Prevention is better than cure.

With this pandemic virus about, we hear and read a lot about preventative medicine (vaccine) and preventative measures (stay at home, wash hands, social distancing, face masks, PPE, even stay alert).

So, whether we have a vaccine or not, whether or not we would take one, it is clear that prevention is better than cure, especially as there is no cure.

Preventative medicines and preventative measures are good.  Prevention is better than cure.

There is one unpleasant thing is the lives of the vast majority of people and that is stress.

Stress causes our human system to become excessively acidic.

An acid system can and does cause all sort of problems and ailments. From digestive problems such as acidosis to gastric ulcers. From arthritis to cancers. From skin problems to wrinkles!

Then of course there are social problems, such as domestic violence which has increased during these periods of stay at home and isolation, lack or real social interaction and boredom; before and after this we saw and probably will see again, violence on the streets and in our pubs - fuelled by alcohol but caused by stress. Everything from absenteeism at work to suicide and premature death, starts with stress.

So we search for cures for stress when maybe we should be searching for prevention.

There are options available - recreation, sports, relaxing in the sun, yoga and meditation - and maybe they work for some - but stress is more common, still, than Covid 19, and of course the worry of Covid 19 causes even more stress.

So what if there were plants and foods that we could consume to relieve stress, and even better, if we could grow our own. One would think that a government that was concerned with our health would encourage it, especially if the scientific evidence concludes that for the very vast majority of people it is remarkably safe!

But instead, for decades now, the have banned it, threatening to arrest, criminalise, fine and even imprison people for growing or possessing it at home for their own use, with considerably harsher penalties threatened upon those that supply others, whether for profit or not; unless of course it is big industry owned by politicians or their spouses, such as shareholders in businesses such as British Sugar Corporation and GW Pharmaceuticals, that want control over such a profitable plant.

By now most that read this know which plant I am talking about as it is hardly new.

Cannabis of course. One of the most beneficial, efficacious, safe and easy to grow plants of earth, that not only eases stress when consumed but is also a valuable and ecologically friendly source of fibre for everything from building to clothing, from paper to plywood, also a safe and pollution-free source of biofuels for homes, cars and even planes.

So why is the production and supply limited to these big companies in the UK? Why does the Government continue to deny or ignore these beneficial uses?

Certainly it is not to protect us.