cannabisnews.com: Bid To Legalise Cannabis As Medicine Blocked!





Bid To Legalise Cannabis As Medicine Blocked!
Posted by FoM on July 23, 1999 at 20:52:10 PT
July 23, 1999
Source: This Is London
A bid to allow cannabis to be prescribed as a medicine was blocked by the Government in the Commons today. 
A shout of "object" by Government Whip Jim Dowd was enough to kill-off the Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill, piloted by former chemist Labour's Paul Flynn (Newport W) without debate or a vote. This comes a day after a man who set up a cooperative to supply the drug was cleared by a jury in the first case of its kind. Colin Davies, 42, who started growing cannabis in his council flat after suffering severe spinal injuries, was acquitted at Manchester Crown Court of a charge of cultivating, possessing and supplying the drug. The court was told Mr Davies, of Brinnington, Stockport, formed the Medical Marijuana Cooperative with the aim of helping sufferers of serious and terminal illnesses. But earlier this week the Prime Minister dismissed a plea for a law change by Mr Flynn. He asked Mr Blair at question time if he felt patients who suffered from Multiple Sclerosis, the side-effects of chemotherapy or from other chronic pain should be prosecuted and jailed for using medicinal cannabis. Mr Blair replied: "The same regime applies to those people as to any others. Of course, penalties are a matter for the courts. They will take into account, no doubt, all the circumstances surrounding that. "I really can't comment on that further than to say to you that I don't believe it would be right to change the law in relation to cannabis." In debate on his Bill earlier this year, Mr Flynn - who himself suffers from severe arthritis - said cannabis was prescribed until 1973 "without difficulty" while heroin and cocaine could even now legally be prescribed by doctors. Under his measure, doctors would be allowed to prescribe cannabis but would have to name the people who would get it and the amount.Today Mr Flynn moved his Bill in the name of "compassion and common sense". © Associated Newspapers Ltd., 23 July 1999Terms and ConditionsThis Is LondonSufferer Cleared for Using Cannabis - 7/22/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread2159.shtml
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