'Cannabis really is a medicine that can help a lot of people'

Maxwell Kusi Obodum • Published 19 Aug 2012 08:00 24 Comments

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RACKED by the crippling pain and seizures that come with having Multiple Sclerosis, Clark French embarked on a lengthy journey halfway across the globe to California in search of pioneering treatment using cannabis to ease his agony.

Now back in Britain the 26-year-old from Earley is campaigning for the illegal Class B drug to be decriminalised in this country and will share his story in a TV mini-documentary being screened next month.

The Reading University graduate, from Sutcliffe Avenue, will feature in an episode of 4Thought on Channel 4 and he said: "I still struggle with the symptons of MS but it has been a massive life-changing experience.

"I am trying to show that it really is a medicine that can help a lot of people. I need to get my story out there and spread the word so we can get a change in the law."

Clark was diagnosed with the degenerative disease two years ago and was eventually forced to use a walking stick.

His mother, Julie Campbell, is a fellow sufferer and in 1996 MS also claimed the life of his stepfather, Richard Ramsden.

But last October he flew to California where cannabis is legal for medical use and spent three months living in the San Francisco area.

After a £150 consultation he was given a doctor's recommendation note entitling him to purchase capsules containing the drug over the counter.

He said: "At first it made me sleep but by the end my condition was nowhere near as bad and I stopped having seizures and stopped using a walking stick and haven't had it since the treatment."

In Britain GPs can prescribe the cannabis-based drug Sativex, but the Berkshire NHS Primary Care Trust refuses to pay for Clark to use it, meaning that previously he used opitate-based medicines Tramadol and Codeine which he claims cause side-effects including anger and confusion.

However, Dr Ben Whalley, a senior lecturer in pharmacology at Reading University is against legalisation. He said: "In the UK we have taken a more conventional and conservative route.

"We have to look at the benefits and the risks. Yes, cannabis has potential but it is an active drug and it has risks and you can't just throw open the doors.

"It's about striking a balance between protecting vulnerable people and people's rights."

The drug has also been blamed for triggering mental health problems, including schizophrenia, but Clark said: "If someone has problems with cannabis the last thing they need is the police knocking on the door. The most harmfull thing is getting caught and getting a criminal record.

"This is a drug people can benefit from and get a better quality of life. If someone is in pain and they use a drug it isn't misuse it's use.

"I just want to be a normal person and have a job and pay my taxes, but I am being forced to live off benefits but I want to contribute to society."

*Clark also runs the Berkshire Cannabis Community which meets next meets from 7pm on Wednesday, September 12 in Reading International Solidarity Centre (RISC) in London Street.

This article appeared in Local Berkshire 17 Aug 12

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

Mr F.
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Aug 19, 10:04
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A single glass of wine per evening is also good for those with heart issues but that doesn't excuse the wanton mayhem caused of a weekend by students and chavs in Reading town centre on excess amounts of the jollop. The age-old problem with legalising Cannabis is the MAJORITY of those on it would be stoned zombies causing traffic accidents, a lethargic workforce/education system and far worse atrocities. No sale!

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Berkscc
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Aug 19, 10:27
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Cannabis is Medicine for millions of sick people across the globe, it is a safer then both alcohol and tobacco with no direct deaths ever recorded while alcohol and tobacco DIRECTLY kill millions world wide every single year. The continued Criminilisation of people who wish to consume cannabis for what ever purpose is wrong and we can come together to make a change.

Please check out Berkshire Cannabis Community on Facebook for the latest updates www.facebook.com/berkscc. Were Really excited to have Free Rob Cannabis, legendary cannabis activist speaking at out next meeting on the 12th of september at RISC. You can read about Free here. http://cannabisculture.com/articles/1528.html.

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Jayelle Farmer
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Aug 19, 10:44
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The very fact that Clark French is holding his recommendation from a California doctor for raw cannabis completely blows away the lie that UK government have persisted in telling to the British public by their saying that raw cannabis has no medicinal use.

And why does the government continue with this lie? They do it in order to protect the monopoly for cannabis pharmaceutical medicine that they have given to GW Pharm.

It's absolutely disgusting. The people of this country deserve better than the Reefer Madness lies that they continue to be told by our government.

Legalise cannabis use in the UK.

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Anon Jones
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Aug 19, 12:46
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Mr F, I fail to see the Zombies and traffic accidents caused by current Cannabis users, which would be millions across the UK. All I notice are the busts and arrests made by police at such a high rate it makes u wonder when they fit time in to go catch real criminals!!

