Pubdate: Wed, 11 Jul 2001
Source: Peterborough Evening Telegraph (UK)
Copyright: 2001, East Midlands Newspapers Ltd
Contact:  http://www.peterboroughet.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/961
Author: Rachel Banham, Features Editor
Referenced: Legalise Cannabis Alliance  http://www.lca-uk.org

A CRIMINAL -- FOR TURNING TO CANNABIS WHEN MEDICINE FAILED TO HELP EPILEPSY

It's a debate which has rumbled on for years. Now the controversy about 
legalising cannabis has reared its head again through comments from various 
MPs circulating in the national media. So what do people in Peterborough 
think?

Epileptic Marcus Davies spends thousands of pounds on drugs to ease his 
fits each year. But he doesn't buy them over the counter -- and he 
currently has four convictions for cultivating, supplying and possessing 
the drug. Each time he's appeared before magistrates. And each time he's 
been fined.

Marcus (34), of Parnwell, Peterborough, is a qualified electronics 
designer. Yet, in the eyes of the law, he's a criminal.

For the last 16 years, Marcus has been unable to work fulltime because of 
his epileptic fits. He says all legal medicines failed to work effectively 
for him, and he spent five years wasting away, suffering from both illness 
and treatment.

So, in 1988, he tried cannabis. And he claims it changed his life. He had 
previously been having epileptic seizures every day. "These seizures 
rendered me useless," he said. "I use to pray that seizures occurred in the 
late evening, which gave me the night to recover, and during the following 
day I could behave as a normal person. I have scarring of the tongue and 
many scars of the limbs damaged during seizures. I smoke cannabis for 
medicinal purposes.When I don't smoke it, I have convulsions."

Marcus has smoked cannabis medicinally for 13 years, and has welcomed the 
latest debate on the issue. "This is most definitely a step forward," he said.

Mr Davies estimates he spends about UKP 5,500 a year on the drug which he 
buys from several dealers in the city.He has little time for dealers, but 
knows it's the only place he can get the drug. "The people I buy it from 
know my views on them very well, but they also like my money. Throughout 
the country that's millions of pounds going to the wrong people," he said. 
"Cannabis should be brought out into the open.People like myself do not 
want to be gangsters dealing with the underworld. When I want to smoke a 
joint, I'll smoke one -- as long as I'm not offending anybody else.But I 
feel like a criminal, and I don't want to."

Marcus says that within an hour of smoking cannabis for the first time, he 
felt better than he had for the previous five years. He says he has had 
only about eight seizures in 13 years of smoking cannabis.

While living in Lancashire, his home was searched by police and for the 
following six days he stopped taking cannabis. He says he had seizures 
every hour and was admitted to hospital. "After a brief discussion with the 
doctor about my case history I was unofficially advised to keep taking the 
cannabis medicine and keep my head down and my mouth shut. Until now, this 
is what I've done," he said.

Although epilepsy is the main reason for taking cannabis, he also believes 
it relieved pain when he had laser therapy on his eye -- treatment made 
necessary by his diabetes. "Cannabis is very effective at encouraging me to 
eat at regular times," he added. "This phenomena, known as the munchies, 
must be extremely useful in the treatment of patients with wasting 
diseases, and has proved to stimulate my appetite often."

Marcus is a representative of Legalise Cannabis Alliance in Peterborough, 
and has his own website telling his story. He says the only reason that 
cannabis leads to other drugs is through the pushers. "Being illegal is the 
only thing that causes it to lead on to other drugs.You have to purchase it 
from somebody who would sooner sell you something else.It's nothing to do 
with the drug," he said.

"If we legalise it in this country, we remove that element of society that 
is getting an awful lot of money for doing nothing.Cannabis needs to be 
imported properly and the quantity maintained.Tax it by all means -- the 
Government would make billions out of it."

The debate on cannabis has been welcomed by drugs workers in Peterborough. 
Lisa Mellen, deputy manager of the Bridgegate Drug Advisory Agency, based 
in Broadway, said: "We work within the framework of the law at the 
moment.Debate around drugs is very healthy, and we would encourage it. But 
cannabis does have its risks. It is not a completely safe drug. Smoking 
cannabis can cause lung problems or psychiatric difficulties. It is not 
harmless.However, it is not probably as harmful as other drugs people may 
choose to experiment with."

While Bridgegate does not see as many cannabis users as those on other 
drugs, its effects can still be significant. When it does cause problems 
it's a big problem to that person," Lisa added.

For more information about the agency call 01733 314551, or visit the 
centre at 51 Broadway, Peterborough.
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MAP posted-by: Beth