cannabisnews.com: Medicinal Cannabis Set To Be Legalised Medicinal Cannabis Set To Be Legalised Posted by FoM on October 23, 2001 at 11:05:01 PT Breaking News Source: BBC News Campaigners have welcomed the Home Secretary's announcement that cannabis may be legalised for medicinal use. David Blunkett said that if current clinical trials are successful the law will be changed to allow the use of cannabis-based prescription drugs. The drug would be used to combat conditions such as multiple sclerosis and arthritis. Supporters of the drug claim it has wide-ranging benefits, but opponents of legalisation say it is a potentially dangerous substance that can actually damage health. There is scientific evidence to suggest that cannabis may be useful in treating a wide range of conditions. And wide-scale trials testing the safety and efficacy of cannabis extracts are currently underway in the UK and elsewhere. Cannabis is an antiemetic, a drug that relieves nausea and allows patients to eat and live normally. Extracts also seem to benefit patients suffering from multiple sclerosis, stopping muscle spasms, and reducing tremors. Change Welcomed Dr John Zajicek, of Derriford Hospital in Plymouth is leading a team responsible for clinical trials into the medical effectiveness of cannabis on MS. The research involves 30 centres around the UK and has already signed up 275 patients. It hopes to have 660 by next year, and results are expected in 2003. Dr Zajicek said: "I very much welcome any potential change to the law, providing the results of the clinical trials are positive. "Some patients have already reported an improvement in pain but it is too early to draw any conclusions." He added: "If we are to provide the evidence that the drug is useful in alleviating pain in MS then there has to be a way of getting the drug to those patients. "Changes in the classification of cannabis would help for that to be achieved and that is a good thing." Choice Chris Jones, chief executive of the MS Research Trust told BBC News Online legalisation would be "brilliant news" for MS sufferers. She said it could be some time before results of the UK trials currently underway were available. But she said initial results from a study into using cannabis to treat bladder problems had been successful. "If cannabis-based drugs were available, people would have the choice and it wouldn't be muddied by the legal worries", she said. "It would mean people would be able to choose whether they wanted to take it or not. "We have been saying for a long time that we know people are finding benefits from cannabis." But she said many sufferers, or their children, were forced to break the law in order to obtain the drug and find relief from their symptoms. GW Pharmaceuticals is testing the impact of cannabis on MS under government licence. Managing director Justin Gover told BBC News Online: "We remain confident that we will be able to present data to the Medicines Control Agency in 2003 with a view to bringing to market a non-smoked cannabis-based medication for the relief of pain, spasticity and other symptoms of MS in early 2004." Arthritis A spokeswoman for the Arthritis Research Campaign (ARC) welcomed Mr Blunkett's announcement. She said: "We think people who use cannabis to relieve the pain of arthritis should be able to do so." The ARC is backing research at the Kennedy Institute in London which looks at using a cannabinoid, an extract of cannabis, to treat arthritis. But the British Lung Foundation warned making cannabis a Class C drug could lead to more people developing smoking-related diseases. It called for health campaigns to be run alongside the declassification, like those run to warn of the dangers of smoking cigarettes. And Professor John Henry of St Mary's Hospital, London said: "Cannabis is a harmful drug. It can affect people's ability to manage their lives, it certainly affects people's memory and in the long term, we don't know, but it will probably cause lung cancer to the same degree that cigarettes do." "But it will probably. If cannabis-based drugs were available, people would have the choice and it wouldn't be muddied by the legal worries -- Chris Jones, MS Research Trust If we are to provide the evidence that the drug is useful in alleviating pain in MS then there has to be a way of getting the drug to those patients -- Dr John Zajicek, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth Note: Cannabis has been shown to help ease the symptoms of some illnesses.Related Article: How Drugs Are Classified Note: The classification of cannabis is to change.Cannabis is set to be reclassified from a Class B to a Class C drug. BBC News Online looks at drug classification laws in the UK. In the UK, illegal drugs are classified into three main categories. They can be Class A, B or C, with A attracting the most serious punishments and fines. Drugs are classified under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Drugs such as heroin, methadone, cocaine, crack and Ecstasy fall into Class A. Conviction for possession, in a Crown Court, can lead to a maximum seven year prison sentence and a fine. The maximum penalty for trafficking is life imprisonment plus a fine. Class B drugs include amphetamines (speed), cannabis and barbiturates. The maximum penalty for possession, if the case reaches Crown Court, is five years, plus a fine. For trafficking, the sentence can be up to 14 years, plus a fine. Last year, the Runciman inquiry called for cannabis to be downgraded to a Class C drug. Class C, the lowest class of drugs, includes mild amphetamines (such as slimming tablets) and Anabolic Steroids. Tranquillisers such as Temazepam and Valium are also categorised as Class C drugs. It is illegal to give or sell them to other people for non-medical use. Maximum sentences are two years for possession and five years for trafficking. Under the change expected to be announced today by the Home Secretary, possession of cannabis would remain a criminal offence and would still carry the maximum sentences for Class C drugs. But if a person was stopped by the police and found to have cannabis on them, they could be given a warning, a caution or a summons to court. Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, it is an offence: * to unlawfully possess a controlled drug* to possess a controlled drug with intent to supply it* to unlawfully supply (sell/give/share) a controlled drug* to allow premises you occupy or manage to be used for the smoking or use of drugsSource: BBC News (UK Web)Published: Tuesday, October 23, 2001Copyright: 2001 BBC Website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/ Contact: http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/talking_point/Related Articles & Web Sites:UK Medicinal Cannabis Projecthttp://www.medicinal-cannabis.org/Medical Marijuana Information Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/medical.htmCannabis Laws Set To Be Easedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11149.shtmlLabour MP To Call for Cannabis Legalisation http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10344.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #2 posted by bruce42 on October 23, 2001 at 13:38:23 PT lol, that was good! I really get tired of that gateway drug crap.here's a good old fashioned pessimist:"...And Professor John Henry of St Mary's Hospital, London said: "Cannabis is a harmful drug. It can affect people's ability to manage their lives, it certainly affects people's memory and in the long term, we don't know, but it will probably cause lung cancer to the same degree that cigarettes do."..."Well. Hmmm. Lung cancer to the same degree as cigs, huh? I wonder where this guy was when big tobacco got hauled to court for those big class action lawsuits. Tobacco causes cancer cause A: it contains radioactive chemicals (polonium; from fertilizer and radon gas) and B: you SMOKE it along with buring paper (which is probably worse than the tobacco). It's not healthy to breathe smoke. Duh. But, no one said you had to burn the MJ. You can eat it, drink it, or just use a vaporizer. And as for memory? weren't there a couple of recent studies showing that memory effects are NOT permanent? This guy needs to sit down and shut up. He needs to read a little more and whine a lot less. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on October 23, 2001 at 11:17:46 PT: What? No squeals from Officer Boot? No obligatory interview with a dull-eyed, sawdust-craniumed lout who monotonally repeats time-worn drivel like "Marijuana is a gateway - a gateway - a gateway(grabbing 2X4, slapping bullet-shaped head with it; WHACK!)-a gateway drug!" ?Ah, progress! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment