Carry on suffering

 

New Government: old bull.

Brokenshire is the 18th  Drugs Minister in my time in parliament. They have all given the same heartless Civil Service to this question.

8. Paul Flynn (Newport West) (Lab): What her policy is on the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. [54324]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (James Brokenshire): We do not recognise cannabis in its raw form to have any medicinal purposes; cannabis is a harmful drug. However, Sativex, a cannabis-based medicine, has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency as a safe and effective medicine for patients with multiple sclerosis.

Paul Flynn: In Canada, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Italy, Israel, Spain, Portugal and parts of the United States, patients can take medicinal cannabis in its natural form safely and legally. Why are seriously ill patients in our country, particularly those suffering the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, forced to break the law when they want to use their medicine of choice?

James Brokenshire: The advice we have received from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs confirms that cannabis is a significant public health issue. I certainly sympathise with anyone suffering from a debilitating illness, but we do not condone any illicit drug taking, for whatever reason. As I have indicated, GPs may prescribe Sativex in the circumstances mentioned. That is available, and we are dealing with its regulation.

 ***********************************************

T7. [54349] Paul Flynn (Newport West) (Lab): Is any Minister capable of answering a question without blaming the last or the next Labour Government? Can the Home Secretary explain who is responsible for the 350 job losses in Gwent Police? Efficiency savings will save 20 of them; what about the other 330?

Mrs May:  He asked whether any Minister can get up and not make reference to the mess that we were left by the previous Government. The reason why savings are being requested from police forces, and the reason why across government we are having to make cuts in public sector spending, is the deficit that we were left by the Labour Government. Had Labour been in government, it would be cutting £7 for every £8 that we are cutting. The issue for the hon. Gentleman and his right hon. and hon. Friends is where they would make those cuts.

 

Comments

[LYNNE HEAL]

I have secondary progressive MS last GP said its progressing.I need pain relief desperately its agony every single day and to be refused Sativex is disgusting to do to MS patients its wrong.We need help so much. here in UK is the worst in the world for help

[D.G.]

Thank you for your answers, I appreciate it very much

[John]

Thank you for raising the medicinal cannabis question Paul.

In Answer to D.G's question.

Cannabis has as many varieties and styles as there are grapes that go into making wine There are hundreds of different stains each having a different ratio of active ingredients.These differences in the proportion of active ingredients mediate the different affects of each strain.
Some strains have a high proportion of CBD's these are potently anti-psychotic and anti-inflammatory while others may be high in THC these give the stoned affect loved by recreational users.

It is possible to select a strain for the particular symptoms that the patient may be suffering from. Some strains will be useful for some people while others may be contraindicative.

What people need to understand is that cannabis is not just one thing it is a many varied and nuanced naturally occurring benign drug that has been used successfully for millennia.

[Jason Reed]

Thank you Paul Flynn MP for raising this question, and thank you for your work on these matters.

Shame the same tired and ill informed rhetoric was the response though. It's to be expected.

I took offence at the opening comments of Mr Burrowes though, his remarks seemed particularly cold. I have now written to him voicing my grievances. It also upset my family somewhat. I'll let you know of his reply:

http://homegrownoutlaw.blogspot.com/2011/05/letter-to-david-burrowes-mp.html

[mFuk]

Thank you for raising this question, its on youtube here :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI_HkjljKWs

[Sam Armstrong]

@D.G.
There is no physical difference between medicinal cannabis and illicit cannabis per se.
In some places, cannabis is produced legally, exclusively for medicinal use.

However, due to the expansive list of illnesses and ailments that cannabis has shown to help with, it can easily be argued that ALL cannabis is used medicinally.

I'm a casual smoker and, of course, fine that cannabis relaxes me. I therefore put it to you that I am using cannabis medicinally to relieve any stress I am suffering with.

As a teenaged boy, I find that cannabis can help with acne. I don't use cannabis specifically FOR acne treatment, but it does the job.

I have a common cold at the moment, and am suffering slightly with hayfever. When I am using cannabis I am distracted/relieved from my symptoms temporarily.

[D.G.]

Sorry if this is a shockingly ignorant question, but is there a difference between "medical" marijuana and the type illicitly smoked recreationally? Apart from better quality control, I mean?

[Peter Reynolds]

And as of today, it's now 16 US states. Maryland now permits medical marijuana.

[Peter Reynolds]

I thought the delivery of your question was excellent Paul. The long list could have been even longer. There are several more European countries and I would have liked to see Brokenshire sit through the recital of all 15 US states.

CLEAR is now co-ordinating a challenge through the courts on the denial of access to medicine. We are also commissioning a study from a respected, independent research body on the effect of a tax and regulate regime for cannabis.

[D.G.]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13343824

This article says places on popular and prestigious university courses will be more easily available to wealthy students. I hope this isn't as bad as it looks; because it looks about as bad as it could get.

[HuwOS]

"Had Labour been in government, it would be cutting £7 for every £8 that we are cutting"

That much is probably true and a terrible indictment of the three major parties that all have accepted and promoted this debt/deficit narrative and the manner in which it should be addressed, with relatively minor disagreements on timing and precisely what and who should be hit hardest by cuts.

Where is the left Paul?
Does it exist at all in the PLP outside of a few, a very few, relatively minor (as in having no major influence on the party), labour(?) MPs?