This is my view on the present UK cannabis campaign and activities
Within the UK:
It
seems that WTU is struggling to raise the funds to bring the legal
action against the government that Phil Monk intended and is
otherwise lacking direction - for that legal action hundreds of
thousands of pounds will be needed and WTU has about ten grand, we
are told. Also waiting to see the outcome of Outlaw's Judicial Review
as he has the funds and a legal team. WTU has had problems with FB
taking down their group - twice, and accusations of misappropriation
of funds due to lack of transparency in accounting and then the
volunteer accountant resigned due to the very same accusations they
were meant to dispel. WTU has amassed evidence to support their case
which is now available through Amazon in the book The Fight for
Rights and Freedom of Choice, Phil Monk is not in the best of health
either. Support had dropped off, there is a forum but it so far is
not being used much.
SOF have been producing reports and
considering a Judicial Review on the way in which driving impairment
charges are based upon blood samples rather than driving ability -
again funds are needed.
Personally I would like to see
WTU and SOF combine as WTU is also so dependent on Phil's health and
availability which is not so good, and rather than splitting the
energy maybe that would make better focus.
As you say,
not a lot of activity from UKCSC which was in any case largely based
on picnics in parks which were put on hold due to Covid restrictions,
and a long way from the transparent members-only collective growing
of the original Spanish and Belgian Cannabis Social Clubs.
NORML
UK does not seem to be active either.
The cannabis
political party in the UK idea does not seem very popular since the
days of LCA, despite CLEAR and CISTA. Personally I believe a
political party did give campaigners a platform and attract
press.
Also there seems to be very little effort put into
"Letters to the Editor" which in my opinion can be one of
the most cost effective means of campaigning and getting the message
out there. But it takes consistent effort. And few groups seem
capable of issuing regular Press Releases.
There is also
the GYO campaign and the Human Rights campaign.
Again IMO
the human Rights campaign which basically accuses the Government of
Crime and regards the people in court as mostly victims of misuse of
power and wrong application of law and covers private and religious /
belief activities that pose no threat to the public or public health,
would cover GYO for own use and social sharing.
In the UK
there were several attempt to get court cases dropped, noticeably
Lezley and Mark Gibson - their case was dropped on the understanding
that they stopped growing and accessed their medicine through private
prescription. Tony Bevington had similar conditions put on him to
avoid prosecution.
In the UK the cancard incentive - a
card that people that use cannabis for medicinal reasons and costs
£30 and an annual fee can be presented to police and seems, as they
report, to have had some success in avoiding prosecution and
confiscation for cannabis being carried on the street in small
amounts - they say they are trying to expand it to give some form of
immunity to people growing their own for their own medicinal reasons.
Cancard also has some opposition from other groups and campaigners
that feel it is limited and avoids the real issues, also somebody
seems to be makinga lot of money.
Meanwhile we are hearing
a lot about CBD and even TV and magazines are full of advertising for
it.
