Cannabis and the Misuse of Drugs Act
The inclusion of
cannabis in the Misuse of Drugs Act raises several questions:
First
consider cannabis itself.
Cannabis itself is neither legal
nor illegal. It is human activities that are prohibited, limited or
licensed, not the substance itself. That is the possession,
cultivation and supply, by certain people. Universities,
pharmaceutical companies, research establishment and indeed some
farmers are permitted under license to cultivate cannabis for
specific reasons; police, forensic scientists, court officials and
other authorities are permitted to possess in or pass it to others
(supply) as part of their jobs.
Legislation was created by
Parliament and can be changed by Parliament. Its application is a
matter of policy and is often left to the discretion of the police
which varies around the country. Prosecution is at the discretion of
the Crown Prosecution Service and the Courts. The matter of “guilt”in the trial of supposed or alleged offender is a matter for magistrates, juries
and judges
Cannabis is a natural plant, not a substance
manufactured rf synthesized in a laboratory or even a kitchen, like
most substances included in the Misuse of Drugs Act. It grows
naturally, with or without help from humans (cultivation) – it will
grow almost anywhere. It exists in nature and existed before human
beings. It is not a narcotic, a stimulant (although it may increase
drowsiness or stimulate, depending on the circumstances) or cause
hallucinations (different to illusions) . It is non-lethal – that
is there is no amount possible to consume that will cause death. It
is far safer than most plants that grow in our parks and gardens or
even in the wild.
Let is consider the term “misuse”.
It is different from “muse” and “abuse”.
misuse
verb
use (something) in the wrong way
or for the wrong purpose.
"he was found guilty of misusing
public funds"
Similar:
put to wrong use, misapply, misemploy,
Noun
the wrong or improper use of
something.
EG: "drugs of such potency that their misuse can have dire
consequences"
So we may ask: what is the “purpose”
of cannabis? With most manufactured substances and articles that
would mean why was it made? With plants we must ask why did nature
or God produce it and for what reason does man cultivate or possess
it. Of course the first question is largely a matter of philosophy or
beliefs. The second question is a matter for the person (or persons)
cultivating, possessing and using the plant.
Cannabis has
been around humans and used by humans for many thousands of years.
It was once a common plant used by almost everyone, commonly called,
in English, Hemp..
In the work Culpeper’s Complete
Herbal of 1652, it was written:
HEMP
This is so well known to every good
housewife in the country, that I shall not need to write any
description of it.
Time. It is sown in
the very end of March, or beginning of April, and is ripe in August
or September.
Government and virtues.
It is a plant of Saturn, and good for something else, you see, than
to make halters only. The seed of Hemp consumes wind, and by too much
use thereof disperses it so much that it dries up the natural seed
for procreation; yet, being boiled in milk and taken, helps such as
have a hot dry cough. The Dutch make an emulsion out of the seed, and
give it with good success to those that have the jaundice, especially
in the beginning of the disease, if there be no ague accompanying it,
for it opens obstructions of the gall, and causes digestion of
choler. The emulsion or decoction of the seed stays lasks and
continual fluxes, eases the cholic, and allays the troublesome
humours in the bowels, and stays bleeding at the mouth, nose, or
other places, some of the leaves, being fried with the blood of them
that bleed, and so given them to eat. It is held very good to kill
the worms in men or beasts; and the juice dropped into the ears kills
worms in them; and draws forth earwigs, or other living creatures
gotten into them. The decoction of the root allays inflammations of
the head, or any other parts: the herb itself, or the distilled water
thereof doth the like. The decoction of the root eases the pains of
the gout, the hard humours of knots in the joints, the pains and
shrinking of the sinews, and the pains of the hips. The fresh juice
mixed with a little oil and butter, is good for any place that hath
been burnt with fire, being thereto applied.
Nowadays, around the world,
cannabis is widely accepted to have many medicinal uses; that is
cannabis with or without large THC: CBD ratios. Those medicinal
uses include the amelioration of many aches and pains caused by mild
or serious illnesses and injuries, reduction or cessation of muscular
spasms and epileptic fits, reduction of intraocular pressures that
cause glaucoma, easing
breathing in asthma sufferers, aiding
sleep and boosting appetite, counteracting the negative effects of
chemotherapy and not least reduction of stress, one of the biggest
causes of illness, absenteeism, violence and premature death. It is
used to treat mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and
psychosis (especially CBD extracts). Cannabis is also claimed, with
mounting evidence, to cure cancers and tumours. Cannabis is widely
used to boost inspiration and creativity by artists and musicians; to
enable and improve socialisation. It
is used simply for fun, recreation or to created good feelings and
moods.
