Cannabis Change "Crazy" Say Lib-Dems - Doctors agr
Posted: Tue 4th Nov 2008 11:51 pm
Liberal Democrats' home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said recently it was "crazy" to ignore the government's scientific advisers by raising the maximum prison sentence for cannabis possession to five years.
"Cannabis use is falling," said Mr Huhne, "as is the incidence of psychosis". "We need public education, not public flagellation."
It was May 2008 that Home Secretary Jacqui smith announced to the world that she intended to reclassify cannabis back to a class B drug.
If cannabis plays a part in your life a vote for the Liberal-Democrats is the only sane choice
The British Cannabis Lobby is campaigning to hi-light the injustices of the governments irrational war on cannabis and cannabis users. Join us and add your voice, and your vote to the quest for science based policies regarding cannabis.
Smith, herself a self-confessed cannabis smoker in the past, told the House of Commons that she had to take into consideration public perceptions and the pressures on policing as well as the advice of the advisory council.
Ms Smith continued by saying, "There is a compelling case to act now rather than risk the future health of young people". "Where there is a clear and serious problem, but doubt about the harm that will be caused, we must err on the side of caution and protect the public. I make no apology for that. I am not prepared to 'wait and see'."
But the governments thinly veiled efforts at keeping cannabis outlawed on the back of supposed mental health issues have been exposed as being little to do with public health, and everything to do with a totally different agenda.
According to one doctor in the United States the reasons Jacqui Smith cites for keeping cannabis outlawed are "invalid".
Doctor Phillip Leveque
Doctor Phillip Leveque from Oregon, who has spent his life as a combat infantryman, a toxicologist as well as a practising physician, has for many years specialised in the treatment of PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in returning war veterans.
He recently told Oregonian news website Salem-News.Com ,
Dr Phil Leveque
"The Merck Manual indicates 20 percent of women and 12 percent of men will suffer clinical depression. This is a rather depressing world we’re living in."
"Antidepressant drugs are among the most prescribed medications but their adverse side effects can often be paradoxically lethal with suicide being prominent."
But hang on a moment. According to our Prime Minister Gordon Brown, cannabis is lethal, isn't it?
Not according to Doctor leveque it isn't.
He continues, "I have a surprise for some people. The U.S. Govt says cannabis as an alleged drug causes euphoria (a medical condition) which surprise surprise causes "euphoria", (a side effect), which in itself, is addicting."
"Imagine," continues Dr Leveque. "A very safe replacement for amphetamine, once the most prescribed and addicting mood stimulants, (think "Ritalin") being replaced with cannabis?" As it already is in many parts of the US, in the treatment of children with ADHD/ADD , Autism and Aspergers syndrome.
"The U.S. Govt estimates that as a nation they have about 70 million cannabis users. I have medically interviewed at least 4000 of them. Almost all were long time users. None complained of adverse euphoria."
"With 70 million cannabis users to choose from its fair to assume many veterans are using cannabis. Alternately many are alcoholics or tobacco addicts. Both of these recreational drugs cause hundreds of thousands of deaths.
Cannabis on the other hand, has never killed anybody and in summing up Dr Leveque is quite specific when he says "Yes, cannabis will alleviate depression", which is a direct contradiction to what our government tells us.
United Kingdom not so "united"
The United Kingdom boasts around 4 million cannabis users at a Conservative estimate, which is a huge amount of people, but when stacked against the United States it turns into quite a modest 'control' group.
If what our government says is correct, and cannabis is the trigger for all sorts of mental health issues, shouldn't one of Barack Obama's first duties as President of the United States be to implement a wholesale program of building mental health institutions to cope with the epidemic?
Seriously, think about it for a moment.
Perhaps the word "Lies" is a little strong, but certainly it would seem the government are a way off base with their claims of doom and gloom. And its not only Doctor Leveque who thinks the same way.
Dr. Robert J. Melamede is a Ph.D. as well as being Chairman of the Biology Department of the University of Colorado.
Dr Melamede has dedicated his life to studying the effects of cannabis (as well as the body's naturally occuring version of cannabis - called Anandamide) on the human body and what he has discovered over the last decade or more, casts even more doubt on the British governments theories regarding cannabis, as well as providing more "motive" for a government to wish to keep the much-maligned cannabis plant out of the publics hands.
Take the case of Mr Frederick Turner.
Frederick Robert Turner was 67 years of age and living on a state pension of under £100 per week when he was caught growing 6 cannabis plants at his South London home.
He was forced to endure a trip to court and was fined £70 and given a twelve month conditional discharge in a court case which doubtless cost the British tax payer literally tens of thousands of pounds.
In his defense Mr Turner explained to the courts he suffered with high blood pressure as well as chronic rheumatoid athritis, and he said using cannabis gave him relief from the painfully inflamed joints which are a common symptom of RA.
