated in Afghanistan drug trade" http://www.presstv.com/detail/215748.html
  
  "Whenever important distribution routes are identified, in most cases links with political entities and secret services also surface.
  
  It seems that, at least before the illicit drug traffic reached its present monstrous proportions, was an exchange of prohibited substances for military arms and influence. Since the beginning of the seventies, however, what these people have been involved in is a business, the net profits of which exceed those of nuclear and fossil fuels combined. Protected by anonymity, there is no lack of hints that this business continues to be concentrated in fewer and fewer hands, by means of production, distribution, and laundering of the resultant cash.
  
  What we do not know for sure is to what degree this underground empire has already become a single syndicate, such as that in existence in the last few years
  
  of alcohol prohibition, or whether it is still in the process of formation. Due to its nature, I feel incline to the first option, following a trend to monopoly actively encouraged by illegality." (Antonio Escohotado)
  
  Recommend?   Yes 11     No 1

• 

  Martarse
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 12:09
  Report comment

  I can only speak for myself, obviously. I have a serious mental health problem, and have tried a variety of drugs to alleviate the symptoms, prescribed and otherwise. Nothing works as good as cannabis.
  
  When I used alcohol, I was a suicidal mess, either in hospital, or in a police cell every week, prescribed diazepam (valium) just turns me into a vegetable, and it has it's physical addiction problems, (it's also a Class B drug if not prescribed.) But with cannabis, I feel alive, happy, creative and interested in life. The only problem is that you have no control over what you are getting, I feel the strains I get off the street are too strong, and this is the problem with prohibition, you can only get what the herbalist has in stock. Or to put it in a way that alcohol users understand, it's like being given a pint of Special Brew when all you want is a shandy.
  
  Good work Clark, keep it up!
  
  Recommend?   Yes 15     No 1

• 

  henry chinaski
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 12:12
  Report comment

  Stuart C,
  
  I hope you'll forgive my boldness, but I read your comment regarding cannabis and mental health and I can't resist sending you the following medical studies which I'm sure you'll find extremely interesting.
  
  As you'll see, the best available medical evidence clearly shows how cannabis use is less likely to correlate with schizophrenia or other mental health problems than alcohol, tobacco,most POM drugs, many OTC medicines and even energy drinks.
  
  Since 1996, one million Californians have been enjoying the benefits of its medical marijuana system where stronger and stronger strains and more and more potent concentrates and extracts are being consumed at higher and higher levels - has there been any increase in psychosis or mental health problems in those 15 years? No!
  
  The largest study of its type ever looked at 600,000 subjects. Despite massive increases in cannabis use over the period concerned "the prevalence and rate of psychosis and schizophrenia was either stable or declining": http://ukcia.org/wordpress/?p=76
  
  In 2009, a review of all published research so, by definition, not cherry picked. The risk of a single diagnosis of psychosis at worst 0.013%, probably less than 0.003%: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02794.x/pd
  
  The myth regarding cannabis causing mental illness is entirely based in one study showing a correlation between smoking cannabis and mental health problems: http://www.iweeducation.org/article/629/cannabis-use-increases-risk-for-mental-health-issues.aspx
  
  Such a correlation means that people with mental health problems (restlessness, anxiety and stress, mainly) uses cannabis more often than healthy people. Therefore, people with mental health problems use more cannabis (to treat their problems), than people without health issues.
  
  The conclusion of such study is that people with health problems use more medicines that healthy people, NOT that cannabis caused health problems.
  
  How do we know this? Interviews to cannabis users show how a significant amount of them use it to treat their restlessness, anxiety and other stress related problems. Cannabis, according to the International Medical Community, is a less harmful alternative to pharmaceutical drugs like benzodiacepines or tranquillisers, which are horribly addictive, neurotoxic, and kill thousands of people a year.
  
