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Cannabis March Confirmed for this Sunday

johnny v | 09.05.2005 15:16 | Cambridge | London

A Cannabis Education March and Rally is being held this Sunday (May 15th)

Assemble 1pm at Russell square to march to a rally in Trafalgar Sqare at 3pm

- CANNABIS EDUCATION & RESEARCH TRUST -

May 2005 PRESS/PUBLIC RELEASE

CANNABIS EDUCATION MARCH & RALLY, LONDON SUN 15 MAY 2005

Assembles 1pm at Montague Street, RUSSELL SQUARE, LONDON, WC1 for ‘cannabis carnival' style march, departs 2pm through central London to rally, TRAFALGAR SQUARE, 3-7pm, with speakers & information stalls.

A national 'Cannabis Education March & Rally' is now CONFIRMED for central London on Sunday May 15th. This is an ‘emergency’ cannabis event, organised as a response to new cannabis health concerns, as well as recent calls to return cannabis to being a ‘Class B’ drug offence, which means a return to jailing people simply for possession.

The ‘Cannabis Education March’ is also part of an annual global cannabis campaign with marches this May 2005 in over 150 cities worldwide. The event in London has been organised to fill the gap in Britain after the cancellation of the annual Cannabis March and Festival in Brixton.

The central London event, right after the general election, is being backed by what organisers say is the largest ‘united front’ against the prohibition of cannabis ever assembled in Britain.

“How safe is cannabis? How dangerous is cannabis prohibition?” is the main theme of the event. Aiming to promote a greater understanding of cannabis and cannabis prohibition, it comes after new health concerns.

A route for the march has been agreed with Scotland Yard and the use of Trafalgar Square for a ‘Cannabis Education Rally’ has been approved by the GLA.

The march route passes the British Museum where marchers will leave ‘cannabis prohibition’ in a box for storage. They also pass the TUC Headquarters where a delegation from the ‘National Union of Cannabis Users’ will deliver a motion calling for solidarity against testing for cannabis at work, and for the use of medical cannabis in the NHS.

Speakers confirmed include George Melly, Caroline Coon, Peter Tatchell, Patricia Tabram (Cannabis Grandma), Roger Warren-Evans (Liberty barrister), plus Howard Marks (Mr Nice) calling live from Moscow, (full updated speakers listing on website).

Other speakers include experts on ‘skunk’ and medical cannabis, plus cannabis dealers, growers and campaigners. The nutritional, environmental and industrial uses of hemp will be covered, along with cannabis and mental health, and the science of cannabis. Also invited are political and spiritual representatives, plus individuals from many walks of life.

Issues to be covered include the real cost of prohibition, drug testing at work and school, driving under the influence, the dangers of 'soap bar' (adulterated cannabis), and sniffer dogs.

Political speakers invited include representatives from all the main parties, plus the Legalise Cannabis Alliance which had 18 candidates standing in 21 constituencies in the general election.

Musicians, comedians, poets and artists will all be represented and there will be information areas covering the medical and recreational uses of cannabis, as well as the nutritional and industrial uses of hemp.

“Cannabis prohibition is the most expensive mistake in British legal history” said an organiser; “Prohibition puts public health in far more danger than any amount of cannabis use that might occur if it was legal. Fears that consumption would rise are unfounded, as almost everyone who wants to use cannabis is already doing so, while many people who try cannabis do not like it.”

“Everyone wants a healthier and safer society, so when it comes to issues like cannabis, despite seemingly vast ‘pro’ and ‘anti’ legalisation divisions, most people are actually on the same side; they just can’t agree on how to get there. The way out is to approach the issue in an educated and practical way.

Updated details about the event including speakers and supporting organisations are available at

http://www.cannabistrust.com

Further inquiries: Andy Cornwell, coordinator, Cannabis Trust. (07976825086).

press@cannabistrust.com

johnny v
e-mail: cert@cannabistrust.com
Homepage: http://www.cannabistrust.com

Comments

Hide the following 16 comments

Skunk fucks you up

09.05.2005 17:51

Smokin' da reefer was all very well back in my day. But kids nowadays are fucking their heads up with super-strength genetically engineered hydroponically grown skunk.

This stuff is lethal and is responsible for a growing percentage of mental health hospitalisations.

Legalising cannibis will only promote more paranoia and scizophrenia.

Aging Hippie

oh shut up

09.05.2005 18:28

Don't talk bollocks aging hippy - did you never smoke charas or nepalese black back then, they got just as much thc content

Skunk aint ever killed anyone i know - big up ganja day

young anarchist

Skunk has fucked up a generation

09.05.2005 23:05

Skunk is not the "weed" from the 60's. Smoking something so strong on a daily basis does lead to increased incidence of depression and can cause schizophrenia in susceptible individuals. The occasional spliff probably does very little damage to most people (although even one can induce schizophrenia in a minority of people). However, there seems to be an entire generation monged off their faces after smoking skunk day in and day out.

While having a smoke should be an entirely personal issue (if you want to screw your mind that is your right), it should not be glorified or encouraged. Children should be protected from positive drug references and for a 12 year old searching the internet for information about cannabis it does not help if he comes across misleading messages suggesting that it is big/clever/harmless to smoke cannabis.

