South African Cannabis Activism Guide

The I.C.U. lobby
- what you can do -
Cannabis in South Africa :
Contributing to the Global Shift
2015
An action guide for
South African Cannabis Activists
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE !

INDEX
Benefits of Cannabis - Introduction to the Lobby 4
Motivation and how Cannabis Laws came about 5
Stigma 6
Effects of Prohibition 7
Medical Use of Cannabis 8
The Pioneers - Ordinary people doing extraordinary things 9
Socio-economic Benefits 10
Health Benefits 10
Agricultural Benefits 11
Ecological Benefits 11
Safety and Security Benefits 12
Tourism and Rural Development Benefits 12
Resources and references (a starting point for verification) 13
Government Gazette No. 37349 dd 18 February 2014 Page 6 (5) 14
Commentary on the MEDICAL INNOVATIONS ACT (BILL)
Government Gazette No. 37349 dd 18 February 2014 Page 6 (5) 15
Plandai Biotechnology and “green” tea 15
M.I.A. - Prescription, patents and research 16
Dispensation as proposed by the M.I.A. 17
U.S. Patent No. 6630507B1 19
Lobby—A Plan of Action 20
Cannabis Position Paper 2013 (South African National Cannabis Working Group) 21
Proposed Cannabis Control Bill of 2015 (English/isiZulu/Afrikaans) 22
Dr. Lester Grinspoon, M.D. Associate Prof. of Psychiatry (Emeritus),
Harvard Medical School : Whither Cannabinopathic Medicine 25
Page 2

International Cannabis Union
WHAT CAN I DO?
 Become WELL INFORMED
 Assist with dissemination of information digitally, graphically or in person
 Practice articulating your points of view, and COMMUNICATE
 Use your unique talents and abilities to disseminate information and encourage participation
 Invite friends, family and colleagues to discover and contribute
 Invite friendly discussion and handle fearful reaction with patience and compassion
Prepare and practice a 30 Second Sound Byte E.g. “Hi, my name is ……….. I’d like to chat with you about the benefits of the
Cannabis plant , and address any concerns you may have about the current legalisation process.
Prepare 5 talking points in which you are well versed e.g.
 Socio-economic Benefits - Cannabrick housing; Self-employment individually or through community co-operatives,
eco-friendly industry, job creation
 Health Benefits - Well researched treatment for over 700 diseases and disorders including cancer, epilepsy , MS;
Superfood
 Agricultural Benefits - Replace forestry; Pesticide/herbicide free; Non– GMO; Soil restoration
 Ecological - Bio-fuel ; eradicates radiation from soil; positive carbon footprint for industries
 Safety & Security - Liberates police and justice system resources to address violent crime and corruption
Address concerns e.g.
 Addiction - comparison test vs alcohol and tobacco; reference current research and advances made in countries
like Portugal, Uruguay, Switzerland etc.
 Gateway drug - Resolve by removing control from drug dealers to responsible outlets, liberate police to go after
drug dealers
 “Reefer madness” - quote research by Harvard Psychiatrist Dr. Lester Grinspoon et al
Address problems within the the current legislation process i.e. the Gazetted Medical Innovations Act (“legalise
Cannabanoids” not Cannabis; encourages corporate monopoly; ( see “Debunking the M.I.B..); lack of transparency and
public debate and input; oligarchic abuse of legislative process; Constitutional breaches
Offer a viable solution e.g.
 The Cannabis Control Bill of 2015 will regulate RESPONSIBLE USE - distribute copies and invite feedback
 Equitable access to the benefits of a multi-billion rand industry for ALL South African people
Go-to strategy e.g.
 Cannabis Control Bill currently being distributed to MPs at Parliament
 Distribute a copy of the Perspective, CCB, and Cannabis Position Paper together with Dr. Grinspoon’s article to
1. Your local Ward Councillor/mayor/speaker of the municipality
2. Your local Senior Magistrate or High Court Judges
2. Your local SAPS Station commander and servicemen
Be prepared Be passionate Be patient Be clear Be honest Be True

THE
CANNABIS
PLANT
DESCRIPTION:
A
genetically
pure
annual
plant
with
a
distinctive
5-fingered
leaf.
HISTORY
OF
CANNABIS
LAW
IN
S.A
:
A
colonially
imposed
,
racially
motivated
law
imposed
in
1871
with
no
scientific
basis
or
rationale.
Cannabis
is
already
used
medicinally,
industrially
,
spiritually,
and
socially
by
adults
all
over
the
world,
in
all
cultures
and
all
nations
LOBBY
FOR
FREE
AND
FAIR
ACCESS
FOR
ALL
PEOPLE
TO
THE
RESPONSIBLE
USE
OF
CANNA-
BIS
AND
CANNABIS
PRODUCTS
BENEFITS
OF
CANNABIS
SOCIO-ECONOMIC
BENEFITS

Affordable,
carbon
negative,
fire-
retardant
housing,
easy
to
make
and
build
with

