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I’m 23 years old and I have Diabetes, Usher syndrome (Retinits Pigmentosa),which means vision and hearing impairment and suffer many bouts of depression (Mainly caused by disabilities). I have been to the GP a few times with my depression and only got referrals which led to nothing being done about it, which led me to cannabis use.

I will never work due to my eyesight and hospital appointments which are every 2-3 weeks or so (I’m on ESA), which leaves me doing nothing but torture myself in front of my computer 24/7. My diabetes isn’t so much a problem but my appetite is helped by mild cannabis use.

Anyway, I started taking cannabis around 5-6 years ago for recreational use occasionally, so I knew what I was getting into once I started back up again for self treatment for depression.

I live with my mother of whom I care very much for (we haven’t had the easiest of lives), she doesn’t mind me taking cannabis except she gets very concerned about it being illegal and doesn’t want me to get into trouble with the law which I understand but it shouldn’t be that way. (she’s also my carer due to my eyesight)

Benefits of cannabis to me;

Depression: Cannabis makes a huge difference in my life; it gives me motivation, an appetite, a thirst for knowledge, I take an interest in many things that I wouldn’t normally do due to me beating myself up in my head, it keeps me focused and makes me FAR more sociable except the fact that I walk around wondering if the law enforcement are going to smell anything on me, which myself and many others shouldn’t have to worry about since we’re doing no harm. I also do not want to be taking prescription drugs as I’ve heard far too many horrific stories and seen too many character changes. Cannabis keeps me away from the dark thoughts I get and moves me towards the positive in life.

Hearing Impairment: I actually hear things a lot better/clearer and am very surprised no-one has approached the subject anywhere unless I missed something.

Appetite: As already stated, mild use helps a lot, I’m actually a fussy eater (sorry mum!) and through cannabis use I have tried and ate different things.

Here’s where it gets interesting…

Usher syndrome (Retinitis pigmentosa): Over the years of off and on cannabis use (prices, accessibility in the UK are horrendous), cannabis alleviates the constant static around my eyes, makes light less glarey, darkness more radiant and colours stick out more regardless of shades. I’ve tried googling this topic but most of it is aimed at actual scientists rather than someone who just wants information and it seems lackluster regarding research.

My association with anyone that deals in cannabis (mostly small amounts making me small fish) can be quite worrying to a point, because cannabis is illegal there’s a stigma that “Dealers = Criminals” and that makes people either a) Unaware (Yes, those people that still call it wacky baccy and get all repulsive) and b) Paranoid, even like myself at times. It gets rather panicky online at times if I may say so.

I don’t want to get myself in trouble, I’m not harming anyone.

I drink far less alcohol which brings me to my next point, cigarettes (nicotine). I don’t have willpower to stop smoking tobacco because of the weight and price problems in the UK and/or any other country (All the best to the mayor in Copenhagen) which forces us to smoke tobacco with it, making it more harmful. Let’s say I bought 1 gram, it costs £10 and it doesn’t even touch 0.7-0.8 occasionally 0.6, or when they can’t get any decent stuff which doesn’t make it last that long.

Fortunately no, I’ve not had any run ins with the police however they’re aware that I’ve taken cannabis when dealing with my previous charges, which were a fairly long time ago so I’m happy with that. There has also been worries of “spiking”. Only once I’ve experienced that and it wasn’t a good time, still don’t know what it was to this day.

A Medicinal Users Story - CLEAR UK: Cannabis Law Reform Party

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My Thoughts On The Cannabis Debate

Max Fernandez

The question as to whether or not Cannabis should be ‘legalised’ has many layers, amongst which are lies, deceit, profits and victims. The campaign to effectively ban Cannabis has raged for many years, and has cost the lives of thousands of people. In the process of doing so however, politicians and cartel gang members have made hundreds of millions of pounds worth of profit.

Not only have politicians and gangsters profited, but so too have average hard working members of society; police men and women, as well as prison officers have found themselves in high demand by the political class. This in turn has created an incentive to further the so called ‘war on drugs’.