As a drug in moderation it is probably less harmful than alcohol and no doubt the antisocial element is virtually non-existent (how many stoned fights are there as opposed to druken brawls?). But moderation is hard to maintain, especially for a generation brought up on excess. There are proven and undisputable negative effects on the health of smokers (cannabis and/or cigarettes) such as lung cancer and other respiratory diseases amongst others. But as a drug cannabis is more psychologically addictive than anything else. The choice is yours but please don't paint cannabis (especially skunk) as being "harmless".

Angry Manc
mail e-mail: angry_manc@hotmail.com

Not only that

09.05.2005 23:37

I know from good experience "never trust hippy" but I have to agree with this agin dude.
I mean why do the brits eat tasteless dutch tomatoes all year round when they could quite easily grow
tasteless english tomatoes, in green houses. I bet the old hippy can remember whhen english tomatoes tasted
real good, they were around for about the same time as strawberries, bit later in the summer of course, but that was when we still ate some seasonal food.
But now supermarkets have taken over and we depend on the dutch to grow our food in green houses, or to make frankensteins monsters like Quorn .No surprise that the "liberal" dutch have "freed the weed" and turned it into a multi million pound business, and even if the folks in the UK have started setting up their own grow rooms the dutch supply all the equipment and the UK is far a very small part of the market.
Seed banks with far out names offer a whole catalog of seeds with even far out names for outrageous prices ,and some of them actually grow. Yeah business has been booming for years and we have worked our way through
KK WW DD White Widow and Jack Herrar have now been eclipsed by Silver and mexican haze which cost double the WW and smells like you are seriously having a go at the carpet the effect is more like what we used to call being "blocked" like sort of Black Bombers / Scrumpy and whatever, yeah "say no to hard drugs" is a favourite clog expression but a lot of them include the strong skunk weed in that category.
I mean take a look at the situation , they first started out with the Purple ( out door) weed and about 20 years ago they got it to grow good in Holland and then they started on the indoor green / grey / white / orange bud.
But while the coffee shops are legal it's illegal to supply large amounts to anyone including coffee shops.
As the trade is illegal there are no controls no government health warnings and no limits.
So who has charted the progress made by people who were making millions out of selling Tulips and fishing for herrings of the british coast while the brits were still living in mud huts.
Rather than freeing the weed the dutch have actually been guilty of a bunch of fuckery they are busy creating hybrid GM strains that have had fuck knows what done to them and although some of the weed grown outdoors in
in southern spain and southern italy by people who know what they are doing can be grown from real seeds and still blow yer head off , I reckon that if tests were carried out on the strains now coming out of Holland they would be
seriously GM and seriously dangerous to ones head (brain that is) .. oh fpr a nice piece of fresh red leb from the beka... not to mention all the various forms of manufactured hashis sold to knee jerk yuppies who are still duped into a weekend in amsterdam which has now been totally cleaned up by the council and is now totally devoid of alternative culture but still remains ever so hip with the radical chic who are the only ones that can afford it ..

ageless punk

Free the Herb

10.05.2005 08:54

I have ‘puffed’ for over thirty years, which makes me something of an authority on the subject and I can confirm that I am in perfect health and have all my mental faculties. I have achieved many things during these years.

I passed exams - stoned, learned to drive - stoned, gave birth - stoned, worked - stoned and while I may have a physiological dependency, it is not addictive, like tobacco and alcohol, there are no withdrawal symptoms, unlike crack.

Nature made marijuana for the healing of the nations, it has many uses and medical properties, but scientists have recently engineered new strains, which probably contain the cockroach gene, to induce psychosis.

Apart from a mild euphoria, feelings of calmness, contentment and enlightenment, there are no ill effects from herbs. When I smoke artificial skunk, however, I experience instant paranoia, disorientation and dehydration.

Sensimillia is safe but the State created GM ganja to produce a link to mental health problems and criminalize all cannabis and its users. It will not be legalized because privatized prisons need innocent inmates to make profits.

If there is any drawback to this hashish habit, it is that it takes the edge of pro-active militancy and keeps the population from reacting angrily to intolerable laws and conditions. I’m too relaxed to organize the revolution.

Poppy

.

10.05.2005 11:09

Ageless Punk sounds like he's pretty much stoned himself.

Not GM !

10.05.2005 11:17

Stop repeating the unproofed romour that skunk is genetically modified. Unless anyone has first hand proof otherwise I am certain you will find that it is selectifly breed and NOT genetically engineered.

jay

Cannabis is NOT 100% safe. Deal with it.

10.05.2005 21:53

but neither is alcohol, tobacco, paracetamol, etc.

At least could people acknowlege that if ANY drug (including cannabis) is ABUSED, it will harm someone.

the middle finger

legalising for weed

11.05.2005 10:54

having smoked for years now, i've come to realist that I don't enjoy skunk because it is simply too strong. because cannabis is illegal its virtually impossible to get anything BUT skunk. Where is the nice weed and quality hash these days? Prohibition is fucking up a generation. Free the weed and allow everyone to grow their own in their gardens.