Multiple
industrial
uses
-
job
crea-
tion

Open
market,
eco-friendly
textiles

Easy
to
grow
for
industrial
purposes
–
possible
supplementary
income
for
SAASSA
beneficiaries

Self
empowerment
through
self
em-
ployment
-
eliminate
poverty
by
developing
a
truly
free
and
fair
mar-
ket

Massive
global
demand

Increase
in
tax
revenue
for
govern-
ment
and
municipalities
through
income
tax
and
licenses
HEALTH
BENEFITS

Multiple
medicinal
uses

Super
food
ENVIRONMENTAL
BENEFITS

Carbon
negative
building

Replace
alien
wood
plantations

Reclaim
land
for
conservation

Rapid
growth
cycle
means
more
oxygen
produced
for
longer

Attracts
insect
predators
e.g.
cha-
meleons
and
mantis;
host
plant
for
many
indigenous
pollinators

Excellent
permaculture
plant
SAFETY
AND
SECURITY
BENEFITS
Liberate
police
resources
to
focus
on:

Violent
crime

Crimes
against
women
and
chil-
dren

Drug
dealers

Ending
corruption

Debilitate
organised
criime
CHALLENGES
AND
CHANGEOVER
STRATEGY

Dispelling
the
Stigma
:
-
The
Addiction
Solution
-
The
Gateway
Myth
-
The
Dangerous
Drug
Drama

Amnesty
and
compensation

Cannabis
Control
Bill
and
Council

Free
and
fair
access
to
all
–
tier
system

A PERSPECTIVE ON THE BENEFITS OF LEGALISING CANNABIS IN SOUTH AFRICA
I recently conducted an intense inquiry into current research and information available about Cannabis,
its uses and effects, and the implications of revising legislation regarding Cannabis and its use in S.A. as
is happening globally at the moment. I long ago lost confidence in what most of the “experts” have to
say since they never seem to agree for long, and I wanted to see myself, hear myself, think it through
myself, and verify in my own experience. Put in a very small nutshell, I have found the following:
History
Globally, the law as it relates to Cannabis is extremely outdated and clearly requires major revision. A
short examination of the history of Cannabis Law in South Africa reveals an unscientific and in fact racist
basis for the classification of Cannabis as a drug in the first place in order to outlaw it. To implement
control of the persons most using Cannabis at the time, mostly African and Indian, it was clearly
necessary to “demonise” the plant which had been used by both peoples medicinally, spiritually and
recreationally since time immemorial. This was done to convince the rest of the population, who
constituted the political if not the actual majority at the time, that it was dangerous.
“Make the most of the Indian hemp [Cannabis Sativa] seed, and sow it everywhere!”
Thomas Jefferson’s Garden book 1849.
After the El Paso Ordnance of 1914, meant to control the Mexican weed called “Marihuana”, which was
ultimately used to control Mexican people, the U.S. Department of Treasury created the Federal Bureau
of Narcotics under Commissioner Harry J. Anslinger. This first U.S. Drug Czar initiated the “War on
Marijuana” and lobbied for uniform State Narcotic Law via a vigorous propaganda campaign. As a direct
result of this the Marijuana Tax Act was signed into Law by President Rooseveldt on June, 14 1937
without any public debate, scientific inquiry or political objection.
We are currently experiencing this identical process in reverse with the Medical Innovations Bill –
Government Gazette, 18 February 2014 No. 37349 Page 6 (5) “legalise and regulate the use of
Cannabinoids for medical purposes and for beneficial commercial and industrial use”. The use of the
word “cannabinoids” not “cannabis”, and the specific exclusion of spiritual, social, agricultural and
nutritional use, suggest that the process is being driven by the Corporate World. Let us not make the
same mistake twice, this time by allowing a monopolisation of the healing properties found in the
Cannabis plant which actually require zero beneficiation to create positive results.
In fact, the U.S. Government’s decision to include Cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug, together with heroin
and other pharmaceutical drugs, was a political platform and went against the findings of Federal
researchers at the time. This was a political move to create the “War on Drugs” still being waged, and
costing taxpayers countless billions of wasted dollars. Moreover this framework was imposed on the
rest of the world via inclusion in International Treaties which still hold sway today and dictate policy in
smaller countries, as the consequences for breaking the treaties are complex and severe.
"Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth & protection of the country." - Thomas Jefferson

