THC Club: Cannabis Users Guide

USEING MEDICAL CANNABIS

Introduction

Despite protestations from the government that ‘more research is required’, people have known about the medical properties of Cannabis for thousands of years, and a massive amount of knowledge exists for anyone wishing to find it and use it.

The Chinese, Indian (Ayurvedic) and Tibetan literature on the subject goes back to at least the 10th Century. In China as early as 2737 BC it was used by herbalists in the court of Emperor Shen. The Tibetans call it ‘Sman-mchog rgyal-po’ which translates as ‘King of the best of medicines’. In Ayurveda it is called ‘Harikaki’ and described as being ‘useful to human beings like a mother’; “At times even a mother becomes angry but ‘Haritaki’ never causes any harm to a person who takes it”.

Between 1840 and 1900 more than 100 papers were published in the western medical literature recommending cannabis for various illnesses and discomforts. More recently in 2000 a survey of 1000 British doctors found that 8 out of 10 said they would prescribe cannabis if they were allowed to (Medix Survey 2000).

Public opinion has been virtually unanimous on the subject. After the House of Lords Report recommending the legalisation of medical cannabis (1998) one opinion poll found 86% opposed to the Governments refusal to act; another found 92% supporting the Lords. Yet the use of cannabis is still illegal in Britain and almost every country in the world. How can any civilised society do this, and deny the sick such a useful medicine? We use opium based medicines so why not cannabis, which is not addictive? It is not even possible to take a lethal dose of cannabis.

Meanwhile misprescribed or overprescribed 'legal' medicines are responsible for at least 100,000 deaths each year in the US alone ('Worst Pills Best Pills' (2005 edition) by Dr. Sidney Wolfe).

One thing is for sure; the worldwide prohibition of medical cannabis is one of the most aggressive and extreme examples of a general campaign against herbal medicine in general, openly backed by the drug companies. They operate massive and constant lobbying operations at the highest levels. Their pharmaceutical grip on the planet is threatened by the reemergence of very useful medical herbs like cannabis, especially if such herbs were to be freely available in an open market which they would not control.

Ironically these same companies are in fact the largest growers of herbs; they need them for their products to work. While

Credit where credit due

However to give credit where credit is due, the current 'New Labour' government has virtually for filled all of it's promises on medical cannabis; the only item left on the list is to go down in history by legalising the use of medical cannabis in Britain.

Apart from it's failure so far to do this simple task, 'New Labour' has one of the most progressive policies towards medical cannabis of any government on the planet, although of course this is not a very difficult thing to do. It has granted a unique licence to GW Pharmaceuticals, a public listed company (PLC) whose shares (in cannabis) are for sale on the London stock exchange (currently languishing at just over half their launch value). The licence allows GW Pharmaceuticals to grow sizeable amounts of cannabis in a big green house surrounded by a lot of security 'somewhere in Britain'. The licence has also allowed GW to do human trials on medical preparations of cannabis which have been very successful.

Medical Cannabis - in Blair's Britain, if you need it, you can use it now, just don't go on about it to the press.

Meanwhile, to avoid a massive 'medical cannabis campaign' for sick people wanting to use cannabis now, the 'New Labour' policy seems to be to avoid prosecutions as much as possible, and medical cannabis 'show trials' at all costs, at least until such time as medically acceptable preparations can be brought to market. With cannabis now down graded to 'Class C', virtually decriminalising possession, the genuine medical cannabis user has very little to fear in Blair's Britain, unlike Brunei where possession of 500gm carries the death penalty. However if you insist on going to the press then the police will be reluctantly forced to give you a visit.

The Herb - available now

Currently the government is holding back further action on the medical use of cannabis until sprays and patches can be produced for sale. In some cases these products will be an improvement and they will finally offer users quality control and proper labeling which in 'Class C' Britain is still unavailable for cannabis.

However in many cases the traditional herbalist ' methods of taking cannabis for medical reasons, using the natural herb, are both preferable and more practical. They are available now, there is a wealth of information on methods of use, and beneficial results are achievable at far less cost. Most of the current costs of buying cannabis are due to prohibition; if this herb was legal it would be far cheaper, even if you added twice the taxes currently on tobacco.

Britain is now almost self sufficient in the production of 'skunk', and cannabis is readily available on (or just off) every high street in the land. There are however problems due to the lack of quality control, and some of the ‘street’ methods of taking cannabis have potentially serious health dangers (mostly a by product of prohibition). There is a need for better, and more trustworthy 'harm reduction' information even among many experienced users. This guide tries to redress that balance with chapters on the 'Safe Use of Cannabis' and 'Methods of Using Medical Cannabis' which may also be of interest to recreational users.

A huge amount of research into the beneficial uses of cannabis remains to be done, but the jury is not 'out' anymore on cannabis; the truth is plain, cannabis is an unusually useful medical herb, and only ignorance will prevent its beneficial use.

All you have to do is ... act naturally

All the government has to do now is legalise the use and supply of medical cannabis. All anyone who wants to use cannabis now for medical reasons has to do is; check it out, make sure they know how to use it, get some, and use it.

Medical Uses of Cannabis >

Cannabis Users Guide: Medical Cannabis - Medical Uses of Cannabis - Hemp & Nutrition - Cannabis Safety Research - Safe Use of Cannabis - Test Yourself For Cannabis Abuse - Methods of Using Medical Cannabis - Recipes - Medical Cannabis Books -