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Phil S
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Aug 19, 12:50
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Here is the British Medical Journal's analysis of the harms of various drugs, published 24 July 2012.

http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/2/4/e000774.full

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Jupiter5
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Aug 19, 14:51
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I'm glad to see that someone is talking about this openly. Cannabis saved my marriage and quite possibly my life.

I was diagnosed with a joint condition nearly three years ago. Over these three years I have gone trough several different painkillers and anti-inflammatory's and non of them have done anything to help me with the swelling or the burning pain in my legs. At their best they just gave me stomach problems, at their first they made me paranoid and depressed, to the degree that it nearly destroyed the most important relationship in my life.

Then I found cannabis oil. It stopped the pain and took the swelling away almost over night. I could walk without crutches and so normal everyday things without pain first time in two years. It also mellowed out my anxiety that I felt every time I had to leave the house in this condition.

I can not for the life of me understand why we are not utilising every part of this beautiful plant. Everyone should have the right for pain and chemical free life.

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Vicky
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Aug 19, 14:56
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I have been using Cannabis for pain for over 20 years. I learned to drive, passed my test first time and have driven over 265,000 miles since...some of it on the most remote and dangerous roads in the UK in atrocious weather conditions and some in places like London Birmingham Glasgow...not easy places to drive! In all my years of driving I have had 2 accidents in which no one was hurt and both were the fault of the other party...One was a Lorry driver who was obviously falling asleep and had been fixing his Tacograph...the other had been drinking! I am living breathing proof that people who use Cannabis for pain are most certainly NOT a danger on the road. If I was able to take the prescription pain relief on offer from the NHS I most certainly would NOT be fit to drive, I have prolonged and unusual reactions to prescription meds. People on prescription meds are advised not to drive or operate machinery if affected by that drug...so whats the problem with extending that same trust to people on medicinal cannabis?

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Tams
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Aug 19, 16:33
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"...We have to look at the benefits and the risks. Yes, cannabis has potential but it is an active drug and it has risks and you can't just throw open the doors..."

It has more than potential. Noone's EVER died from overdosing on Cannabis in thousands of years usage. The doors have been wide open since before any manmade drug was synthesised, long enough to prove there are no mortal risks. You'd have to smoke the equivelant of thousands and thousands of joints in like a 20 minute timeframe to even begin to touch mortality, and you'd likely die from smoke inhalation before THC toxicity any way. That not good enough? Also, cannabis contains active drugs, it itself is just a plant. There are NO risks. It promotes peace, happiness, relaxation and creativity.

Besides, there are so many strains these days that have slightly different effects, the indica dominant strains being good for inactive night time use (i.e. sleep, anxiety) and sativas for daytime (i.e. nausea, depression). No medical marijuana user would drive after medicating with an indica-dominant strain.

Mr. F obviously isn't aware that not all strains get you so stoned that you cannot function. People who think like this are always the ones who still have the "Reefer Madness" mentality from the last century when the propaganda started emerging in the 1930s. Thinking there's just one type is extremely ignorant.

The whole schizophrenia thing really does my head in as it can be used to treat schizophrenia. IF in the rare cases it triggers some dormant underlying problem, then that wouldn't be the plants fault. That person is obviously sensitive to it, much like a food intolerance. You don't ban all peanuts if someone dies from the effects of a peanut allergy do you? No. Cos that would be STUPID, much like cannabis' legal status today!

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Phil
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Aug 19, 18:12
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Good work Clark.

Whoever wrote the article though has made a couple of mistakes that need brought to attention.

''Now back in Britain the 26-year-old from Earley is campaigning for the illegal Class B drug to be decriminalised in this country'' it's not an illegal drug, there is no such thing as an illegal drug. Only peoples actions concerning so called ''controlled'' drugs are illegal. Nowhere does the law say cannabis is illegal. Cannabis can't be decriminalised either, again it is only peoples actions that can be decriminalised.

Recommend? Yes 23 No 1
Liberty
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Aug 19, 18:15
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So many thumbs up, say's it all, i'm not a betting man but if i were, the outcome will be more thumbs up than downs, the fact is for over 40years of being misled and lied to about cannabis only the freethinkers and nothing to loosers are prepared to stand up and be counted,. as Mark Twain once said, "it's easier to fool people than convince them that they have been fooled" for thousands of years this plant has been around without any problem to man or animal,. all freethinkers and rationalist no why it became illegal,. and it had nothing to do with protecting our health..the overwhelming truth and facts are available for all the globe to see and read on the internet but for some people, ignorance is very very bliss... I can't vouch for everyone but this is my story,...

