High everyone, from the UK to all CD readers! Noddy here with an update of what is going on in the cannabis move- ment this side of the pond. I also better take this opportunity to introduce myself a little bit,as some of you maybe wonder- ing who I am.I am a 42 year old father (pt) from Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, here in the UK in Europe. The city is famous for it’s Castle and also its International Fringe Festival. It’s a festi- val of festivals, which needs a hempfest in there amongst all the other festivals, as there is a festival for everything else. Anyway,I suffer from grand mal epilepsy, as well as having petit mal seizures, which cannabis controls, where conventional medicine never did. I also have physical disabilities, too. I was born with missing digits on my hands and feet (thanks to phat pharma side effects!). I get severe pain in my foot sometimes, due to the bone structure of one of them, but herbal cannabis relieves that pain too, as well as my seizures, along with numerous other beneficial reasons.
I’ve used and been around cannabis for 27 plus years. I stumbled upon the Hempology 101 lectures by Ted Smith, of which I thought the subjects of the lectures and guest speakers on all the dif- ferent topics of cannabis/hemp were in- triguing and fascinating to say the least. I have a Hempology 101 certificate proud- ly on my wall, too, hence the reason I do updates for the CD on this side of our
Global village. That’s enough about me and how I became involved with Hemp- ology 101 and the CD—lets roll on with the update…
Well, here in the UK there has been quit a buzz in all of the cannabis com- munities up and down the country, as the UKCSCs (Cannabis Social Clubs) have taken off like wild fire and have sprung up in nearly ev-
ery area of the Norml UK. NormlUK.org is the spearhead of the UKC- SCs,asIamled to believe. The social clubs/ communities are decentral- ized networks, so there is not one main fig- ure head, rather more of a col- lective of people, as well as being an non-governmental organization and non-profit. The are based on the same ones springing up in and around Europe, in the likes of Spain, Belgium, etc.
The clubs seem to be in full bloom south of the border in England and Wales, too. In my opinion in the UK pro- hibition gets enforced more the further north of Britain you go. So the CSCs in the south seem to be flourishing more.
The point of the clubs are to let the
communities on a whole realize that there is a need for them, and taking the black market into the light instead of wasting more government coffers on a failed drugs policy, as well as protecting our children from scrupulous drug deal- ers and all the other damages of a failed prohibition.
GW Pharmaceuticals, who produce Sativex, are now in the process of producing a cannabis based anti epileptic medicine. My old doctor stood in court swear- ing that canna- bis helped my seizures and if it were legal she would prescribe it to me. Why can’t I grow a few plants rather than wait for phat pharma to produce something?
Prohibition sucks. Period. In a previous article, I wrote of the
Schengen Agreement (previously known as the Amsterdam Treaty) which we thought was a loop hole in the law (more info on this, if you read my article on Pinky’s trip to Amsterdam in a previ- ous issue of CD). Dutch medical users came over from Holland to the UK and medicated away freely on the streets of London, but if the cannabis were to be
used by a UK citizen they’d be breaking the law. The Dutch visitors, or any other country that has official licensed medpot users, would not be breaking the law!
The Weedpass is still coming into ef- fect in Holland in Jan. 2013, though some local mayors in Holland are reject- ing the new weedpass laws which coffee shop owners are not going to comply with, in and around Amsterdam.
As far as I understand the High Times Cannabis Cup will still be on this year in Nov. as it usually is. There was a cannabis cup in the UK this year, though a very much underground affair—but hey, the ball is rolling, Nepalese style! I never at- tended as I hadn’t realized it was on until after the event. Luckily got to hear some of it on the <Dopefiend.co.uk> podcasts.
I’d also like to welcome back Winston Mathews, who is a leading activist here in the UK. Winston had been incarcerated for nine months for growing his own medicine. Disgusting in this day and age, that you are not allowed to heal yourself and your options are often lim- ited toxic damaging alternatives. Where is the sense in that?
Until next time my hempy friends Stay well and take care. One Love!
By Mark Knowles