The media throughout the United Kingdom are often slow to criticise the lack of success which has been brought because of the war, and if criticism is placed on the government, they will try to encourage a harsher approach to the plant i.e. longer sentences for possession.

I myself support the idea that by legalising Cannabis, both for medicinal and recreational purposes, the Cannabis market can be controlled and regulated with much more ease. Imprisoning thousands of people, many of whom are otherwise law abiding, hard working productive members of society, whilst the drug kingpins become wealthy, simply defies logic.

There is hope for the Cannabis legalisation proponents, the recent democratic results in Washington and Colorado, where Cannabis was legalised for both medicine and enjoyment, means that opinions are changing. 2014 shall be another huge year as far as American Cannabis law reform is concerned.

After completing many hours of research into how the Cannabis legalisation campaign is conducted, both domestically and globally, I have come to the conclusion that the medical argument is the key to our success. I do believe that the vast majority of people, even those who are totally against the legalisation for recreational use, are able to be convinced of the success medical Cannabis can (and does) have. The majority of people would agree that imprisoning a man suffering with Cancer, for growing Cannabis plants to relieve his pain, is fundamentally immoral and cruel.

Much more focus should be applied to this side of the debate. Simply on moral grounds, opponents to medical Cannabis are at an immediate disadvantage. Pressure must be placed on the media and politicians to seriously consider this idea, and to have an open and honest debate as to the merits of the cause.

Once medical Cannabis is available (like nearly every other European country), people will be able to see firsthand that Cannabis has been lied about by the corrupt political media, and that its benefits outweigh its potential harms. The states in the USA that legalised medicinal Cannabis have gradually become more tolerant of Cannabis, and those who choose to consume it.

Usually attitudes soften due to the profits being made throughout their local areas. Many people have become employed because of the medicinal Cannabis industry. Illegal dealers also make fewer profits as a result of their sick customers choosing to buy from a legal outlet. Countries that have legalised medical Cannabis have been able to apply tax on it, allowing for greater spending in education and health.

Our campaign to see an end to prohibition will also need to be well funded. Politics has never been a fair field; those with the money tend to get their way. In truth, our campaign will never be as well funded as those who seek to stop us, but the more money that is raised the better. The more people that can be convinced to give their money to help us see an end this corrupt war, the easier our aims will become to implement.

It is a well known fact that recession makes society more willing to make riskier investments into their futures. Our economic argument should focus on Jeremy Bentham’s idea of Utilitarianism. Our sole economic mission is to inform the public of this. Poorer members of society will likely warm to this philosophy.

To conclude, I believe that our next main focus should be to see medicinal Cannabis legalised throughout the United Kingdom. This campaign will need to be in association with our American counterparts, as well as other global networks.

Close attention will also have to be paid as to how Washington and Colorado deal with Cannabis legalisation. Portugal and Uruguay are also examples where successes can be found and communicated with the general public.

A Personal Perspective On The Cannabis Debate - CLEAR UK: Cannabis Law Reform Party

Derek

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Ten years ago a lump appeared in my neck. For more than a year I was back and forth to the hospital to be told it was a cyst and that it would go away, but unfortunately it never.

After an operation I was diagnosed with stage 4 hodgkins cancer of the lymph nodes (link). Eight tumours had been removed from my neck! Unfortunately because I had been misdiagnosed the cancer had spread to my stomach, my diaphragm and my bowl.

Nearly a year and a half of chemotherapy followed , unfortunately the prolonged chemo caused numerous problems  including Raynauds ( severe nerve damage) bowl disorder and suppressed immune system.

While in hospital I contacted MRSA which destroyed my left hip and for years after I struggled through life taking over 330 tablets every month. My body weight went from 13 and a half stone to 8 stone. It was at this time whilst searching the Internet I discovered medical cannabis and after reading many articles I decided to see if this could be the answer after years of medication; I was getting nowhere!

