UK Will Not Arrest Medical
Marijuana Users For Telling About Their Experiences – IoS --
But Dr. Guy Is Against Smoking It -- 2 Articles
(Ed. note: There is
real progress – or the illusion thereof – in the UK. Of course, a part of the
process involves the government and the medical establishment implicitly admitting to
something pretty wretched, while everyone else is expected to be too nice to say anything.
Now they say that they won’t arrest sick people for providing evidence about the
medical use of marijuana. Do they get a Nobel Peace Prize for this?)
See
96 Percent Of
Viewers In BBC Poll Favor Legalizing Medical Marijuana; Over 40,000 Respond -- IoS
and
A Few UK MS
Patients To Be Allowed To Inhale Whole Cannabis Without Being Arrested – Next Year!
That’s Why They Are Called "Patients;" We Expect Them To Wait! -- 2
Articles
and links
From The Independent on Sunday
1 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5DL England
http://www.independent.co.uk/sindypot/index.htm
sundayletters@independent.co.uk
http://www.independent.co.uk/
August 9, 1998
Cannabis Campaign: Users’ stories help medical research
By Vanessa Thorpe
IN AN unprecedented arrangement with the Home Office, Dr Geoffrey Guy, the entrepreneur
licensed to farm cannabis in Britain for medical research, will now be able to make use of
the experience of patients who have been taking the drug illegally.
The doctor has been advised that patients who find their symptoms
are alleviated by cannabis will not be liable for prosecution as long as they contact him
through their own doctors. His company, GW Pharmaceuticals, will then be able to use their
evidence to direct its own research.
"Over many years a whole wealth of research has been going on illegally in the
homes of sufferers all over the country," said Dr Guy. "The difficulty has been
finding a way of tapping this information for the use of the scientific community."
The Home Office permission means that doctor/patient
confidentiality will be maintained and people with illnesses such as multiple
sclerosis, cancer, Aids or glaucoma will be able to communicate their knowledge of the
therapeutic value of the drug without fear of prosecution.
The agreement follows up the work of the newspaper Disability
Now and the campaigning group Alliance for Cannabis Therapeutics which last
month joined together to help Dr Guy set up a register of sufferers who could take part in
clinical trials.
In this month’s issue of Disability Now, published by the
charity Scope, disabled readers are being encouraged to consider taking part in the
Government-backed trials. The journal’s support for Dr Guyfollows a reader survey
last year in which nearly 98 per cent of respondents backed the legalisation of the drug
and 67 per cent had taken cannabis for medicinal purposes.
Dr Guy believes the opportunity to investigate anecdotal evidence is invaluable.
"We now have a legal framework to make enquiries into patient groups," he said.
Patients can contact Dr Guy through Disability Now at 6 Market Road, London N7 9PW.
e-mail your comments to cannabis@independent.co.uk
Dr. Guy Against Smoking Medical Marijuana
From the Irish Independent
independent.letters@independent.ie
http://www.independent.ie/
August 5, 1998
MEDICINAL USE OF CANNABIS
Sir – I am writing on behalf of G. W. Pharmaceuticals Limited (GW) and refer to
the item in the Irish Independent on July 29, "Cannabis on Trial". You say in
your story: "A group of patients will legally be allowed to ‘puff’ cannabis
next year…" as part of a clinical trial being conducted by GW into the medicinal
effects of cannabis.
Dr G. W. Guy, chairman of the company, did indeed say in evidence to a House of Lords
Select Committee and also in discussion with reporters that some form of inhaler might be
developed as part of the trial. Those whose children suffer from asthma will be familiar
with the type of technology envisaged.
But it was made abundantly clear that the products to be
developed by GW would not in any way involve smoking, as your article implies. This is not
just a semantic distinction. Smoking is medically proven to be harmful. GW Pharmaceuticals
has never and will never advocate it as a means of drug delivery.
Mark Rogerson, Grosvenor Gardens, London
(Ed. note: Of course, smoking is can harm the respiratory system,
but injections can damage the circulatory system, while ingestion can damage the digestive
system, etc.
If someone is only going to need a small amount of cannabis over a short period of time
– as is the case with most cancer patients, there is virtually no risk, which cannot
be said of other means of administration.
Even with long-term use, the risk is dose related and comparatively low, with even
larger amounts. Certainly better ways should be found, but this is just being overly
politically fastidious. Doctors made more sense when they were all tobacco addicts.)
See
Why would anyone want to
smoke a medicine? Isn't smoking per se bad for you?
Supported