Stigma
The remnants of the stigma created to sell prohibition remain prevalent even today, despite the wealth
of current information, research, investigation and the verified experience of millions of people as to
the many benefits the plant has to offer. In fact, what becomes obvious in any in depth look at the
situation to date is that the criminalisation of Cannabis use has caused many, many more problems than
it has ever solved.
Prohibition has actually clearly increased the incidence of addiction to drugs such as cocaine, heroin,
methamphetamines, mandrax and many other illegal and obviously dangerous drugs with clearly visible
and identifiable negative effects, even to the layman. At a recent forum on the effect of the legalisation
of Cannabis on International Treaties, Sandeep Chawla , Former Executive Director of the U.N. Office on
Drugs and Crime said the following :
“We may eventually get to the first step to remove what was quite clearly the weakest and most
vulnerable point of the whole [International Control System] which was something that has been
obvious for thirty years, but that nobody has ever been able to do anything about because of the dead-
weight of multi-lateral consensus, and that was to include Cannabis in the same control regime as
heroin and cocaine and methamphetamine. That auditing needs to be removed from the system.”
He goes on to say : “and what we have to I think guard against , is that there are too many vested
interests in the world in favour of keeping the present system ticking over as it is, and those vested
interests need to be tackled.”
In fact, before this document was even complete two big pharmaceutical companies announced their
intention to produce trademarked Cannabis drugs, in other words to cash in on the legalisation of
Cannabis and corner the market with patents. In fact, it becomes clear that they are actually behind or
at least supporting the movement because they stand to make trillions of dollars out of the products. It
is therefore essential that Cannabis be made fully and freely available to all South Africans as a
genetically pure natural resource for responsible use.
Cannabis is to date a genetically pure plant, occurring globally, which offers massive medicinal,
industrial, agricultural, ecological, and socio-economic benefits to the man on the street. Millions of
growers have proven that anyone can make use of it in a myriad ways with a little willingness to learn.
This may sound strange as it is the exact opposite of what we have been told by the “experts” for a long
time. However, it does not take an expert to look rationally at any situation and to see, by looking at
the results, whether something has worked or not, and what is true or not. It is also not hard to see
that the stigma of Marijuana as a “dangerous drug” is extremely beneficial to the big pharmaceutical
companies.
Effects of Prohibition
How is it then that outlawing the use of the Cannabis plant and its derivatives has actually empowered
and expanded the organised drug trade and thus created so much misery through addiction?

As far as I can see, the Law on Cannabis is neither clearly written nor clearly implemented and this sends
a terribly mixed message. The gist of the common consensus since I became aware of Cannabis 30
years ago seems to have remained thus:
“We’ll turn a blind eye if you are growing a bush or two or carrying a small amount, and we won’t be
too hard on you for smoking a joint or two, just don’t make money out of it because it is illegal!”
Well, this can only be confusing, especially to young people who have already, mostly by their parents,
been introduced to alcohol, the legal gateway mind altering substance, long before they even become
teenagers. So, curiosity and availability are both present and here’s the rub.
Because Cannabis has been made illegal, it can only be obtained from drug dealers, who are most
definitely going to try and push their product by fair means or foul, especially onto the vulnerable – the
young and/or uninformed. That is how come many regular, responsible Cannabis smokers prefer to
grow their own.
Drug dealers are very aware of the cycle of addiction and how to lure someone deeper into their
products and thus line their pockets more. According to the media releases we see about how much is
confiscated in comparison to say heroin, LSD, cocaine, methamphetamines etc., cured (dried) Cannabis
certainly seems to be their bulk seller. This is despite the fact that its intoxicative effect when smoked is
as mild as, if not much milder than, social drinking and nowhere near as hectic as heavy drinking.
Most people who access Cannabis are, certainly initially, simply curious as to what all the fuss is about.
Those who find benefit (from profound medical benefits to feels good, relaxes, eases tension, an
escape, causes introspection and/or a heightened state of awareness, a feeling of togetherness when
used socially)in continuing to use it have to come back to the dealers and risk a prison sentence and all
that goes with it. It is quite expensive, anything from R5 – R140 per gram, because of the risk borne by
growers and sellers due to the fact it is illegal, and this really enriches and empowers major dealers
whose main aim is to push cocaine, heroin and crystal meth which are ultimately more lucrative to
them due to their extreme addictive properties.
Under prohibition, we are handing them a captive, vulnerable market called our children, and most
especially our poor children, who due to a lack of legitimate opportunity and other social problems, get
sucked into drug crime via gangs as runners or watchers, and who may eventually become drug dealers,
addicts or violent criminals.
Plus, if youngsters do happen to spend some time behind bars whilst the wheels of “justice” slowly
grind, they come into contact with hardened criminals at the least, and what little self-worth, self-
confidence, self-esteem they may have had left takes a real knock - this can literally be the beginning of
the end of the road for them; and we have created yet more potential hardened criminals. And the
organisers of crime smile all the way to the bank – they definitely do not want us to legalise Cannabis.
They are aware that this move will liberate massive police and legal resources (funding, manpower,
equipment, etc.) that would all then be free to focus on the actual problem – manufactured drugs
which destroy lives and are almost all potentially lethal.
When a young person is caught with Cannabis, they are often offered a choice by the justice system –
rehab or prison! Obviously, they choose rehab and so they are doubly stigmatised because now they are
self-confessed “addicts” and criminals. This has been said to have skewed our addiction statistics for
years.