I obtained some cannabis from a friend and tried it and after more research I heard people were actually being cured with this stuff so I decided to try and treat myself. I grew my own medicine, refined it remove the goodness and turned it into a medical butter. Low and behold I was pain free for the first time in ten years. I started to gain weight, felt stronger and my life was back on track – I was a member of society once more.

I was alive again being able to do things I had not been able to do for years, finally I was happy.

My happiness was brought to a stop wen I was visited by the police. I was striped, handcuffed and arrested. Yes, I was a criminal and believe me I was treated as such, locked in a cell, fingerprinted and so on .

The police turned my house upside down, removed floor boards, emptied every draw. It looked like I had been burgled , even though the police confiscated powdered cannabis with all the Thc removed (evidence it had been turned into medicine) I have still been charged with production of cannabis and on the tenth of January I am to attend court were I face a prison sentence and a criminal record which will last for life .

My history is before my illness I was a regional director of a large very well known national company; I have never ever been in trouble before in my 44 yeas of life.

Mmy question is: Am I a criminal who deserves to be locked away from society or am I just a human being who is trying his hardest to stay alive?

If gw pharma produce medicine from cannabis then surely every director and every employee should be arrested and treated as I have been. I really thought this was an equal rights country were everyone is treated the same, if it is then everyone at GW pharma better watch out because the difference is they produce cannabis with intent to supply!

But I suppose if I had 20 million pound to give the government I would be fine to maybe I would be allowed to save my own life?

Mark: Cancer Sufferer, Medicinal Cannabis User; aka a “Criminal”. - CLEAR UK: Cannabis Law Reform Party

James And Jack

EDITOR’S NOTE: James Sutherland is a medicinal cannabis user whose story is both extraordinary and inspirational.  It first appeared in The Daily Mail on 10th September 2012 and while it reached a wide audience, it was sensationalist and riddled with inaccuracies.  A fortnight later, James published his story in his own words, written exclusively for CLEAR.  Now he has written another piece which tells of the time he came close to suicide before he discovered how cannabis could control his symptoms and transform his life.

Imagine you are out walking along the coastline in the middle of nowhere, it is almost eight in the evening and the light is fading fast. You stumble upon a bird which has a broken wing and its baby is right next to it chirping. Next to them is a tree and the obvious conclusion is both have somehow fallen out of the tree and onto the ground. You know that the rescue centres are closed and you are miles from any hope for the big bird.

I was sixteen when I came across this situation while running in Cromer one evening and I had a choice to make. The debate starts in one’s mind on what would be the correct thing to do. Some people would walk away, some would pick up both birds and do everything they can to save them. These however were not my choices. The bird had been there for some time and as I looked into the adult bird’s eye I could see that it had given up all hope, its head was turned towards its child and I could swear it was waiting to draw its terminal breath. I picked it up with no fight from the bird whatsoever, the bird knew its fate and obviously knew a predator would soon be along and get a free meal. I grabbed it by the head and the body and gave it one quick twist, the bird was lifeless in my hands but I felt it was the kindest thing to do. I picked up the baby which was full of fight and energy and wrapped it in the jumper that was tied around my waist. Being out for a run anyway I ran as fast as I could down into town and was lucky enough to find a firm of vets about to close. They took the bird in and had the decency to take it to a RSPCA centre for me.

The story is not that important on its own until you come to consider my situation. Before the weed I was the parent bird laying and hoping that my child would be OK. I would lay in bed for days with the pain and very little hope left in life. My closest guarantee of a normal life was to disconnect the nerves of my lower body and maybe lose feeling of everything below chest height.

After the first year of being disabled, knowing my son had just passed his first birthday, life was hell for me. As the days, months and years went by I would lie in my bed and lose just a little bit of hope each day. The fantastic doctors of the NHS tried their hardest to create a cure out of what they have available and are allowed to offer legally but that glimmer of hope was getting more and more distant. I knew there was little hope of me working again and extremely little hope of me being a father to my son as he would not even enter my room when I was in pain it scared him that much.