  "Attraction to cannabis among men with schizophrenia: a phenomenological study": http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20420097
  
  "Cannabinoids for the Treatment of Schizophrenia? A Balanced Neurochemical Framework" http://www.hindawi.com/journals/sprt/2011/501726/
  
  "Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent, as an antipsychotic drug": http://www.scielo.br/pdf/bjmbr/v39n4/6164.pdf
  
  "Regular cannabis use improves cognition in schizophrenic patients": http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17482741
  
  Anxiolitic effect of cannabis: https://sites.google.com/site/archiveinfo2010/documents-assignments/anxiolytic-effects
  
  Anti-depressive effects of cannabis: https://sites.google.com/site/archiveinfo2010/documents-assignments/depression
  
  Cognitive effects of long term use of cannabis: https://sites.google.com/site/archiveinfo2010/documents-assignments/iq-memory-cognative-effects
  
  Cannabis effect of brain cells: https://sites.google.com/site/archiveinfo2010/documents-assignments/neurons-brain-cells
  
  Neuroprotectant effects of cannabis: https://sites.google.com/site/archiveinfo2010/documents-assignments/neuroprotectant
  
  Obsessive compulsive disorder improvements after cannabis consumption: https://sites.google.com/site/archiveinfo2010/documents-assignments/obsessive-compulsive-disorder
  
  Cannabis and psychosis: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19560900
  
  Thanks a lot for your patient and, once again, I apologise for being so impulsive as to write you without asking permission.
  
  Have a great day!
  
  Recommend?   Yes 14     No 1

• 

  Mactabak
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 12:28
  Report comment

  Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! I see the government propaganda is working well with the easily led sheeple of this country.
  
  Cannabis (to use its correct name) was banned in the states because of racism, nothing else...just white folk against black folk & if we are supposed to be free of racism in this country why do I see the likes of Stuart C being so racist!!!! If you don't know what I'm on about, then how can you slate gods creation, which after all is what it is....why is drink (alcohol) legal...note the word LEGAL (Don't get in confused with LAWFUL), yet a natural plant with selective breeding is ILLEGAL? I will tell you why...CORRUPTION in Government, plain & simple. We have big pharma companies lobbying government (with HUGE back handers) making sure that CURES (not treatments) are illegal, whilst they can continue to pedal thier worthless crap they call medicine for big bucks.
  
  Surely in a democratic society then its down to our own choice & not that of a corrupt government? I started smoking cannabis at 14, I'm now 48 & have NEVER tried anything stronger apart from alcohol on the odd ocasion. I'm an ex army radio technician, so it doesnt naff your brain or I would have never qualified as such. It's never been addictive to me, as I smoke 1 or 2 spliffs per night & NEVER during the day. I'm a self employed photographer now & find a toke at nights makes me think outside of the box, shame others on here have such difficulty doing the same, maybe they prefer the box of illusions that's offered to us by our corrupt government?
  
  Recommend?   Yes 11     No 1

• 

  Lee Gramson
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 12:36
  Report comment

  The fact that last year Professor Les Iversen delivered his lecture 'Bringing Cannabis back into the Medicine Cabinet' should remind us that cannabis does indeed have a long history of medicinal use going back centuries. Indeed we know it was prescribed to Queen Victoria for menstrual pain (yes that old cherry again!) and was available over the counter in tincture form from local chemists into the 20th century. There is now surely too much evidence to ignore the fact that cannabis DOES have beneficial properties in healing. All around the World cannabis is being used to treat numerous conditions successfully, including use in treating post traumatic stress disorder. While I can understand some might object to its recreational use I am stunned that so many are in denial of its medicinal qualities in the face of so much testimony and evidence to the contrary.
  
  To quote Prof Iversen:
  
  "....we have reached an interesting stage in the cannabis debate in the Western world. We must soon decide whether to reintroduce it into our medical cabinets and whether to accept, albeit grudgingly, that the recreation use of cannabis has become part of our culture."
  
  This Government currently licenses the growing of thousands of high quality cannabis plants down here in Kent under high security conditions. We even know the specially selected strain being grown. As the company growing the plants is GW Pharma surely this gives us a clue as to its medicinal benefits? Those who deny the medical value of cannabis are denying patients the care they need.
  
  Clarke you are a brave man and a great spokesperson for the medicinal use of cannabis.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 5     No 1

• 

  Robert
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 12:49
  Report comment

  Is there still this myth about the correlation of hemp users and pathological psychic effects around in the UK? This is a typical case of misinterpreting the results of latest research, only to support prohobition laws.
  