Most Cannabis users I have known, outside of the rehab situation, will report a distinct lack of
indications of addiction e.g. there are no commonly reported severe physical withdrawal symptoms,
unlike tobacco which has been rated as 5 times more addictive than heroin; which is legal and which has
a whole industry available to assist with quitting.
From what I have observed, people can go ages between smoking Cannabis with no real problems
greater than possibly a desire to repeat the experience (unless of course they are smoking it to mask or
self-medicate a serious underlying medical problem). The potential is obviously there for psychological
addiction, but as far as I can see, no more so than for coffee, chocolate, shopping or watching TV. The
actual problems only seem to appear when Cannabis is used in conjunction with addictive drugs, such
as mandrax and including alcohol and/tobacco, and then the physical addiction is to the other
substance.
Recent research, investigation and documentation by real people in real situations has destroyed every
serious negative allegation regarding the responsible use of Cannabis and its derivatives that I am aware
of, and yet the state, even in its most recent legal responses , is still trying to convince us that it is “a
dangerous drug” and yet quote no recent, independent, documented evidence to support this claim.
This is laughable to people who are actually in the know i.e. with verified experience, and many
recovering addicts can testify to the role Cannabis has played in their recovery from drug addictions and
to the fact that it helps keep them off drugs.
There are some mild side effects to smoking Cannabis (not necessarily present in the medicinal
preparations) i.e. dry mouth, hunger, possible paranoia due to a marked increase in self-awareness – in
other words what is running in the persons sub-conscious mind becomes quite glaringly clear and this
can be quite uncomfortable to some.
In the words of Joey Gouws (Director of the Medicines Control Council) in a legal response “the most
common unpleasant side effects of occasional Cannabis use are anxiety and panic-reactions. These
effects may be reported by naive users, and they are a common reason for discontinuation of use;” so
even those opposing the legalisation admit that it is basically self-regulating.
Medical Use of Cannabis
Ed Rosethal’s “Marijuana Growers Handbook” , 2010 states “To date, the results of 79 controlled
clinical trials on humans have been published, along with more than 15,000 peer reviewed scientific
articles on the chemistry and pharmacology of cannabis and cannabinoids, as well as more than 2,000
articles on the body’s natural endocannabinoids.” The research has been done.
Furthermore, Cannabis has been shown in government studies (particularly in the U.S.A.) to be “the
least toxic plant known to mankind - it is physically impossible for a human being to overdose on
Cannabis” Read the book ‘marihuana reconsidered’ by Dr. Lester Grinspoon, M.D. (Associate Professor
of Psychiatry (Emeritus), Harvard Medical School.
And in fact pure, organically grown Cannabis is actually less toxic than the very food we eat due to our
crops constantly being sprayed with poisonous pesticides, herbicides and fungicides which have been

repeatedly proven to contain substances which cause cancer, and which are linked to the development
of many other disorders and diseases.
Not only is Cannabis non-toxic, but it has been proven highly effective in the treatment of a whole host
of life-threatening diseases, including but not limited to, cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy,
depression, HIV AIDS wasting disease; many serious conditions such as cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s,
asthma, diabetes, glaucoma as well as many “minor” ailments such as migraines, insomnia, arthritis,
severe skeleto-muscular pain and many, many others.
“Cannabinoids [the active components found in the flowers or buds of the Cannabis plant]may cause
antitumor effects by various mechanisms, including induction of cell death, inhibition of cell growth, and
inhibition of tumour angiogenesis invasion and metastasis.[9-12] Two reviews summarize the molecular
mechanisms of action of cannabinoids as antitumor agents.[13,14] Cannabinoids appear to kill tumour
cells but do not affect their no transformed counterparts and may even protect them from cell death.
For example, these compounds have been shown to induce apoptosis in glicoma cells in culture and
induce regression of glioma tumours in mice and rats, while they protect normal glial cells of astroglial
and oligodendroglial lineages from apoptosis mediated by the CB1 receptor.” Cannabis and
Cannabinoids (PDQ®) - National Cancer Institute.
It is important to note that the big pharmaceutical companies have been buying up patents on
synthesised Cannabinoids for decades. However, due to the massive complexity of the molecules
involved and the complex system of interaction between the components, as well as the human body’s
ability to synthesise them (the endo-cannabinoid system), it is impossible to recreate synthetically what
is already available through nature in pure perfection in the raw plant. Synthetic Cannabinoids have
proved to be disappointing facsimiles to date and are unnecessary since anyone can actually grow and
use Cannabis in all aspects, including medicinally, with just a little effort and learning.
Under current law in South Africa we can all already apply for permission to use Cannabis medicinally
via a doctor and the MCC, only we are told that it will take months to process any application, and there
is simply not always time for red tape when a life is at stake. Patients are regularly turned away, and
there are currently around 4000 license applications pending as there is “no protocol to issue licenses.”
Then there is always the problem of supply – I am really not sure how that works out and haven’t
managed to find out as the response from the MCC was apathetic at best! Sadly, Cannabis Oil, due to
its illegal status is currently only considered in desperation when all other options have been exhausted
and, even at this late stage, fantastic results are being experienced.
As I write this I am vitally aware of the actual, verifiable, documented success being created with THC
and CBD oils, and that people who care enough to risk everything to do this are being criminalised and
jailed; of one particular child whose parents have run out of conventional options and who simply will
not, even as a last resort, overcome the conditioned thinking around Cannabis to give their young son
one last (albeit very late) shot at living; of one particular young mother who was given a ten year jail
sentence for successfully treating her young child’s cancer with Cannabis; and of a young neighbour
who has been successfully treating tumours and other ailments on horses, and whose Cannabis tincture
prevented the diabetes related amputation of a woman’s leg – all documented - just before being
(illegally) arrested, publicly humiliated, slandered and criminalised in the public eye of our community.
And of the hundreds of thousands of people whose lives have been severely impacted by the
enforcement of an irrational, unjust law that has never contributed positively to the people of South
Africa.