The only way to describe the pain in my side is to imagine a hunting knife slowly twisting away day after day.  Follow that up with the burning feeling of napalm being chucked over you and some idiot chucking water on top of that and only then do you get close to the pain I felt.

After the first time I saw my son squirm back into my grandmother at my door it broke my heart into pieces. I was not able to hold the stress any further and I wanted him to have a normal life. I didn’t want him seeing and being scared of his father crying out in pain in his bed. That night I laid in my bed looking at all the photos of my son and me. I have a smile in each and every one but that smile and being very young I started to think about the bird in the field. I knew that my family would be my runner and get my son the right love and care he needs but what I needed was the runner to do the ‘twist’. For years they have been helping me with him and as someone who believes in the right thing to do it was very hard for me to contemplate such an idea.

Being liberal I could not ask anyone to do it and I could not leave an image of a lifeless body for my family to see. At first you think about the normal ways that people do it but I always find that a very selfish act to leave one’s body to be discovered by an innocent or even worse to put yourself under someone’s car or train to leave another life traumatised just because yours is. I thought back to all my years in Great Ormond Street and all the pain from then on in my life and decided that it would need to be a semi-tranquil ‘twist’.

I was prepared to drive down to Southend-On-Sea with two large weights tied to my feet. I am a strong swimmer and hoped to get far enough out that when I could swim no more it would be deep enough to hold me down and not be discovered where the tide does not fully go out. You may call me crazy but when your son is your glimmer of hope in your life and you see what I saw in his eyes when I was in pain I wanted him to just be able to look back at the pictures of his father and see the happy times. Me and his mother are not together and I hoped he would find a new father that could provide better for him. I never felt so low in all my life, I had spent eighteen years in and out of Great Ormond Street followed by more and more traumatising experiences but nothing had prepared me for the way I felt then.

Lady Luck seemed to favour me as I soon after found that weed cures my problem completely and I am able to have the happy times with my son without fear of scaring him. I still however have a massive problem as I am neither cured nor sick as the medicine allows me to live a normal life but yet no one would touch me with a ten foot bargepole because of the weed. I will not stop taking the weed and head back where I was before but on the other hand I still can’t truly provide for my son just yet as I am a criminal in the eyes of the law. I am trying to setup my own business to allow myself to work and provide but with little to no help from the government.  It seems that I am yet again left out in the cold by my own country.

How can my government allow this state of affairs? I hear Mr Cameron would have a smoke and a chat about it but apparently he is having guests over for dinner as usual. As always the government would rather send a young man to die then get off their overpaid arses and make a change that can help people like me. They put people like Theresa May in charge of equality when the woman only believes anyone on her level or above is equal (or thinks the same way). Because of my government holding back information and not allowing me access to different types of medicines I almost died and my story would have never been truly known.

Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg this is what I think of your government and I would like to say thank you to weed for saving my life and making me stop seeing the broken wing in the mirror.

Broken Wing - CLEAR UK: Cannabis Law Reform Party

A CLEAR Interpretation Of The Sentencing Council Drug Offences Guidelines Concerning Cannabis

Drug Offences. Definitive Guideline document

Drug Offences. Response to Consultation document

1. Section 125(1) (a) of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 provides that:

“Every court – (a) must, in sentencing an offender, follow any sentencing guideline which is relevant to the offender’s case, and (b) must, in exercising any other function relating to the sentencing of offenders, follow any sentencing guidelines which are relevant to the exercise of the function, unless the court is satisfied that it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so.”

The guideline will apply to all offenders aged 18 and older, who are sentenced on or after 27 February 2012, regardless of the date of the offence.

It seems therefore that while these are “only” guidelines, the courts are obliged to follow them or, presumably, sentences outside these guidelines would be subject to appeal on those grounds alone.

