26/01/2008 00:00:00
Cannabis Campaigners Fuming over Advisory Council Review agenda
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Cannabis Campaigners Fuming over Advisory Council Review agenda
Members of the Legalise Cannabis Alliance campaigning group (LCA) are
fuming over the refusal of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of drugs
(ACMD) to give them a slot for a speaker at the forthcoming Review on
cannabis classification. The Review is due to be held on February 5th
at the London Excel, Platinum Suite.
Alun Buffry, a spokesperson for the LCA, said: “We received invites to
the Review along with the Agenda, but upon looking through it we saw no
representation from the cannabis-using community itself.”
“Bearing in mind that anti-cannabis campaigners such as Debra Bell (from
TAC) , Marjorie Wallace (from SANE) and Paul Corry (from RETHINK) have
each been given a 20-minute slot, it is clearly going to be an
outrageously biased review.
“So I wrote to the ACMD offering a speaker from the LCA – somebody who
has had experience with illegal cannabis; The LCA contains many
self-confessed cannabis users, whether it be for medical, religious or
recreational reasons”
“The ACMD refused an opportunity telling us: “yourself, and your
colleagues from the LCA who are attending the review, will be welcome to
contribute during the open forum”, which means during just 45 minutes
allocated to the floor, right at the end”
“How can this review reflect the “wide range of evidence” that the ACMD
seems to be looking for, when not one cannabis users is being given an
equal opportunity to those who seek upgrading.”
Notes for editors:
1)
Letter sent to ACMD January 23
Looking through the list of speakers - also noticing a few tbc's, I was
disappointed to see that there is no representative from ANY cannabis
community or pro-legalisation group.
Considering that the agenda is all about cannabis, one has to wonder how
many of the speakers have admitted to having used cannabis.
In the Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA), we have a wide representation
of cannabis users including many who openly admit to having used
cannabis for over 35 years. It includes people of all ages, a range or
political and religious beliefs, backgrounds, education and occupation.
It includes people who use cannabis predominantly (or totally) for
"medical" reasons, for religious reasons, and / or for so-called
recreational reasons.
Although The LCA cannot claim to represent all cannabis users, we are
the largest of the UK campaigning groups with over 3000 endorsements:
from 1999 to 2006, LCA was registered as a political party and contested
over 70 elections, gaining as many as 8% of the vote - and in an
"all-up" council election in Great Yarmouth the candidates received a
vote from over 16% of the voters!
LCA contains people with a vast experience and knowledge about cannabis
- real cannabis! - what it has been like to live under prohibition -
the appearance of various forms of cannabis and cannabis resin on our
streets for many years, more recently including ground glass having been
added to wet cannabis bud.
LCA contains people who have bought cannabis illegally, grown cannabis
illegally and even sold cannabis illegally - people who have been
through the courts and people who have not.
Considering the inclusion of speakers such as Debra Bell, whom, despite
living through what she sees as cannabis-caused tragedies, has no
experience of cannabis at all - and no academic qualification to count
this makes the Review's presentation seem extremely one-sided.
I therefore would like to apply for a slot for a speakers from the LCA
and would be happy to speak under Sessions 1, 3 or 4.
regards
Alun Buffry
LCA Treasurer and Spokesperson
2)
Response from ACMD, January 24
Dear Alun,
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) review of Cannabis
has been requested over concerns over the mental health effects of
cannabis with particular regard to stronger forms of the drug.
The ACMD will consider a wide range of evidence during the two day
meeting in February. This meeting will include the presentation of
expert evidence on mental and physical health effects of cannabis, its
use and social harms. In addition, the ACMD will consider the responses
to the Home Office Drugs Strategy Consultation and the results of
polling data (undertaken by the ACMD) to understand public perceptions
regarding cannabis, which will inform the Council's advice to
Government.
The agenda for the 5th February has now been set and there will be no
further places available for presenters. The tbc's you refer to relate
to the title of the presentation - all the speakers are confirmed.
However, yourself, and your colleagues from the LCA who are attending
the review, will be welcome to contribute during the open forum.
Will
Will Reynolds
Secretary to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
3rd Floor (SW) Seacole Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
Tel: 020 7035 0454
3)
The Legalise Cannabis Alliance
PO Box 2883
Stoke-on-Trent
ST4 9EE
http://www.lca-uk.org
4) Alun Buffry AlunBuffry@lca-uk.org
Source:
http://www.ukcia.org/news/shownewsarticle.php?articleid=13209
Author:
Legalise Cannabis Alliance via UKCIA
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