I am equally aware of the wonderful success Kim and Greg (names withheld to protect from
criminalisation) have created treating cancer with THC oil, with the results being witnessed by her G.P.
They are currently working with 49 patients and 2 doctors, and have to do so in secret as what they are
doing is against the Law. As do many, many others.
Curing cancer is illegal.
A short summary of the other benefits of making the responsible and regulated use of Cannabis fully
and freely available to all are:
Socio-economic:
 Used to create building materials e.g. the Cannabrick - a highly flame retardant, durable, eco-
friendly, cost effective, easy to make structural block. No more burning shacks in which
children constantly die – there is no excuse with this resource available to us.
 The spin off to industrial use is obviously the vast opportunity for self-employment, job-
creation, creating true and sustainable financial independence for the willing, as well as a form
of independent “sheltered” self-employment for people currently on pensions/grants as this
stuff grows everywhere, and with little to no care for the industrial grade raw material (the
stems)
 Commonly referred to as hemp in industrial products, Cannabis is also used to create a whole
list of products from rope/twine to fabric , paper and plastic, and even bio-fuels like ethanol.
Some of the very first internal combustion engines ran on Ethanol before the birth of the petro
-chemicals industry. Most mechanics today understand how to facilitate an engine running on
ethanol, and in fact ethanol is till used in our petrol. We just don’t know it.
Health:
 Highly nutritious and is considered a “super food”. Can be taken in powder form as a meal
supplement or substitute. Seeds are edible and purported to contain every amino acid
required for the human body to thrive. I have bought them over the counter for R27 for a Kg
as “hemp” seeds for parrot food. See Article: “What is Hemp? Understanding the[semantic]
Differences Between Hemp and Cannabis”
 Optional alternate natural medication to scheduled pharmaceutical drugs which often have
lists of nasty side effects
 Used to treat a host of illnesses, diseases and disorders 700 MEDICINAL USES OF CANNABIS
SORTED BY DISEASE http://www.encod.org/info/700-MEDICINAL-USES-OF-CANNABIS.html

 Has been successfully used to wean patients off psychotropic prescription drugs many of
which have awful side effects, and can be a non-invasive, non-addictive substitute treatment.
Agricultural:
 Excellent companion plant for organic farming, permaculture and individual veggie gardens on
a controlled scale – provides abundant mulch, attracts predators e.g. chameleons and praying
mantis which help reduce pests, host for local beneficial pollinating insects, nitrogen fixer,
fibrous material for composting;
 Far more effective and cost efficient to produce and manufacture than cotton and wood
 Provide employment and opportunities for self-employment in the agricultural sector – every
part of the plant is viable for processing into products – zero waste. It is a quick turnover cash
crop which can finance other more complex crops with inherent risks.
Ecological:
 Cannabis can be used to make biofuels e.g. ethanol for transport (CannaZine.co.uk) Belarus
Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov said: "We consider ethanol to be one of the most promising
and sustainable sources of cheap and nature-friendly energy, and we have several advantages
for its production here.”
 Cannabis is a viable substitute for paper and the usual plastic made from the by-products of
the petro-chemical industry. Bio-degradable plastic!
 Paper made from Cannabis not only helps save trees, much less space is required when
growing Cannabis for paper or fuel, so more land is made available for rehabilitating and
restoring natural forest.
 Cannabis has a POSITIVE carbon footprint in that its growth cycle is so much quicker than trees
and relatively speaking more surface area is devoted to photosynthesis which uses Carbon
Dioxide and produces Oxygen.
 Researchers have shown that Cannabis can neutralise radioactivity in the soil and completely
eradicate high levels within 7 years. "Hemp is proving to be one of the best phyto-remediative
plants we have been able to find," said Slavik Dushenkov, a research science with PHYTOTECH.
Test results have been promising and CGP, PHYOTECH and the Bast Institute plan full scale
trials in the Chernobyl region in the spring of 1999.