Doctor Melamede explains why cannabis is so effective at dealing with the symptoms of rheumatoid athritis, which is one of a host of medical conditions which come under the heading of "autoimmune" disease's.
Immunity
Protecting and preserving your health is exactly what your immune system is designed to do. Your immune system is a complex network of organs, glands, and special cells that encompass your entire body. Its purpose is to guard you against invaders that can harm you or compromise your body's ability to function in a healthy way.
When your immune system is operating optimally-when all its components are healthy and alert, it can effectively fight off many different types of enemies, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi, and the harmful effects of stress. Like a well-placed kick to an attacker, the immune system fights back . . . and you win.
Free Radicals
Unfortunately, there are many millions of individuals whose immune systems do not respond normally to an attack. Instead of attacking foreign invaders with antibodies - substances produced by the immune system to fight invaders - the immune system components attack the body's own healthy cells. Perhaps bones, joints, blood, brain, nerves, or other body parts, as if they were the enemy.
When the immune system reacts in this way, it is producing auto-antibodies - substances that attack healthy cells instead of foreign invaders. This situation is known as an autoimmune response brought about by highly aggressive molecules called "free radicals".
Because the natural order of the universe leans toward "balance", and free radicals are unbalanced molecules, they constantly steal electrons from other molecules, which in turn creates more free radicals. Unfortunately, our environment is increasingly becoming tainted with free radicals because of environmental toxins, such as pesticides, radiation, household chemicals, viruses, secondhand smoke, toxic waste, food additives, alcohol, and yes, drugs.
The damage that free radicals cause is called oxidation. Such damage can be avoided or reduced if the body produces or takes in enough protective molecules called antioxidants. But there is another form of defense and its a defense the British government dont you to know about.
In the case of most autoimmune diseases, the bodies immune cells produces free radicals & is essentially destroying it's own body as a foreign object. Cannabis pushes the immune system into anti-inflammatory mode & helps slow the progression of that disease, thereby slowing down the aging process. By being alive and breathing air our bodies produce "free radicals". Cannabinoids in cannabis help to reverse this action.
But the government would prefer you to take steroid based treatments manufactured by the pharmaceutical industry, naturally, as for every tablet you take they get a piece of the pie.
For some, finding out the benefits of using cannabis to fight auto-immune diseases comes too late and in the case of a pensioner from Pembrokeshire in West Wales, the "prescribed" treatment for his condition (also rheumatoid athritis) did indeed come too late.
Mr John Thompson
20 years ago aged 45 John Thompson was employed in the building boom which was taking place in London. The Tories were in power and the British economy was approaching the "bust" period of the boom & bust economy Margaret Thatcher brought to us as a nation.
Mr Thompson was a carpenter working outdoors all day in the Great British weather. He was a typically "bluf" Liverpool boy who worked hard all week and played hard at the weekend.
Out of the blue he was struck down with rheumatoid athritis and his doctor prescribed a course of steroid-based treatment which he has been forced to take ever since.
A decade ago Mr Thompson heard from a friend about the benefits he had found from using cannabis, to alleviate the painful symptoms of rheumatoid athritis, by taking on and defeating the free radicals mentioned earlier.
By this time John Thompson was off the building sites and was by now a long term sickness benefit claimant, who was not only suffering from rheumatoid athritis, but also with osteoporosis or brittle bones, a direct side-effect of taking steroid based drugs over the long term.
But had Mr Thompson's doctors been able to prescribe cannabis for his condition as they are in the United States, Holland, Spain, Germany and Switzerland, chances are Mr Thompson would today be battling only with his original condition.
As things stand today, in 2008, the osteoporosis is now the greater danger Mr Thompson must deal with on a day to day basis as all it takes is a slip on a muddy or icy pavement, which can result in painful fractures to Mr Thompsons porous arm, leg and hip bones.
British Cannabis Lobby
The cannabis community understands only too well that drugs need to be controlled, which is why the British Cannabis Lobby doesn't campaign for the legalisation of cannabis, or any drugs for that matter. It believes tobacco and alcohol should be categorised a class C substance along with Cannabis, and sold in a controlled and regulated manner.
But while we're trying to "protect" out young people from Jacqui Smith's one woman fight against what is by her own advisory council of experts admission, a "weak link" to possible mental health issues, people like John Thompson and Frederick Turner, old age pensioners who have worked all their lives contributing to putting and keeping the "Great" back in Britain, are being forced into court appearances, and being "punished" with fines which take up the lions share of a weeks living income, and for what?
Because Jacqui Smith decided, unilaterally, this was going to become law?