I was a late starter on Cannabis as teenager it were alcohol and tobacco,(Proven to be more harmful, addictive and dangerous than cannabis) which i quit to pursue my sporting interest, ie Martial Arts,. Football,.Boxing,.Marathons,. iv got 3 grown up children and 2 in there teens, oh and a faitfull dog.. like all kids life is about learning and experimenting if you are told that something is bad for you because someone has told you that it bad for you then how the F are you going to know its bad for you until you've tried it... "rant over" to try and minimalise my life,. besides my sporting activity's I also worked the Doors for nearly years including Pubs, Night Clubs, boxing shows,. Music events,... Iv rubbed shoulders with celebs,. even having a quick toke with some,..But the morel of this story is,. Iv have witnessed the affects of Alcohol compared to Cannabis,. and the harm that it can do if Abused. I now have osteoarthritis in both knees,. nerve damage in my leg from a bodged operation and a broken marriage, i could have gone down the alcohol route and Drowned my self into oblivion like a few people i know, but chose cannabis which eases my pain more than Alcohol or prescription pills can ever do without any side effects... Lets face it this more about Politics,. Why should they make Cannabis is a Free and healing plant,. when they can carry on killing us with Alcohol, Tobacco, prescription drugs, fluoride in the water and chem trails in the sky.. our Justice system works on the principle that you are innocent until proven guilty,. so if Cannabis was on trial this would be a miscarriage of justice,. when it is plain to see that cannabis is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco.... that's why they removed Prof David Nutt for exposing the truth,. (ex government drugs advisor).

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Bushes Bernal
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Aug 19, 19:39
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Regardless it isn't going to be legalised so all the thumbs up from druggy types isn't going to help one iota. Mind you it is quite reassuring to know aforementioned druggy types are so lethargic they can't leave the PC on an extremely bright sunny Sunday. Smirk.

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SeanWatson
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Aug 19, 20:03
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It is great Clark French's story will be told and shown on TV. More people need to be educated with the facts on cannabis namely Dr Ben Whalley and "Mr F". Too many people have a biased view on cannabis but it is not their fault as most of the time they do not know any better. It can have a lot of great medical benefits from helping with MS to cancer or even back pain, I have seen this first hand.

Legalizing Cannabis for recreational purposes is also a good idea, people should be allowed to grow 4 plants. I don't seen why people have such a problem with this considering the government allows you to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes while taxing you for it. Cannabis may be damaging to your health via smoking but when eaten or vaporized is pretty harmless. It does not kill people like the 100000s killed by alcohol and cigarettes each year.

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Tams
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Aug 19, 20:40
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Bushes Bernal - Watching people around me benefit from the medicinal properties of cannabis rather than take potentially lethal cocktails of prescription drugs hardly makes me -or them - a "druggie". I'm amazed people still use that term. Again, not all cannabis strains give you "couch-lock" or make you lethargic. Go crawl back under your rock and take your uneducated opinion with you. You are stereotyping people who medicate and youare an idiot for doing so.

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Jayelle Farmer
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Aug 20, 02:06
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Mr F. Said: "The age-old problem with legalising Cannabis is the MAJORITY of those on it would be stoned zombies causing traffic accidents, a lethargic workforce/education system and far worse atrocities. No sale!"

If that was going to be the case then I would also disagree with it. Happily, that is NOT the case. Campaigning proponents of cannabis legalisation in the UK are campaigning for legalisation via a RESPONSIBLE USE campaign.

This means that there would be a nanogram per litre THC level enforced for driving a vehicle - similar to the model that is currently enforced with blood level alcohol.

It could give employers the right to terminate employment contracts of people who were found to be consistently under the influence AND their work input impeded.

The law would protect minors - under the age of 18 - from accessing cannabis. At the moment, there is no protection of minors. A dealer does not ask for ID, they only ask to see money. Considering the number of people who have gone on to become addicted to hard drugs, because of this lack of regulation, it thus makes common sense to end this unregulated supply system. To do so would break the myth that cannabis is the gateway drug to hard drugs. IT IS CANNABIS PROHIBITION THAT ENABLES THE GATEWAY TO HARD DRUGS.

If cannabis cafés were legally established, like they are in Holland, then people over 18 would be able to meet with their peers and discuss their lives and current events together in a fear and hassle free, non-criminal environment. The days of prohibition creating the image of the lonely methadone user would be gone forever.