Safety and Security:
 Disempower organised crime and free SAPS resources, manpower and equipment to
concentrate on eradicating the manufacture and sale of drugs such as heroin, cocaine, LSD,
crystal meth, mandrax, tuk etc. etc. and to
 Enable the establishment of specialist sectors with highly trained, experts to man drug
trafficking investigations, thereby reducing elements of corruption in the general body of the
S.A.P.S.
 Concentrate on investigating violent crimes, sexual crimes, crimes against children - neglect
and abuse, human trafficking, muthi murders, and of course the infernal robberies, theft and
fraud, fraud and more fraud; and making their cases so well that the perpetrators of these
crimes can actually be called to stand accountable in our courts.
 Concentrate on rooting out corruption
 Serve and protect the citizens of this nation to whom they are actually accountable.
Tourism and Rural Development:
 Plenty of opportunities for marketing products locally and overseas
 South African Cannabis is prized overseas where Cannabis clubs are a growing trend - there is
already massive foreign interest, including inquiries from Holland and Canada for rtheaw
flowers/buds.
I do not waste space in the above quoting references – there are simply too many and I have given an
independent perspective constructed from much reading, watching, listening and debating. I have
however, made a short list below of interesting articles, documentaries, forums and research papers
that I found valuable in my inquiry. I do ask that if you see the sense in what I am saying, to please
investigate, verify and then become actively involved in the lobby for free and fair access to the
responsible use of Cannabis for all.
Resources and references:
Documentaries:
 The Union https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrFctR0G0fY
 In Pot We Trust https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T30G1Qdceo
 The History of Marijuana http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/grass/
 The Culture High www.theculturehigh.com/

 Medical Cannabis & its Impact on Human Health
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Md2WNqqxTQ
 Dr. Christina Sanchez – How THC Kills Cancer Cells
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njCiE9XFdgg
 60 Minutes The Marijuana Effect https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6tT38Upb_0
 Weed Country
 Fire test on Hempcrete https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeW6kuZgPY4
 60 Minutes Australia: "Green Rush" (2014) https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=aF94RVuX9dM
 Charlotte’s Web – CBD for Epilepsy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9qkYLtAhSQ
 Drug Prohibition - End of the Road http://www.rts.ch/play/tv/temps-present/video/drug-
prohibition-the-end-of-the-road?id=6033362
Books:
 marihuana reconsidered by Dr. Lester Grinspoon, M.D. (Associate Professor of Psychiatry
(Emeritus), Harvard Medical School
 Marijuana Growers Handbook by Ed Rosethal
Forums:
 www.cannabis.reforms.co.za
 http://www.canceractive.com/cancerchat/
 http://patientnexus.forumotion.net/
Articles and Research Papers – A very, very small selection to start with:
 http://londoncannabisclub.com/20-medical-studies-prove-cannabis-can-cure-cancer/
 Cancer http://www.canceractive.com/cancer-active-page-link.aspx?n=3146
 Lung Cancer http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070417193338.htm
 Cancer http://www.southerncannabis.org/medical-marijuana/44-medical-studies-cannabis-
treats-cancer
 Other http://www.amazon.com/Comprehensive-Cannabis-Movement-Extracts-Diseases-
ebook/dp/B00FZVRYL2

 http://www.truthonpot.com/2013/07/13/scientists-discover-another-way-marijuana-helps-
the-brain-grow/
 http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.subissues.php?issueID=000029
 http://medicalmarijuana.com/treatments-with-medical-marijuana-cannabis
 http://www.tikun-olam.info/
There is a wealth of information on the web.
PLEASE NOTE THE “DELTA9” LINKS ON MANY OF THE SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL PAGES – A CLEAR
INDICATION OF BIG PHARM’S ATTEMPTS TO HI-JACK THE CANNABIS CURE REVOLUTION ESTABLISHED
BY THE PIONEERS OF CANNABIS AND CANNABIS OIL TREATMENT WHO HAVE BEEN CRIMINALISED
AND MARGINALISED ALL OVER THE WORLD.
 radiation http://www.nationofchange.org/did-government-give-industrial-hemp-
pass-clean-radiation-states-1392388637
 fuel http://www.ethanolhistory.com/
 concrete www.intenafrica.org
THE MEDICAL INNOVATIONS ACT INTRODUCED TO PARLIAMENT BY THE LATE
MARIO AMBROSINI (IFP MP)

