Until November 2018, the Government consistently claimed that cannabis has no therapeutic value, a statement at odds with its history in the pharmacopoeia.
The Home Secretary and Drugs Ministers of the time were closely related to those financially benefitting from the development of cannabis-based medicines by GW Pharmaceuticals.
The lack of access to whole-plant cannabis medicines despite the announcement that medical cannabis was available, combined with pressure being placed on the CBD industry to eliminate ‘full spectrum’ products, indicates that corporate interests continue to place pressure on Governments to continue the prohibition of cannabis.
It is clearly no more harmful to health than coffee or sugar, substances that we are advised to use in moderation. It is not addictive and has clear medicinal use and so does not fit the criteria of a schedule 1 substance.
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) review of the classification of cannabis concluded that ‘the high use of cannabis is not associated with major health problems for the individual or society, the criteria required by the Moda. However, the ACMD report continued, ‘cannabis is not a harmless substance’ which would imply that any substance with a degree of possible harm could be prohibited. Putting aside the evident harms caused by substances such as alcohol, tobacco and caffeine, this would also surely include substances such as sugar?