Cannabis Legalisation Campaign For Medicinal Purposes

Everyday living
1

Hello,

My name is Martin, I am a 28 year old carer (have been for 14 years) for my mother who is secondary progressive. For the most part her medication has ceased to illeviate her symptoms of the M.S and we are unable to utilise cannabis to ease her pain due to the legal implications of doing so. It was her express wish before she began her mental decline that while it remained illegal she would not take it.

The legal implications of her taking it would be that she would be classified in the eyes of the law as a criminal under the missuse of drugs act and I, being the one who would have given it to her would be held accountable under the same legislation but my charge would be as a dealer/distributor. That would cause massive waves with social work, probably ending up with me being declared unfit as a carer.

As such it is a no-go. Sativex is not available with our local NHS trust and the home office will not grant an import license to bring it into the country so we are stuck.

As such I have decided to challenge the existing law under a new campaign. We are deliberately targetting the legislation under EU and UN charters on human rights. Our first aim is to force a debate in the UK house of commons. To do this we need 500K signatures on a petition.

I would appreciate it if everyone and anyone could sign the petition here: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/UK_Government_The_right_to_a_medical_treatment_that_works/

The other thing we are doing to gain exposure for the campaign and the petition itself is to organise what is called a thunderclap. This is an online social media thing.

The purpose of a thunderclap is to allow supporters to go on, clicking on each of the three social media icons one at a time, facebook, twitter and tumblr (depending on which ones you use). It will then ask you to allow them permission. Between now and the 28th of January, we need as many people to signup as a supporter. On the 28th Thunderclap will automatically post the link to every supporters social media profiles at the same time. This causes what is called a trend and raises the petition to a high level of exposure, hopefully meaning more signatures.

You can support that here: https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/8121-self-respect?locale=en

Now I am not trying to twist anyones arm here. Many people have negative views about cannabis use and many have positive ones but I believe strongly that it should be up to the individual who is ill to at least have the choice. We all know that medications, whatever they are come with their own side effects, some of them worse than the M.S. itself but the fact remains and I believe no-one can dispute it, many M.S sufferers have had positive results from using THC.

Sativex is a synthetic version but many believe it is simply not comparable, that it should be an individual choice and that a sufferer should not be persecuted for trying to illeviate their pain and improve their quality of life.

All I am asking is that you give consideration and if you feel that you agree that sufferers of long term illness should have the right to do everything they can then please support the campaign by using the links above.

Thank you for your time

Martin

2

I have signed your petition.

There are some success aroumd the world with these sorts of thing but I think the big problem is canabis is cheap successful cancer treatment and therefore the cancer industry does not want it.

All the best.

3

Very good points, well made. I have signed the petition.

JZ

4

Thank you Martin, I have just signed.

5

Also meant to say that I will email everyone at the MS groups I attend. Good luck.

6

Martin,

As someone who has had SPMS for 31yrs - and have been using Sativex for the last 3yrs - l will also sign your petition.

l know l am lucky to get Sativex on prescription - Decent GP - could see no problems in prescribing it when it became licensed for MS use 3yrs ago last June. Before then l did get it on private prescription. l did consider growing my own - and putting it into cookies/muffins etc - as l can not smoke it. And l was concerned about lung damage. At least with growing your own - you know the type/pureness of the plant.

l only use 4/5 sprays a day - so the phials do last me a long time - so it is not nearly as expensive to use as most meds.

Give my best wishes to your mother - and do PM me if you need more info about Sativex.

7

Hello Martin Whatever my personal views are, I agree with you. This is about choice. So it’s a yes from me…I will sign your petition. It would be good to debate this issue. I wish you and your mum my best wishes. :slight_smile:

8

Am I the only reader who finds it just a little odd that someone, who has been a carer for 14 years, should sign up to the forum less than a day ago, but in time to support:

An organised petition to legalise cannabis
A social media movement to do the same

The OP does appear to have a few little inconsistencies:

  • It is NOT illegal to smoke cannabis. (Only the possession is criminal).
    “As such I have decided to challenge the existing law under a new campaign. We are deliberately targetting the legislation under EU and UN charters on human rights”
  • The use of “we” does suggest something more organised than just one individual. Those two sentences do appear to conflict one with another.
    “Sativex is not available with our local NHS trust and the home office will not grant an import license to bring it into the country so we are stuck.”
    Sativex is licenced for NHS prescription in the UK, and as a UK product does not need an import licence. The right to access a medication that is licenced for UK use is enshrined in the UK Constitution (see pp34-35, under “Nationally approved treatments, drugs and programmes”. If a PCT (all of which are supposed to have been replaced by the new Care Commissioning Groups by now) does not want to supply it, they can be forced to submit to a Judicial Review to explain why.

As for the notion in a subsequent post that it is the “Cancer Industry” who are trying to stop the legal use of cannabis, well … …
The makers of Sativex promote it as a drug for use by MS and CANCER suffers.
The recently released research by St Georges Hospital on the uses of cannabinoids (Oct last year) was favourable to the use of cannabinoids (but with certain qualifications). Do please note that the lead researcher is funded by a UK firm - GW Pharaceuticals - who just happen to be the only firm with a licence to grow cannabis in the UK, and who actually make (yes, you guessed it) Sativex.

Geoff

9

Your worrying me now Geoff. I thought this was about signing a petition in order to bring about a debate in the house of commons??

10

Great points well put!

Signed!

Some people just like to argue with people on this forum. They normally pick on people who use the anon function for things that are a little personal to some.