COMMENTARY ON THE MEDICAL INNOVATIONS BILL
GOVERNMENT GAZETTE No. 37349 dd 18 February 2014 PAGE 6 (5)
- based on the article thereon posted by “Sticky Scissors” in Below the Lion 19th
Feb 2014 -
1
“legalising the use of cannabis” - This is not true. As per the attached copy the bill refers to
“cannabinoids” the complex molecular components of the plant not the Cannabis plant itself.
Dr. Lester Grinspoon, M.D. Associate Professor of Psychiatry (Emeritus), Harvard Medical School
describes this well. “There are presently some states which are in the process of enacting medical
marijuana legislation which would restrict the legal availability of cannabis to the single cannabinoid
cannabidiol (CBD) a policy which makes little sense. CBD is one of the more than 60 cannabinoids in the
plant but it is, in itself, not nearly as useful as a medicine. The most useful medical strains are those
which contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and CBD in the presence of terpinoids.” A similar principle
applies here.
He describes how, due to the complexity of the molecular structures and the complex interaction
between the many active components, and indeed the manner in which the human body synthesises
them via the endo-cannabanoid system, it makes little sense to alter the raw plant through
pharmaceutical beneficiation. Indeed, although there are numerous legal synthetic pharmaceutical
cannabinoidal drugs already available, they are not effective whereas the raw plant, and its most
basic extracts e.g. THC and CBD oil, are highly effective. These are the naturally derived medicines
(which we can learn to make ourselves if we choose to) that are curing cancer and controlling epilepsy,
right now . Moreover, millions of people are benefitting medicinally from simply smoking the cured
flowers/buds. The smoking of Cannabis alone has been show to create a reduced risk (less than 1%) of
lung complications than even non-smokers. The risk for tobacco smokers is 2000 x higher.
How come then did Mr. Ambrosini and Mr. Stransham-Ford choose to use the word “Cannabinoids”
here. And how on earth can Cannabinoids be used “for beneficial commercial and industrial use”?
These do not even fall under the domain of the Medical Innovations Bill.
The way pharmaceutical companies work is to take a plant/substance with medicinal properties, extract
the effective ingredient at great cost, synthesise it and then market it as medicine, preferably a
Scheduled drug. There are huge profits to be made from cornering the market in Cannabis, and in the
process excluding the actual pioneers of these treatments, none of whom are doctors.
2
Mr. Stransham –Ford, as well as being co-author of the Medical Innovations Bill, is leading the
Constitutional Challenge to “legalise cannabis” via the “Dagga Couple” and “Fields of Green for All”. All
three have been linked to a company called Plandai-Biotech
via telephone calls, documentary exchange and previously
undisclosed meetings.
Plandai purportedly owns assets in Mpumalanga and have
been granted a massive loan from the S.A. Land Bank -
“$100mm Rand ($13mm at the time but now $10mm) borrowing from the Land and Agriculture Bank of
South Africa” - as well as reported loans from the Dept. of Trade and Industries.

They claim to be producing “green tea” extract and have openly declared their intention to “navigate
the complex Cannabis Laws in South Africa”.
To date a satisfactory explanation as to the purpose of their dealings with Plandai has not been
received. An entire dossier is available regarding this, the information being too much to present
here.
3
“Under current legislation medical practitioners are legally denied the right to
prescribe...cannabis”
This is not true. Medical practitioners have always been allowed to prescribe Cannabis and patients still
have access to apply via the Medicines Control Council under the Directorship of Pharmacologist Joey
Gouws. To date there are a reported 4000 odd license applications outstanding because “there is no
protocol for their issue”. Patients already have legal access to treatment with the Cannabis plant via
doctors – this access is simply not being granted.
4
“cannabis, a plant that’s in the public domain, can’t be patented.”
“Plandaí's live-plant extraction process recovers phytonutrients from plant material in a mainly nano
particle form and rearranges the antioxidants (polyenes) into a format bio-compatible with humans and
animals. In addition, through Plandaí's agreement with North West University, South Africa, the
company holds the world license to the Pheroid® patented entrapment system to deliver protected
Phytofare™ antioxidants to the white blood cells.”
See also U.S. Patent 6630507B1 (Page 17)
5
“government was not funding research”
“Many of those who staunchly defend sustaining the prohibition against marijuana believe we do not
yet know enough about cannabis to be able to make the kinds of decisions which are now necessary.
Despite the US government’s three-quarter century-long prohibition of marijuana and its confinement
to Schedule 1, it is nonetheless one of the most studied therapeutically active substances in history. At
this time a keyword search on PebMed reveals that there are over 20,000 published studies or reviews
in the scientific literature referencing the cannabis plant and its cannabinoids, and the number is
growing almost exponentially; half of them were published within the past five years. Over 1,400 peer-
reviewed papers were published in 2013 alone.” Dr. Lester Grinspoon.
Sufficient research has been done to warrant the legitimate use of the Cannabis plant as medicine.
6
“one or more research hospitals where medical innovation can take place” medical
innovation has been taking place globally by the very same people who have been criminalised and
victimised for their work. The Medical Innovations Bill is not an attempt to make the medicinal use of
Cannabis legal, it is an attempt by the Corporate Pharmaceutical/Medical world to hijack the medicinal

