Sunday, May 13, 2012 -

    So Where Now? Where Should Our Focus Be Most CLEAR?

    The cannabis campaign has been shooting itself in the foot for far too long.  Instead of building on the massive public acceptance of cannabis, it has focused on division, on promoting itself as an alternative or sub culture.  In fact it has revelled in separation, divisiveness, counterculture and stupid, dullard alienation of the mainstream.  It is time we grew up.

    So who do we need to focus on?

    Certainly not on cannabis users.  Most have no wish to be represented.  Most simply want to be left alone to enjoy a quiet smoke or to alleviate whatever condition they suffer from in peace, without persecution or harassment.

    CLEAR exists to advance an evidence-based argument to free, not “the weed”, but the people who choose, or need, to use it.

    According to the most up-to-date, independent, expert research, there are three million regular users of cannabis in Britain.  That’s three million people who have used cannabis within the past month.  Just over 24,000 of them have the signed the HM Government e-petition calling for the legalisation of cannabis. It’s pathetic, isn’t it?

    I believe those 24,000 people account for 80-90% of the “stoner” community, including medicinal and other activists such as you and me.  So where are the other 2.8 million?  In fact, where are the other 8 million occasional users?  Why aren’t these people standing up to be counted or, at least, ticking a box that says “legalise”?   Where are they? Are the figures wrong?

    Divining the answers to these questions is the key to cannabis law reform.  It is the very essence of what CLEAR stands for.

    We will make no progress by marches, demos, protests, “smoke outs”, not even by self-sacrificial martyrdom as exemplified by Winston Matthews, a gross injustice but a triumph of stupidity over reason.  A complete failure to recognise the way the argument needs to be put.

    What we have to do is engage with government and with regulators.  We have to overturn the prejudice and misinformation of the media, which is why CLEAR’s work with the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) is so important.  Also, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which is crucial for the approval of medicinal products and which CLEAR has been negotiating with for over a year.  The Home Office, which is perhaps the most corrupt of British institutions, cannot be dealt with rationally or reasonably but needs to be manipulated or outwitted in the direction of common sense.

    The HASC drugs inquiry is the only route worth pursuing at present.  It is the only hope for reform.  I am delighted to announce  that CLEAR has been invited to submit special, additional evidence based on our representations about the way the inquiry is being conducted.  We are being heard.

    If you are serious about reform of the prohibition of cannabis then CLEAR deserves your support.  Obviously, we oppose the “reefer madness” mentality but also the opposite “crazy stoner” extreme which denies any harm or negative consequence of cannabis use and believes that “protest” will achieve something.  It won’t.  It is a distraction into social events for smokers – a waste of time.

    CLEAR speaks for the 2.8 million regular users as well as the 24,000 that have signed the petition.  We are your best hope.  Please join today.

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    1. Between “Reefer Madness” And “Crazy Stoner”, Is The CLEAR Path To Reform
    2. Review Of 2011. Part Two
    3. CLEAR Domain Name Secured. The Campaign Continues.
    4. What Does 2012 Hold For The Cannabis Campaign?
    5. HASC Drugs Inquiry. An Analysis Of The Written Evidence. Part 2
    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Maharg-Smith/831904195 Maharg Smith

       a triumph peter well done…it seems we are being listened to in some small way

    • Jack_Herer

      Breaking down the walls of ignorance takes times because it’s been built up over years and years. To get people to see the truth takes more than a placard therefore unfortunately – there’s far too much to get over, and you have to be able to engage, not just have a simple short one way message.

      CLEAR is changing minds. No question. The minds that matter as well. It’s not going to happen overnight though and it’s not going to happen with a march. A march isn’t really inclusive to those not taking part; it’s mostly a get together for the already converted. It’s great fun but it’s those not taking part who’s minds we most need to change. For that we need engagement, for which one of the only outlets is the local news sites we campaign on.

      Most importantly is that CLEAR is preventing the unchecked spread of ignorance. We are the one’s speaking the truth. The truth is our constant best weapon, it’s how we know that no matter how long the road is, we’ll win in the end. We are being heard as well – cracks are showing. The IPCC, the recent police apologies regarding misinformation, and now the HASC invite for additional evidence is all steps in exactly the right direction. They can’t close their ears forever when we speak the truth.

      Keep snapping at ‘em Peter!

    • cshaws

      Maybe the answer is to persuade those who enforce the law rather than those who make the law.  Knock their teeth out and they can only lick you. 

    • UniversalMan

      So sad that people are not reasonable. I’ve written to a number of ministers, signed every petition I can, and frequent news articles. I will join CLEAR too. The funny thing is I only smoke about once a year, barely drink actually. 

      http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3316151/ Read that if you haven’t already.

    • UniversalMan

      I am also wondering, Peter, do you know how much Richard Branson has given to this cause? He’s a giant in media, why isn’t he paying for campaigns? 

      Furthermore, have you considered viral campaigns, producing propaganda yourself? Convincing leaders from a broad range of industries, from mother’s organisations; convince them to the truth about crime, about the true danger, if you find one that’ll listen to you, and if you can get endorsement from all sorts of walks of life, heads of media, etc. 