Let us not leave this terrible legacy of cannabis prohibition to continue in our children's and grandchildren's generation. Legalise cannabis by true and meaningful legislation in the UK. Please join NORMLUK. http://norml-uk.org/

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gelmancadet
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Aug 20, 10:52
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its just a shame its got this stigma around it people dont realize the true benefits of legalizing cannabis because the plant and seed can be used for everything from food to clothing to textiles it is an excellent resource which we must start using

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thedoobiesnatcher
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Aug 20, 14:17
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This type of story needs to be in the newspapers and on TV more very rarely do you see anything positive about cannabis, the medical evidence is overwhelming its just the alcohol and tobacco companies in this country which give the government millions a year that is stopping cannabis being legal. How many people would go out and get drunk if they had an alternative?

*I accidentally clicked dislike on one comments whoops mean to be a thumbs up!!!

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Brian C
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Aug 20, 16:00
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The conventional and conservative route route taken by Dr Ben Whaley means people like Clark French are in pain because they cannot get access to the medicine they need. What a heartless man, and a doctor too!

Cannabis does not cause schizophrenia, which is why schizophrenia rates are the same now as they were 50 years ago, despite the fact cannabis usage has increased dramatically. 1% of the population with a pre-disposition to schizophrenia should not take cannabis, the other 99% are fine; also because of prohibition, there are very high THC strains sold on the black market with little CBD, which is an anti-psychotic, the reason for this is because CBD is formed in the later stages of budding, but the weed grown on the criminal black market is often harvested too early, so has a high THC to low CBD ratio.

The main problems associated with cannabis are from prohibition. You are more likely to get alcohol psychosis, yet booze is quite rightly sold in a taxed and regulated market, so why not the same for cannabis?

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tom1818
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Aug 20, 18:11
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i use cannabis for my epilepsy it has been very sucessful when i have weed but unfortunately people have to suffer in silence in this world for no reason!

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Legalize
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Aug 21, 02:39
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they not going to legalize cannabis because they know is medicine what u think aids n cancer is natural they are man made we the bottom off the pyramid working jobs we hate for the stuff we dont need, alcohol stops you from thinking it closes your mind when cannabis opens it! god put the herb on here for a reason. cannabis could replace most off the antibiotics which are harmful for your body !

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bloggsie45
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Aug 21, 08:30
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If you suffer from an auto-immune disease, cancer, or epilepsy the most important thing you should do for your health's sake is to learn enough Dutch so you can buy your food and get about in The Netherlands. At the same time save up for a single, i.e. one-way ticket to Amsterdam.

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dkintheuk
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Aug 21, 09:44
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Advocates for cannabis use can quote a plethora of documentary evidence that there is good that can be gleaned from cannabis and related products.

Opponents of cannabis use can similarly quote a plethora of documentary evidence that there are problems caused by cannabis use.

So we have a stalemate until each of those items on boths sides is credibly challenged and some concensus about cannabis use is reached.

Until then, the rule is simple, the government, that we have elected, continue to believe that it should be illegal to posses and distribute that and other drugs.

Personally I think we should follow the lead set by Portugal and decriminalise all drugs and we should listen carefully to people like Russell Brand who show great wisdom in how to manage drug use.

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NikMorris
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Aug 22, 15:38
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You can not legalise drugs. You can not decriminalise drugs. The law applies to people/users not the drugs themselves. It is the people of this country that can not possess drugs under the current interpretation of the law. The Misuse of Drugs Act, if read correctly by both the ACMD and the Home Office, could allow people like Mr French to possess their medicine of choice with a quick swish of a pen. The problem is, your government refuses to admit that their policies are destructive and ruin lives. Unless drug use is seen as a normal activity nothing will change. And trust me, drug use for whatever reason is rife. Just ask a supermarket how their alcohol and tobacco sales are going. They'll say fine.

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A scientist
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Aug 27, 17:08
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If Sean Watson did his homework he would realise that Dr Whalley does in fact know better. His research into using plant-based cannabinoids to treat life-threatening diseases is actually helping to bring down the stigma associated with the cannabis plant. He is not 'a heartless man', as quoted by Brian C, he is merely the voice of caution when it comes to discussing the legalisation of cannabis. People need to stop and think before they make scathing judgements based on a poorly written article.

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C8H10N4O2
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Aug 28, 16:56
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Move any mountain with the 'erb! Tiswas!

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