I think its time someone higher up in the chain of command, (thats you by the way as lets not forget, the Home Secretary, the Prime Minister and uncle Tom cobley and all, work for you the Great British voter), asked the question, "Is this what the 1971 Misuse of Drugs act" was put in place for?
http://pr.cannazine.co.uk/content/view/747/27/
"Cannabis use is falling," said Mr Huhne, "as is the incidence of psychosis". "We need public education, not public flagellation."
It was May 2008 that Home Secretary Jacqui smith announced to the world that she intended to reclassify cannabis back to a class B drug.
If cannabis plays a part in your life a vote for the Liberal-Democrats is the only sane choice
The British Cannabis Lobby is campaigning to hi-light the injustices of the governments irrational war on cannabis and cannabis users. Join us and add your voice, and your vote to the quest for science based policies regarding cannabis.
Smith, herself a self-confessed cannabis smoker in the past, told the House of Commons that she had to take into consideration public perceptions and the pressures on policing as well as the advice of the advisory council.
Ms Smith continued by saying, "There is a compelling case to act now rather than risk the future health of young people". "Where there is a clear and serious problem, but doubt about the harm that will be caused, we must err on the side of caution and protect the public. I make no apology for that. I am not prepared to 'wait and see'."
But the governments thinly veiled efforts at keeping cannabis outlawed on the back of supposed mental health issues have been exposed as being little to do with public health, and everything to do with a totally different agenda.
According to one doctor in the United States the reasons Jacqui Smith cites for keeping cannabis outlawed are "invalid".
Doctor Phillip Leveque
Doctor Phillip Leveque from Oregon, who has spent his life as a combat infantryman, a toxicologist as well as a practising physician, has for many years specialised in the treatment of PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in returning war veterans.
He recently told Oregonian news website Salem-News.Com ,
Dr Phil Leveque
"The Merck Manual indicates 20 percent of women and 12 percent of men will suffer clinical depression. This is a rather depressing world we’re living in."
"Antidepressant drugs are among the most prescribed medications but their adverse side effects can often be paradoxically lethal with suicide being prominent."
But hang on a moment. According to our Prime Minister Gordon Brown, cannabis is lethal, isn't it?
Not according to Doctor leveque it isn't.
He continues, "I have a surprise for some people. The U.S. Govt says cannabis as an alleged drug causes euphoria (a medical condition) which surprise surprise causes "euphoria", (a side effect), which in itself, is addicting."
"Imagine," continues Dr Leveque. "A very safe replacement for amphetamine, once the most prescribed and addicting mood stimulants, (think "Ritalin") being replaced with cannabis?" As it already is in many parts of the US, in the treatment of children with ADHD/ADD , Autism and Aspergers syndrome.
"The U.S. Govt estimates that as a nation they have about 70 million cannabis users. I have medically interviewed at least 4000 of them. Almost all were long time users. None complained of adverse euphoria."
"With 70 million cannabis users to choose from its fair to assume many veterans are using cannabis. Alternately many are alcoholics or tobacco addicts. Both of these recreational drugs cause hundreds of thousands of deaths.
Cannabis on the other hand, has never killed anybody and in summing up Dr Leveque is quite specific when he says "Yes, cannabis will alleviate depression", which is a direct contradiction to what our government tells us.
United Kingdom not so "united"
The United Kingdom boasts around 4 million cannabis users at a Conservative estimate, which is a huge amount of people, but when stacked against the United States it turns into quite a modest 'control' group.
If what our government says is correct, and cannabis is the trigger for all sorts of mental health issues, shouldn't one of Barack Obama's first duties as President of the United States be to implement a wholesale program of building mental health institutions to cope with the epidemic?
Seriously, think about it for a moment.
Perhaps the word "Lies" is a little strong, but certainly it would seem the government are a way off base with their claims of doom and gloom. And its not only Doctor Leveque who thinks the same way.
Dr. Robert J. Melamede is a Ph.D. as well as being Chairman of the Biology Department of the University of Colorado.
Dr Melamede has dedicated his life to studying the effects of cannabis (as well as the body's naturally occuring version of cannabis - called Anandamide) on the human body and what he has discovered over the last decade or more, casts even more doubt on the British governments theories regarding cannabis, as well as providing more "motive" for a government to wish to keep the much-maligned cannabis plant out of the publics hands.
Take the case of Mr Frederick Turner.
Frederick Robert Turner was 67 years of age and living on a state pension of under £100 per week when he was caught growing 6 cannabis plants at his South London home.
He was forced to endure a trip to court and was fined £70 and given a twelve month conditional discharge in a court case which doubtless cost the British tax payer literally tens of thousands of pounds.
In his defense Mr Turner explained to the courts he suffered with high blood pressure as well as chronic rheumatoid athritis, and he said using cannabis gave him relief from the painfully inflamed joints which are a common symptom of RA.
Doctor Melamede explains why cannabis is so effective at dealing with the symptoms of rheumatoid athritis, which is one of a host of medical conditions which come under the heading of "autoimmune" disease's.
