cannabisnews.com: BMA Rejects Legalisation of Cannabis!





BMA Rejects Legalisation of Cannabis!
Posted by FoM on July 07, 1999 at 08:27:06 PT
Source: BBC
A call for cannabis to be legalised for medical use has been narrowly rejected by the British Medical Association (BMA).
Representatives at the annual BMA conference in Belfast also threw out a motion calling for the drug to be decriminalised for recreational use - by a huge majority. BBC Scotland's Colin MacKinnon reports The motion on medical use, tabled by the Scottish Regional Public Health Committee, failed by just nine votes after a heated debate on the benefits of the drug. Last year, the conference voted for trials into the possible medicinal benefits of cannabis. These are set to begin in October. Some patients suffering from conditions such as multiple sclerosis and arthritis have said the drug has relieved their pain. 'Blanket prohibition' Dr Stephen Kisely, who proposed the motion, said: "We are not proposing that the corner shop should be able to sell marijuana to anyone who comes through the door, but neither are we promoting the blanket prohibition which is in place at the moment. Prosecutions "destroy livlihoods" "The legal effects of cannabis are far worse than the medical and psychological effects. "People who are prosecuted for possession of cannabis may have their livelihoods destroyed for the use of a compound which has less adverse consequences than alcohol and tobacco. "The BMA should stand up and act to help its patients. Making them criminals does not help them." But Dr Joan Richards said trials on the medical benefits should be conducted before the BMA made calls for legalisation. "We do not know enough about the possible benefits yet. We should wait for the evidence," she said. 'Chaos' warning Dr Frank Wells added: "I have spent a lifetime combatting the tobacco industry. I have also seen the effects of alcohol. "If we pass a motion like this we are going to cause chaos." Dr Vasco Fernandes, a public health doctor in Oxford, said cannabis was a "gateway drug". "The reason why much of the youth of today use cannabis is because it's illegal - it's a risk thing. "Legalise cannabis and you will move them onto harder drugs, especially heroin." Edward Tierney, a GP in Rochdale, said voting for the decriminalisation of cannabis for recreational use would send out a confusing message to the public. He said it would conflict with an earlier motion calling for a ban on smoking in public places. "We know cannabis is the most widely used recreational drug, we know that it is usually smoked in a joint," he said. "What in the name of God are we doing? Last year we voted for more scientific research and now we're asking for recreational use? We must be mad." Chairman of the BMA Dr Ian Bogle said: "I think we should reject this motion. "We have spent many years discussing how to get the public off cigarettes. We do not want to spend the next 20 years talking about how to get the public off cannabis." Last year, the House of Lords science and technology committee backed the use of cannabinoids - chemicals in cannabis - for medicinal purposes.July 07, 1999 Doctors Vote Against Legal Cannabis As Medicinehttp://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread1934.shtml
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