  The true result of these studies is more likely, that patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and paranoia starting self-medication in early ages. Compare the effects of THC and CBD and you will find even more reasons, why especially medical hemp should not be part of an irregulated black market.
  
  + withdrawal symptoms are mostly a direct result of nicotin dependence
  
  + nobody wants people driving under the direct influence of any substance
  
  Dear hemp opponents, get your facts together.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 12     No 1

• 

  Helen
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 12:54
  Report comment

  Thank you Clark.
  
  I honestly don't think I would still be alive without cannabis. I know the night I wrote my suicide note as my world fell apart and my daughter was allowed by social services to go live with the man who abused her, if I hadn't had something to smoke I would have killed myself and she would have lost her mum as well as have such horrors to come to terms with. It helped me to see the need to keep fighting to live despite massive emotional, mental and physical pain endured on a daily basis.
  
  I have severe health problems and many allergies made worse by medicines prescribed to me, in fact I am more ill due to prescribed medicines. I live in hope that this medicine will be available and I can learn to trust doctors again.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 12     No 1

• 

  garym
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 13:21
  Report comment

  Stuart C. you say it will never happen , well this is whats happening now in the U.S.A.
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OrTcrUXamQ&feature=g-user-u in 17 states patients can get legally get cannabis as a medicine , also to call everyone who disagrees with you a bigot is a little bit mad don't you think ? or was that me being bigotted ?
  
  Recommend?   Yes 9     No 1

• 

  Stuart C
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 13:26
  Report comment

  I clearly said it would never happen in the UK not the USA. Try reading it properly and not being stoned when you read it.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 1     No 22

• 

  jimb0b
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 14:25
  Report comment

  Seems Stuart c has been offered all relevant scientific informational links and still wishes to bury his head in the sand. Never mind, theres no telling some people who want to play the "selfish addict" card, they know best, let him live in ignorance to a medicine that could help him. If he wishes to carry on keeping faith in pharma let it be so.
  
  Funny how he will call others addicts when he admits to been addicted to nicotine and been a regular filthy drug user of alcohol, I'm beginning to think he is some sort of paid up shill for alcohol and tobacco lobby.
  
  Quote; "All I can see here is addiction and self justification."
  
  Funny all i see from you is ignorance and a bigoted nature. Youve been given the info yet you still choose to ignore it so im going to give you the same respect youve shown others.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 12     No 1

• 

  henry chinaski
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 15:37
  Report comment

  STUART C,
  
  I sincerely don't think you would be such a dishonest, and shameful, and demagogue, troll as to intentionally ignore my last comment to you.
  
  No Stuart C, I rather believe you are a honest person but that you, simply, for some reason, somehow, didn't see/read my comment.
  
  What I wrote to you, Stuart C, is that anyone, even you Stuart C, can check the best available medical evidence to learn how how cannabis use is less likely to correlate with schizophrenia or other mental health problems than alcohol, tobacco,most POM drugs, many OTC medicines and even energy drinks.
  
  Also, since 1996, one million Californians have been enjoying the benefits of its medical marijuana system where stronger and stronger strains and more and more potent concentrates and extracts are being consumed at higher and higher levels, without suffering any increase in psychosis or mental health problems in those 15 years.
  
  The largest study of its type ever looked at 600,000 subjects. Despite massive increases in cannabis use over the period concerned "the prevalence and rate of psychosis and schizophrenia was either stable or declining": http://ukcia.org/wordpress/?p=76
  
  
  
  In 2009, a review of all published research so, by definition, not cherry picked. The risk of a single diagnosis of psychosis at worst 0.013%, probably less than 0.003%: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02794.x/pd
  
  
  
  The myth regarding cannabis causing mental illness is entirely based in one study showing a correlation between smoking cannabis and mental health problems: http://www.iweeducation.org/article/629/cannabis-use-increases-risk-for-mental-health-issues.aspx
  
  
  
  Such a correlation means that people with mental health problems (restlessness, anxiety and stress, mainly) uses cannabis more often than healthy people. Therefore, people with mental health problems use more cannabis (to treat their problems), than people without health issues.
  