Immunity
Protecting and preserving your health is exactly what your immune system is designed to do. Your immune system is a complex network of organs, glands, and special cells that encompass your entire body. Its purpose is to guard you against invaders that can harm you or compromise your body's ability to function in a healthy way.
When your immune system is operating optimally-when all its components are healthy and alert, it can effectively fight off many different types of enemies, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi, and the harmful effects of stress. Like a well-placed kick to an attacker, the immune system fights back . . . and you win.
Free Radicals
Unfortunately, there are many millions of individuals whose immune systems do not respond normally to an attack. Instead of attacking foreign invaders with antibodies - substances produced by the immune system to fight invaders - the immune system components attack the body's own healthy cells. Perhaps bones, joints, blood, brain, nerves, or other body parts, as if they were the enemy.
When the immune system reacts in this way, it is producing auto-antibodies - substances that attack healthy cells instead of foreign invaders. This situation is known as an autoimmune response brought about by highly aggressive molecules called "free radicals".
Because the natural order of the universe leans toward "balance", and free radicals are unbalanced molecules, they constantly steal electrons from other molecules, which in turn creates more free radicals. Unfortunately, our environment is increasingly becoming tainted with free radicals because of environmental toxins, such as pesticides, radiation, household chemicals, viruses, secondhand smoke, toxic waste, food additives, alcohol, and yes, drugs.
The damage that free radicals cause is called oxidation. Such damage can be avoided or reduced if the body produces or takes in enough protective molecules called antioxidants. But there is another form of defense and its a defense the British government dont you to know about.
In the case of most autoimmune diseases, the bodies immune cells produces free radicals & is essentially destroying it's own body as a foreign object. Cannabis pushes the immune system into anti-inflammatory mode & helps slow the progression of that disease, thereby slowing down the aging process. By being alive and breathing air our bodies produce "free radicals". Cannabinoids in cannabis help to reverse this action.
But the government would prefer you to take steroid based treatments manufactured by the pharmaceutical industry, naturally, as for every tablet you take they get a piece of the pie.
For some, finding out the benefits of using cannabis to fight auto-immune diseases comes too late and in the case of a pensioner from Pembrokeshire in West Wales, the "prescribed" treatment for his condition (also rheumatoid athritis) did indeed come too late.
Mr John Thompson
20 years ago aged 45 John Thompson was employed in the building boom which was taking place in London. The Tories were in power and the British economy was approaching the "bust" period of the boom & bust economy Margaret Thatcher brought to us as a nation.
Mr Thompson was a carpenter working outdoors all day in the Great British weather. He was a typically "bluf" Liverpool boy who worked hard all week and played hard at the weekend.
Out of the blue he was struck down with rheumatoid athritis and his doctor prescribed a course of steroid-based treatment which he has been forced to take ever since.
A decade ago Mr Thompson heard from a friend about the benefits he had found from using cannabis, to alleviate the painful symptoms of rheumatoid athritis, by taking on and defeating the free radicals mentioned earlier.
By this time John Thompson was off the building sites and was by now a long term sickness benefit claimant, who was not only suffering from rheumatoid athritis, but also with osteoporosis or brittle bones, a direct side-effect of taking steroid based drugs over the long term.
But had Mr Thompson's doctors been able to prescribe cannabis for his condition as they are in the United States, Holland, Spain, Germany and Switzerland, chances are Mr Thompson would today be battling only with his original condition.
As things stand today, in 2008, the osteoporosis is now the greater danger Mr Thompson must deal with on a day to day basis as all it takes is a slip on a muddy or icy pavement, which can result in painful fractures to Mr Thompsons porous arm, leg and hip bones.
British Cannabis Lobby
The cannabis community understands only too well that drugs need to be controlled, which is why the British Cannabis Lobby doesn't campaign for the legalisation of cannabis, or any drugs for that matter. It believes tobacco and alcohol should be categorised a class C substance along with Cannabis, and sold in a controlled and regulated manner.
But while we're trying to "protect" out young people from Jacqui Smith's one woman fight against what is by her own advisory council of experts admission, a "weak link" to possible mental health issues, people like John Thompson and Frederick Turner, old age pensioners who have worked all their lives contributing to putting and keeping the "Great" back in Britain, are being forced into court appearances, and being "punished" with fines which take up the lions share of a weeks living income, and for what?
Because Jacqui Smith decided, unilaterally, this was going to become law?
I think its time someone higher up in the chain of command, (thats you by the way as lets not forget, the Home Secretary, the Prime Minister and uncle Tom cobley and all, work for you the Great British voter), asked the question, "Is this what the 1971 Misuse of Drugs act" was put in place for?
http://pr.cannazine.co.uk/content/view/747/27/