Darren

11

The first time I came across the therapeutic use for Cannabis was about 20 years ago. I had this student in my tutor group who has cerebral palsy (which is a degenerative neurological disease) and who found that an occasional joint when things were very bad was beneficial. Now this was an exceptional person, spoke five languages with English being her fifth (and she learned English to pass her A levels to get a University place) and who went on to get a Masters in Research Methods at another Uni, and then worked for the MRC. She ended up going abroad to somewhere warm and cheap, as the CP really started to hit hard. Her use of Cannabis was very controlled as she did not want it to affect her studies. It worked, but the effects were not what she would have liked.

Now she was frightening to watch - on a good day, she bounced off both sides of the corridor as she walked. I am reminded of her as I try to walk and end up bouncing off things. OK, so Cannabis was once quite legal, and was then reclassified, and is now likely to be socially unacceptable until it is legalised again. Some people are very active in trying to bring this about.

Now I have a bad intention tremor in my left hand - so I pull out my collection of MS Society publications and find the one on Tremor (No. 04). OK, so my copy is now out of date, but it referred to some work being done at Plymouth Uni (2001-2003) and I went on to look at follow-ups to that work, and ended up with a post on 420 Magazine. Now 420 is very, very, pro Cannabis, so to find a piece on the research on Cannabis in medicine, that pointed out all the negative effects on cognitive function was rather enlightening. You can read the piece here, and make your own mind up:

Going back to the original post … The first aim is declared as the obtaining of a Commons debate, I can only speculate as to the next aims.

Geoff

12

The formal definition of an argument is a logical progression of thought.

If someone who has only been a member for a few hours proccedes to post a lengthy piece about a campaign to legalise cannabis, and there are some gaping holes in the logic of that piece, then they should expect to have those logical failures pointed out.

Posting differing opinions can be described as a discussion. (That is, after all, how a lot of us learn.)

Wisecracks about “picking on people” are neither.

Geoff

13

Have I been naive again? I personally don’t agree with taking cannabis. I was thinking about Martin and his mum. I just thought a debate about it would be positive.

14

in the early days after my dx, i asked my neurologist where he stood on the illegal use of cannabis as pain relief/ muscle relaxant and to help a person to sleep, he said that he knew from many patients that its use could be very helpful and that he would happily confirm this to the police if i were ever caught with it. while i’m now on a combination of meds that helps control my awful pain symptoms and allows me to get a much better amount of sleep, i don’t know what the future holds and can’t afford sativex prescription prices. i’ve found cannabis use a help in the past and do think that it should be legally available to those who need it to try. as i’m admitting to using the stuff i do feel it’s necessary to post this anon.

unsurprisingly, i’ll be signing the petition.

15

I was concerned initially, because as far as other petitions I have signed were concerned, only 100,000 signatories were required to trigger a debate.

However, I also think that it is terrible that something that was developed in this country, to help people with MS and other illnesses, is now beyond the means of many PCTs because the patent was sold.

If people can derive some relief from the use of cannabis, without feeling like criminals, then I’m happy to sign.

Mags

16

Hi All,

Whilst I can see the benefit of any meds easing our pain with MS. I do have a question regarding the ‘Cannabis’ and I am just curious , so plz do not think of me as contreversial or argumentative. As this is not my intention. So my question is simply - I was told and have been told on many occassions by different medics , that cannabis can cause ‘paranoia’ and possible ‘scitzophrenia’ and other mentsal health problems. So I am wondering what ppls experience of this is plz?

Ty in advance,

God Bless,

Anna x

17

I have signed it i dont see what the big whoop is its just a bit of weed if it helps pain then feel free to take it as soon as ive had this baby ill be going next door and buying more i am really looking forward to it its not like taking a hard drug x

18

You are correct Anna. I’m sure this would be part of the debate. If it was legalised at least it would be monitored like all prescribed drugs. Catmummy!! With all due respect, it’s not just a bit of weed. Also. If your smoking the cannabis then you have all those added risks. I doubt Martin’s mum plans to smoke it though :slight_smile:

19

Going Anon on this as I am a cannabis user and supporter of legalisation.

But for all those who are determined to make criminal, degenerate, phsycotic low-lifes out of us cannabis users, have you read the list of side effects on most prescribed, legal medication, and are you aware of the huge problems associated with the socially acceptable, legal drug known as alcohol?

I agree it should be legalised and monitored. Take away some of the mistique and fear factor, and I’m sure its useage would plummet. Maybe even prevent some of the tragic deaths associated with the ‘legal high’s’ market.

Going back to the original post though, I do feel a bit scinical about the motives here. Does anyone know why 500 thousand signatures on this occassion? And what about the ‘import’ licence business? Seems fishy to me!

20

So here we have a person who goes Anon, and says why up front, who ends with: “Seems fishy to me”.

This has moved from a campaign to legalise cannabis, to the matter of whether the OP is/was genuine.

Some of you (all of you now) may know that it is possible to look anyone up via the “192” organisation and see if they feature in an Electoral Roll anywhere in the country. Try this for yourself by putting Martin Keat and 192 into a google search box.
When I did this, I could not see anyone who met the description of “28 yrs old” and carer for Mum" - this would require someone of about the right age with an older female in the same premises.

I am not suggesting that “Martin Keat” is totally ficticious - but as a psychologist I am suggesting that whoever drafted the original post knew exactly which buttons to push.

Legalise Canabis and two things will happen:

  • The Government (any Government) will slap a hefty tax on the stuff.
  • Someone who is already geared up for it will make a large profit from the distribution
    and it will all be legal.

Getting the law re-written so that posession of small amounts (say one week’s normal use) was legal, but two weeks, or more than that would be considered as “intent to supply” with a stiff fine following automatically - now that should keep most users happy (and happy). I think a lot of people would sign up to that.