  The conclusion of such study is that people with health problems use more medicines that healthy people, NOT that cannabis caused health problems.
  
  How do we know this? Interviews to cannabis users show how a significant amount of them use it to treat their restlessness, anxiety and other stress related problems. Cannabis, according to the International Medical Community, is a less harmful alternative to pharmaceutical drugs like benzodiacepines or tranquillisers, which are horribly addictive, neurotoxic, and kill thousands of people a year.
  
  "Attraction to cannabis among men with schizophrenia: a phenomenological study": http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20420097
  
  
  
  "Cannabinoids for the Treatment of Schizophrenia? A Balanced Neurochemical Framework" http://www.hindawi.com/journals/sprt/2011/501726/
  
  
  
  "Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent, as an antipsychotic drug": http://www.scielo.br/pdf/bjmbr/v39n4/6164.pdf
  
  
  
  "Regular cannabis use improves cognition in schizophrenic patients": http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17482741
  
  
  
  Anxiolitic effect of cannabis: https://sites.google.com/site/archiveinfo2010/documents-assignments/anxiolytic-effects
  
  
  
  Anti-depressive effects of cannabis: https://sites.google.com/site/archiveinfo2010/documents-assignments/depression
  
  
  
  Cognitive effects of long term use of cannabis: https://sites.google.com/site/archiveinfo2010/documents-assignments/iq-memory-cognative-effects
  
  
  
  Cannabis effect of brain cells: https://sites.google.com/site/archiveinfo2010/documents-assignments/neurons-brain-cells
  
  
  
  Neuroprotectant effects of cannabis: https://sites.google.com/site/archiveinfo2010/documents-assignments/neuroprotectant
  
  
  
  Obsessive compulsive disorder improvements after cannabis consumption: https://sites.google.com/site/archiveinfo2010/documents-assignments/obsessive-compulsive-disorder
  
  Cannabis and psychosis: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19560900
  
  Recommend?   Yes 20     No 1

• 

  grumpyoldman
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 16:29
  Report comment

  Why reinvent the wheel when you can crimp a little!
  
  This article focuses on ‘cannabis' medicinal and recreational aspects’ explains the whole thing in a clear and concise way.
  
  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/246392.php
  
  Recommend?   Yes 16     No 1

• 

  James Green
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 17:10
  Report comment

  @ Stuart C
  
  You are on here yet again harassing and offending people for the second day in a row!! Have you nothing better to do? Have you even looked at the links others have provided to you? If you call people who consume cannabis as stoners, potheads, lazy couch potatoes etc then by definition, as you openly admit to drinking alcohol, you Sir are an Alcoholic.
  
  At the end of the day, you have your opinion, and we actually DO respect that. But don't disrespect us because of what we do. You know nothing about us, or what some of us go through.
  
  Have you even read Keele Universities Study on Cannabis and Mental Health. Probably not. Have you read the recent British Medical Journal, Probably not. Do you know anything about Cannabis. Definitely not. Stop preaching rubbish that you don't even know about and go get another drink!!
  
  P.S . The reason my spelling of rhetoric was incorrect is due to the fact I'm dyslexic. Always have been. But alas, your so close minded you will probably come out with some crap about cannabis being a direct link to dyslexia. (I'll help you, it's not!!!)
  
  Recommend?   Yes 18     No 0

• 

  jimb0b
  Unregistered User
  Oct 2, 18:54
  Report comment

  Quote James Green "If you call people who consume cannabis as stoners, potheads, lazy couch potatoes etc"
  
  Yet somehow those hopeless "stoner" addicts have somehow bested him in what he calls debate with rational reasoned statements backed by medical sciences. Its all very reminiscent of something Bill Hicks said.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 16     No 0

• 

  Andy Shaman-E
  Unregistered User
  Oct 3, 09:21
  Report comment

  @Stuart-At what time are you going to start drinking today? And yes legalisation is coming, and it is going to be sooner rather than later. Who's side are you going to be on then?
  