Smoker

Weed

11.05.2005 12:21

Poppy, I wonder what you mean when you say that "while I may have a physiological dependency, it is not addicitve". What do you think addiction is?

Also, although you (like many other smokers) are in perfect mental health, people who have a form of mental illness, may find that it is made worse by cannabis.

Like all drugs, there are some risks connected to smoking cannabis, but also some positive effects (although perhaps "healing nations" is setting goals a bit too high!). Surely individuals have the right to find out about both positive and negative effects, and make their own informed decisioins about whether to smoke it.

DBLondon

Law is the problem, not pot

12.05.2005 04:21

The merits, and negative aspects, of cannabis and all drugs taken for non-medical reasons can, and have been, debated endlessly.

What most activists seem to overlook is that this is the very argument that the authors of `the war on drugs` want people to be having. In the face of the constant barrage of drugs-are-evil propaganda few leftist, community based organisations can find the strength to have a clear drug policy and as a consequence leave they it up to drug fans like the cannabis movement(which I used to be part of).

As in the days of reefer madness thbe authorities continue to use drugs as a tool for oppression. It gives them enormous powers of search, seizure and intimidation. They can employ it to harrass minorities they don't like (frequently racistly), bust activists and have fun when they're bored, or corrupt.

Many experts commentators have noted, on this thread and elswhere, that any drugs-legal or otherwise can cause addiction, mental illness and other social problems. The misuse of drugs and the effects on society are a highly complex issue. Yet the only available remedies for the state seem to be various forms of punishment and harrassment.

Drug use needs to be taken off the law enforcement agencies and given entirely into the hands of the health community for everyones sakes. The sad truth is that prohibition IS working but only as an oppressive tool for cops on the street, not for any community good.

Please stop arguing about whther the drugs are good and focus on the laws, they're no good for anyone

arachnid

arachnid
mail e-mail: arachnid13@yahoo.com

don't smoke it, eat it

12.05.2005 22:10

I too smoked a lot of cannabis in the sixties (starting in 1965) and early seventies and, yes, some of it was as strong as today's 'Skunk'. Powerful Nepalese, for instance, we smoked regularly and often. I don't believe the cannabis has done me any harm, although we did mix it with tobacco in those days. I also used to smoke cigarettes and roll-ups. When I realised that the tobacco was damaging my health, I, eventually, managed to give up the tobacco. I've never had to try to give up cannabis, although there have been times when I haven't wanted any. It is true that the tobacco in the joints made it more difficult to give up the cigarettes. However, after tobacco addiction has been successfuly overcome, or if you don't want to become addicted to tobacco in the first place, the answer is simple. Either smoke cannabis in a vapouriser or use it as an ingredient in cooking. Vapourisers are expensive to buy, but effective. Cooking requires practise, especially to learn to determine the appropriate amount of cannabis to use, as it comes on more slowly. You don't get the almost instant hit that you get with smoking. Too much cannabis won't kill you though, especially if you are eating it quietly, at home, with good friends - you might find that getting more heavily stoned than you intended is not such a bad experience. Cannabis is not addictive, of course. I know this because I have had long periods without wanting any. Finally, you don't have to have 'Skunk' if you don't want it. I don't believe Skunk is genetically engineered either. I believe it is selectively bred (as a previous person has said here) If you don't want 'Skunk', but do want Cannabis, there is still plenty of more traditional varieties, including some very good Afghan No1. If fact, there are many different excellent varieties to choose from.

The worst thing about cannabis in the sixties was that the coppers used to kick peoples doors in, in the early mornings, and then drag them off to Brixton prison for being in possession of small amounts of it. I would prefer not to go back to that again.

william

BORING BORING BORING

13.05.2005 23:06

March with the Faerie folk ... Hoo Fucking Rah ... Heads up their asses and apathetic as hell! Dreadlocks were yesterdays load of bullshit .. Tye die died long ago ... don't prolong the agony please. CANCEL YOUR MARCH!!
Have a bloody wet and miserable weekend you sad F*****.

Bored Youth

oh humm

14.05.2005 10:40

Bored Youth: stay at home and watch some t.v. and watch some paint dry.

poo bag

My greatest problem

28.05.2005 02:48

is that since I came to this place (I am from Greece) I can't find any weed. and that is bud because I really enjoy smoking some once in a while

Eric. Hobs.
mail e-mail: ...
Homepage: http://...

keep it homegrown

29.09.2005 01:21

I Have smoked cannabis (skunk) for a few years now. I really enjoy smoking it. I have never had any health or mental problems even as a more vulnerable teenager, however after getting hold of some skunk that was very potent in smell with a high THC content i found that after smoking an 1/8 over a week or two i became almost desperate for more. My temper became very short and i started falling out with close friends and loved ones, enthusiasm levels were very low and all i wanted to do was smoke more to calm down my temper.

I believe the high THC levels in this particular breed would cause major mental issues if continuously smoked! Returning to more modist skunk i am now back to my old, calm self and can smoke in moderation.

I am now starting to set up a home growth for personal use from my friends an I so that we know what we are smoking and we are not fuelling criminal activities to feed our habit.

sex case

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