2. So the government, yet again, tinkers around the edges of a badly implemented interpretation of a mechanism designed to reduce harms from drugs.  The whole of the current drugs policy is in a total mess  and needs restructuring from the bottom up.  As Prof Nutt recently told Sky News:  “The drug laws are not based on any kind of sense or evidence so any sentencing for drugs is questionable. What we should be doing is properly revising the drug laws so that the sentencing is proportionate to the harm of drugs”

However, we are where we are and, all things considered, these new guidelines appear to be a major step in the right direction generally for small scale home growers and specifically for small scale home grow medicinal users.

3. A key statement appears in the Response to Consultation document, question seven –  ”Should “medical evidence that a drug is used to help with a medical condition” be included as a mitigating factor for possession offences?”

There was resistance to this suggestion from CPS and ACPO but the conclusion was stated as follows:

“…..numerous other consultees, including the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), the Magistrates Association and Drugscope, referred to evidence of the medical bene?ts that the active ingredients of cannabis have in the treatment of conditions associated with Multiple Sclerosis and some forms of cancer. It was suggested that if the offender can bring to court evidence that they have been attempting to obtain the drug by legal means and written evidence from their medical practitioner that the use of the drug can alleviate the symptoms of their illness, then this should be a convincing mitigating factor. Some respondents, including the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) and the Council of Circuit Judges, were keen that the mitigation should also include cases where the offender believes that cannabis is helping with his or her medical condition but in  reality it is having no or only a placebo effect. The Council agrees that where cannabis is used to help with a diagnosed medical condition this should serve as a mitigating factor. The following wording will be included at Step 2 in the de?nitive guideline: “Offender is using cannabis to help with a diagnosed medical condition”.”

However, the specific phrase  ”Offender is using cannabis to help with a diagnosed medical condition” only appears at step two in the possession section of the guidelines document under “Factors reducing seriousness or reflecting personal mitigation”. For all other sections this is the only reference to medical usage which is contrary to the implication of the statement in the Response to Consultation document.  The apparent inconsistency and contradictory nature of these statements is a little worrying.

But assuming that possession and cultivation go hand in hand maybe the anomaly above can be ignored. So for medicinal users this mitigation requires a little bit of forward thinking by those affected.

4. Firstly, to prove you have been attempting to “obtain the drug by legal means”, approach your GP and ask for a Sativex prescription for your “diagnosed” medical condition.  It will probably be refused either on applicability or cost grounds. If you can, persuade your GP to record that you use cannabis and find it highly effective and safe and there are no apparent adverse effects. Even if  your GP does not agree that it is having a beneficial effect, the guidelines recognise the “placebo effect” – if you beligve it is working for you, that is enough.  However, if your GP ticks the ‘cannabis user’ box on the patient database it will automatically flag you up as a drug abuser so ask your GP to note that there is no “abuse” in your case.

Secondly, enquire about a private prescription and get costs – these of course are prohibitive and beyond the financial means of the majority, compared with street prices.

Thirdly, write to the Home Office and explain that, to avoid breaking the law, you would like an import licence for Bedrocan. Again this will be refused by letter.

From the wording it appears that there may be a degree of wriggle room even without the above evidence but they do choose their words carefully and the word “diagnosed” is key, so make sure your diagnosis is recorded by your GP.

5. The guidelines for Production/Cultivation  are:

Lesser role ‘if own operation, solely for own use (considering reasonableness of account in all the circumstances).’

Category 3 : 28 plants (domestic operation with assumed yield of 40g per plant):  Sentence range – Low level community order (see Annex 1) > 26 weeks’ custody

Category 4 :  9 plants (domestic operation with assumed yield of 40g per plant):  Sentence range – Discharge > medium level community order (see Annex 1)

6. There are also guidelines for importation and supply which set a limit of 100 grams:  Sentence range – Band B fine (see Annex 2) > medium level community order (see Annex 1).

This could relate to importing Bedrocan from Holland or a group of friends “clubbing together” in much the same way as the cannabis clubs operate in Spain.