Cannabis is now cultivated by Pharmaceutical
companies such as GW Pharmaceuticals who produce Sativex sprays
supplied to sufferers of, for instance, Multiple Sclerosis: Sativex is a
full cannabis extract in alcohol with an added peppermint flavour; in
The Netherlands it is prescribed by doctors in herbal form,
granulated and standardised and produced by Bedrocan. The supply of
cannabis medicinal products on prescription was “legalised” in
the UK just a couple of years ago. In fact, the UK is one of the
largest exporters of cannabis for “medicinal purposes” cultivated
by British Sugar Corporation (BSC). Incidentally, whilst the sick
and healthy are daily raided by police and dragged through the courts,
the spouses of MP’s such as Theresa May (ex-Prime Minister) and
Victoria Atkins (Drugs Minister) are major investors in GW and
BSC.
But the use of cannabis do not stop there. It
includes its use as a sacrament in many religions and beliefs, their
practices, rites and rituals, including
Rastafarianism, Coptic Christianity, Hinduism and Jainism, Sufism,
Buddhism and many new age religious movements.
Cannabis
and Hemp (cannabis with low THC content) has many industrial uses as
a source of fibre and fuel. It can be used to make fuel capable of
running our homes, our cars and even our planes. It can be and is
used in the production of paper, building materials such as bricks
and shelving, furniture, plastics, canvas for sails and artist's
paintings, clothing, oils for lubrication or for paints etc, The list
is almost endless.
The seed fro m the cannabis plant is
one of the most nutritious seeds on earth:
The
Nutritional Contents of Cannabis Seeds and Their Health Benefits
There is no real nutritional difference between hemp seeds and
cannabis seeds, even if the latter ends up growing into a plant that
contains high amounts of THC.
This is because cannabinoids such as THC, the compound known
for its psychoactive properties, do not exist in the seed. These
compounds are only present in the stem, stalk, l eaves and flower of
the plant itself.
The same applies to other cannabinoids such as the popular
CBD, as well as flavonoids, terpenes, etc. This is why cannabis
seeds on their own aren’t used for therapeutic purposes. But what
they lack in that department, they make up for in nutritional
contents and general health benefits.
The nutrition contained in a cannabis seed is quite frankly
incredible. Starting with protein, cannabis seeds provide a complete
source of the nutrient as they contain all nine essential
amino acids. Since your body cannot produce these nine acids, it
needs to obtain them from external sources. Very few plants are
complete sources like cannabis seeds.
On the outer shell of a cannabis seed, you’ll find most of
its firer contents. Around 35% of a cannabis seed is composed of
essential fatty acids, including omega 3,6,9 and GLA.
As if that wasn’t enough, cannabis seeds also contain iron,
copper, potassium, zinc, magnesium, folic acid, manganese, vitamin E
and a number of B vitamins, including riboflavin, folate, thiamine
and vitamin B6. Furthermore, cannabis seeds are highly digestible.
You can eat them cooked, raw, shelled, unshelled… the sky’s the
limit.
Taken from
https://www.medsnews.com/health/nutritional-contents-of-cannabis-seeds/
This article could be expanded to
many pages to show the many uses of cannabis. For further reference
please see:
https://ccguide.org/uses.php
https://ccguide.org/seeduses.php
https://ccguide.org/industry.php
https://ccguide.org/forfuel.php
I think it is safe to conclude that
CANNABIS HAS VERY MANY USES, both on an individual and industrial
level.
So to return to the original issue: what is the
“Misuse” of cannabis? How is it used for reasons other than for
intentional beneficial use? What are the misuses? To get high? To
feel good? To harm others?
To me it us abundantly clear
that the inclusion of cannabis as a scheduled classified substance of
misuse in the Misuse of Drugs Act and the prohibition that goes along
with that, its origins and application, are at best erroneous and
smells of corruption, infringes upon Rights to a Private Life and the
Choice and Practice of Belief (and other Articles), nationally and
internationally, wrongly favouring big industry over the individual,
unjustifiably flying in the face of evidence and fact, and
CANNABIS
SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE ACT WITHOUT DELAY.