  Recommend?   Yes 15     No 1

• 

  Candice Amson
  Unregistered User
  Oct 3, 10:08
  Report comment

  The only harm caused by Cannabis is in its prohibition. Normal and innocent people are discriminated against, simply because they prefer a safer non toxic alternative for their ailments, than the legal drugs alcohol, tobacco, and prescription drugs which kill hundreds of thousands worldwide each year.
  
  Thank you Clark for taking this stand for all of us.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 19     No 2

• 

  Andrew Jones
  Unregistered User
  Oct 4, 13:42
  Report comment

  These are for you Stuart C.
  
  regarding addiction: http://www.alternet.org/story/80408/calling_b.s._on_the_idea_of_%27marijuana_addiction%27
  
  um this is you.... no? http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bigot
  
  (Just a side note... Henry J Anslinger made cannabis illegal not a scientist, all through.... yep u guessed it .....bigotry!)
  
  Maybe you should read this: http://medical-journals.healia.com/doc/17678961/The-endocannabinoid-system-in-multiple-sclerosis-and-amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis
  
  http://www.csdp.org/publicservice/medicalmj08.htm
  
  Just some more things for you not to read but i can promise for every government run experiment you put up there will be at least 10 to disprove it.
  
  Scientists say it should be legal...... Gov say it should be illegal..... but they'll sell Clark a synthetic pharma prepared pill/ spray/ Cream or suppository....oh hang on that 4 isnt it?!
  
  Anyways thanks Clark for bringing this to the attention of more n more. Good luck with the legalisation...
  
  Recommend?   Yes 13     No 2

• 

  Andy Shaman-E
  Unregistered User
  Oct 5, 12:02
  Report comment

  So Stuart you actually thumb down medical and scientific evidence-shame on you. Your the sort of person who would opt for chemo. if you had cancer rather than Cannabis?
  
  Wow Stuart-you are a very sad human being and I do hope that one day your mind will open up to this miraculous plant. You may need it for alcohol withdrawal-it is excellent for this sad condition. Pls. don't make yourself look an more of an idiot than you already do. I know it must be hard being an alcoholic but leave commenting to intelligent and open minded who want to see a real positive change for the better with Cannabis. Your immature remarks speak words about YOU and no one else.
  
  Keep up the good fight Clark- We shall overcome these prohibitionists and continue to expose their lies. Indeed, the lies bestowed by the govt. about Cannabis are one of the greatest conspiracies ever handed down to the masses. LIES, LIES and more LIES. I am sick of it.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 11     No 0

• 

  MR.H
  Unregistered User
  Oct 5, 12:14
  Report comment

  Just in case you need any further proof of the benefits of cannabis here's 700 medicinal uses for you to take a look at.
  
  http://www.encod.org/info/700-MEDICINAL-USES-OF-CANNABIS.html
  
  Recommend?   Yes 13     No 0

• 

  grumpyoldman
  Unregistered User
  Oct 6, 11:19
  Report comment

  Hi all,
  
  To use my favorite saying He who forgets the past is doomed to repeat it?
  
  Pleas watched this 6 year old hard hitting and emotive documentary ‘The Fight to Be Well’ where UK medicinal cannabis users and activists: Lezley Gibson (THC4MS.org), Pat Tabram (cannabisgran.co.uk) and Stuart Wyatt (humedi.org.uk). Tell their side of the story.
  
  http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...59819698334782
  
  Related reading
  
  Is it a crime to want to be well?'
  
  http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2006/dec/19/health.drugs
  
  Cannabis General News Archive 2000 - 2006
  
  http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm/fuseaction/show/pageid/1813
  
  Recommend?   Yes 1     No 0

• 

  Xan Tok
  Unregistered User
  Oct 13, 08:51
  Report comment

  To those saying cannabis causes paranoia addiction and mental illness, well so do many other drugs on prescription when used by someone with no medical need....Clark has a medical need and the effects of the drug are taken up in treating the symptoms. It seems illogical to deny people the chance of an effective remedy to pain and disability when one is out there...
  
  Recommend?   Yes 1     No 0

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.

Follow @rdgchronicle