7. The guideline for possession will no longer take any account of quantity: Sentence range – Discharge > 26 weeks custody

The important point about these sentencing guidelines is that penalties have been reduced to such a level that I doubt whether the CPS will be interested in pursuing such cases, particularly not against medicinal users.  Therefore, the police won’t be interested.  These remain offences but with a little common sense and discretion we can now be free of the fear of persecution for growing and using cannabis.

CAUTION.  The possession, cultivation, production, supply and importation of cannabis remain illegal.  CLEAR neither condones nor encourages the breaking of any law.  This article is our interpretation of the Sentencing Council drug offences guidelines as they relate to cannabis. Do not rely on our interpretation. You should take professional legal advice if you have any concerns.

My grateful thanks to Chris Stevens for his invaluable help in preparing this article.

Effectively, Growing Your Own Has Been Decriminalised. We Are FREE! - CLEAR UK: Cannabis Law Reform Party

The Opportunity

It is certain that mankind has used cannabis consistently for around 5000 years.  In fact, it’s probably more.  That was the Bronze Age.  Before that was the Stone Age which lasted 2.5 million years.  Before that homo sapiens wasn’t even the predominant species.  I would guess it’s more like hundreds of thousands of years ago that ancient man first discovered the value of the cannabis plant.

Cannabis is mentioned in Chinese writings on pharmacology said to date from 2737 BC.  Also in the ancient Indian Atharva Veda from the second millennium BC and on tablets from the Royal Library of Ashurbanipal, an Assyrian king, who lived around 650 BC.

An urn containing cannabis leaves and seeds, unearthed near Berlin, is believed to date from 500 BC.  Homer and Herodotus both referred to cannabis in their writings and the practice of inhaling its vapours.

Clearly there is something extraordinary about this plant, about it’s medicinal and other properties.  Crucially, we wouldn’t have continued to use it for all this time if it wasn’t both safe and effective.

Cannabis became politically incorrect (for there is no other reason for its prohibition) early in the 20th century.  It was fundamentally a racist attitude that first demonised cannabis.  Harry Anslinger, who was out of a job after alcohol prohibition ended in 1933, was quite straightforward about it, he said it made white women promiscuous with black men.  Then it was said to make you mad and violent.  Then the story swung in completely the opposite direction and it was supposed to make you apathetic and lazy. Attitudes have changed very little since.  When you hear people like Charles Walker, the Tory MP or the US Drug Czar, Gil Kerlikowske, and the ridiculous things they say, you realise that it’s exactly the same nonsense and prejudice as before.  It’s just been updated and tweaked for a modern audience.

So against this background, the huge, absolutely colossal business opportunity that cannabis offers is clear.  Something that is so intrinsically popular and valuable to mankind is suddenly banned and controlled as if it were a deadly poison or more precious than gold or diamonds.  Those controlling it have the business opportunity to end all others.  Now, they even have the ability to bring all the most modern weapons of warfare in co-ordinated, international action to protect and defend their interests.  Every police force across the world is engaged in protecting the cannabis business and, over time, consistent propaganda has built up a moral outrage and repugnance against what is actually a benign but extremely valuable plant.  The revenue potential is such that it means nothing to buy all the doctors and scientists that you might need to validate and promote your scheme.  These are the perfect conditions and environment to step in and seize one of the biggest and safest business opportunities ever.

It was organised crime that first exploited the cannabis market.  Now though it is government sanctioned monopoly and international law that has brought forth the emergence of Sativex.

Developed by GW Pharmaceuticals, with the co-operation of governments and drug enforcement agencies across the world, Sativex is  the first stage in a master plan to hijack the medicinal properties of the cannabis plant for private profit and to reap trillion dollar rewards under the patronage of senior politicians and the law enforcement and armed forces they control.  It is the ultimate scam.

The Sativex Scam part 2 - CLEAR UK: Cannabis Law Reform Party