      But you’re right. No point appealing to common men individually, they have no power, and there’s too many. Appeal to those in power as much as you can, those that have sway over thousands.

    • Focusonpeace

      Convince the daily mail and idiots such as Peter Hitchens, get them on side and you’ve won! Once idiots like the daily mail accept that propaganda and scare tactics are not the way forward, (education and regulation IS) it might clear our governments mind on the subject. Might even clear their mind so much they actually take scientific data and proven study into account. Maybe they wont dismiss professors when they give their honest opinion along with all the science to back it. 

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/A-Quiet-Man/100003657259148 A Quiet Man

      the status quo we are forced to live with i think  is more a case of stiff resistance by prohibition supporters than a lack of understanding by the general public. supporters of prohibition fall into 2 groups legal and illegal, the criminals do not want a change and those that make their money from the law side or the suppliers of legal alcohol  do not want change . the violence by prohibition supporting groups like R,A,A,D in N,Ireland shows that the criminal will do whatever he can to control the headlines and play into the Daily Mail mindset and pretend to be defending the community this is an evolution of the proho strategy by the criminals and unless cannabis law  change happens soon it will spread to other areas of the U,K 

    • Christopher Sawtell

      I think we should expand the concept of “toke pure” to include the idea of “toke safe” so that the 750 hospitalized tragedies per year in Britain can be avoided, or at least seriously reduced.

      I have many ideas which may or may not be appropriate as the case may be, others with more experience can offer facts and ideas,  but I can offer my time and reasonable command of both computer use and of written English.

    • Focusonpeace

      Toking pure and safe, is the way forward in terms of being healthy, yet the government doesn’t recognize a safe way to use cannabis. They simply say ‘There is no safe way to use drugs’. Which is a lie, so its really just them sticking their heads in the sand.

    • maxwood

      Please go to wikiHow.com, sign in with a user-name and review, edit, rewrite, contribute text and pictures to the article “How to Make Smoke Pipes from Everyday Objects”– maybe starting with the title which could be replaced with something like “How to Make a 25-mg Serving-Size Vape-Toke Utensil from Everyday Objects” or the like.  (I didn’t have the nerve yet.)  Publish information acknowledging the progress that has been made in recent years understanding the difference between “smoke” (heat shock and carbon monoxide) and “vapourise” (hold lighter flame far enough away that air entering the little crater (“bowl”), where the sifted-herb loading lies, will be 385F/197C; suck slow and wait at least 15 seconds before letting anything catch fire).

      Advocate the elimination of “smoking” (rolling) papers and the use of dosage regulation utensils such as Calumet (traditional N. American), Chillum (as made in Jamaica, with a narrow screened crater and a flexible extended drawtube so you can see what you are doing when you light a vape toke), Kiseru (Japan), Midwakh (Middle East; Derek Williams has a photo of one on his article “How to smoke cannabis”); Sebsi (Miorocco). 

      Any of the above is improved by attaching a long flexible drawtube (food-grade pvc is fine; vape temperatures are low enough to avoid chemical problems).  A screen permits using sifted herb with even particle size which vapourises out cannabinoids well, without the hassle of any getting drawn down and stuck in the midchannel.  Frequently use a strong easy-to-hold 2-inch safety pin, wirebraided onto your utensil so you won’t use it, to gently scratch screen windows (whilst sucking through drawtube) before the next toke.

      A narrow utensil like this, and widespread knowledge of how to use it, solves the purity problem by removing any technical reason for anyone ever wanting to mix in any tobacckgo. 

      By improving our descriptions of the “VapeToke” procedure we can eliminate the timehonoured tabloid tragedy of accused “potheads” harming themselves by a hot burning overdose “drug delivery” system which caused damages attributed to the cannabis by prohibblers for political reasons (such as: H.M. Govt. is hooked on $igarette taxe$ and wants kids to settle for nicotine).

    • Christopher Sawtell

      It seems that all the governments in the English speaking world, and in many others, are in a state of psychotic disconnect when it comes to cannabis. My suggestion is to simply route around them and connect direct with the population.

      The most important message to get across is truthfully how to use cannabis safely, not only for a pleasant recreational moment or three, but for the alleviation of many aches and pains, to say nothing of the of the many serious illnesses to which the human body is subject.

      Judging by the Home Office committee hearings so far, it is absolutely obvious that they have neither the knowledge not the ability to do this. Therefore it is over to us to do their job for them.

      For a start, we need to know how many people use cannabis, and how many have had ‘accidents’, and how many know about the dangers, and ( other than abstinence ) how to avoid them.

      Are folks ready to buy a few dozen clip-boards and pencils, give up a few afternoons, and wear out some shoe leather?

    • maxwood

      Erratum: a key sentence, above, should read:

      “wirebraided onto your utensil so you won’t LOSE it”.  Sorry for any technical nightmares that may have caused.

    • maxwood

      Report from North America: it has been suggested pursuant to newly published disclosures about Barry and his Choom Gang, that the Jamaican-style long-stemmed chillum (with one-hit narrow screened crater and flexible extension tube so you can see what you are doing while lighting delicately to vapourise not burn) be renamed the CHOOMETTE.  You read it here first.