use of Cannabis using our legal system. Please note, the shareholders of these companies are NOT
medical professionals, they are wealthy businessmen.
7 “
dispensation that would only permit doctors in research hospitals that are authorized by the
Minister of Health to prescribe and administer cannabis based medicine”
 This is not necessary. The research has been done. The results speak for themselves.
“It is also clear that the realities of human need are incompatible with the demand for a legally
enforceable distinction between medicine and all other uses of cannabis. Marijuana simply does not
conform to the conceptual boundaries established by twentieth-century institutions. It is truly a sui
generis substance; is there another relatively non-toxic drug which is capable of heightening many
pleasures, has a large and growing number of medical uses and has the potential to enhance some
individual capacities? The only workable way of realizing the full potential of this remarkable substance,
including its full medical potential, is to free it from the present dual set of regulations - those that
control prescription drugs in general and the special criminal laws that control psychoactive
substances. These mutually reinforcing laws establish a set of social categories that strangle its
uniquely multifaceted potential. The only way out is to cut the knot by giving marihuana the same
status as alcohol - legalizing it for adults for all uses and removing it entirely from the medical and
criminal control systems.” Dr. Lester Grinspoon.
9 “
Cannabis as a treatment for cancer has been well documented in the scientific community” – so what is the
point of all of the above?
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!
10 “
every day there are more and more cannabis and cancer success stories” – This is true in South Africa
and globally. It is not the doctors and pharmacists creating these results, but the growers and
beneficiators who risk everything to bring natural medicine to their clients, because the cure for cancer
is still illegal.
11 “
Ambrosini publically stated that he was pursuing an alternative treatment to his cancer” – and he
obtained his medicine from an illegal source, as so many others have who are currently still being
arrested and imprisoned. How come he was not?
12
“At this point, I shall not speak or vouch for such a treatment, nor discredit it. My death or survival will do so”
Mario Ambrosini’s death can in NO way be an indicator of the Cannabis plant’s success or failure as a
treatment for cancer, since he died from (3) gunshot wounds.

U.S. Patent No. 6,630,507 B1
Patent No. 6630507, held by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, covers the use of
cannabinoids for treating a wide range of diseases.
Under U.S. federal law, marijuana is defined as having no medical use. So it might come as a surprise to hear that the
government owns one of the only patents on marijuana as a medicine.
The patent (US6630507) is titled “Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants” and was awarded to the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in October 2003.
It was filed four years earlier, in 1999, by a group of scientists from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH),
which is part of the National Institute of Health (NIH).
What is Patent No. 6630507?
The patent claims exclusive rights on the use of cannabinoids for treating neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s,
Parkinson’s and stroke, and diseases caused by oxidative stress, such as heart attack, Crohn’s disease, diabetes and
arthritis.
Cannabinoids are a diverse class of compounds that include many of the unique compounds found in marijuana. A
number of experts, including CNN’s chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, have noted the contradiction between
federal marijuana law and the government’s patent.
“The United States government owns a patent on marijuana as a medical application… So we have a patent through our
Department of HHS on marijuana as a therapeutic and we also schedule it as a Schedule I.”
It is easy to think of the patent as a patent on marijuana itself. However, this would be inaccurate, since the patent actually
covers non-psychoactive cannabinoids (both synthetic and natural), meaning those that don’t cause a high. The patent
also covers only a specific application of these cannabinoids and not the production or use of marijuana and cannabinoids
overall.
Note: It is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC (the psychoactive cannabinoid) which has been proven to be the
most effective element in eliminating cancer cells, treating nausea, pain, wasting from loss of appetite,
muscular tension, Chrones, and stops seizures mid-seizure without any side effects.
DRAFT CANNABIS CONTROL BILL 2015

THE LOBBY— A PLAN OF ACTION

Page 20

Purpose of the Bill
 To regulate the growing, breeding, consumption and trading of Cannabis and its related products in a
manner which promotes responsible use
 To place an age restriction on the consumption of Cannabis i.e.18
 To regulate the advertisement and commercial promotion of Cannabis as per tobacco
 To restrict the use of Cannabis in public areas as per tobacco
 To treat Cannabis in an evidence based manner based current research already done
 To establish the Cannabis Regulation Council
 To define protocols and establish facility for further research and development, and FET training
Suggested Methods of Regulation
 Remove Cannabis from the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act Number 140 of 19921
 Remove Cannabis from the Medicines and Related Substances Act Number 101 of 19652
 Repeal criminal records and deal with incarcerations related to Cannabis
 Through intervention with government, stakeholders and the DTI, set the relevant regulatory agreements
with regard to :
○ Licence the growing of cannabis.
○ Create a licensing structure for the sale of cannabis.
○ Labelling and warning protocols at point of sale.
● Create the offence of providing cannabis to children, except under medical supervision.
● Define advertising regulations.
● Place restrictions on the use of cannabis in public.
● Describe local municipal regulation over sale and consumption.
● Create and maintain an environment that precludes monopolisation
● Forbid the import, use and testing of GMO cannabis.
 Forbid the use of Glyphosate in cannabis eradication.
Effects of Legalising Cannabis
● Reduces number of arrests and criminal convictions.
○ Reduces prison population.
○ Reduces the caseload of the criminal justice system.
● Reduces availability to children and protects them from organised crime.
● Regulatory measures allow for accurate determination of the supply of cannabis.
● Licensed retail outlets equate to a safer product.
○ Better protection for the consumer.
○ Enforcement of quality standards.
● Prevents environmental impact.
1 http://www.justice.gov.za/legislation/acts/1992140.pdf
2 http://elearning.trree.org/pluginfile.php/34682/mod_folder/content/0/ationalLegislationactMedicinesRelatedSubstancesControl1011965.
pdf?forcedownl www.cannabis.reforms.co.za
1
● Eliminate poverty initiative Agricultural and secondary economic income can be formalised.
 Establishment of a licit market to divert funds away from organised crime and gangsterism.

Spectrum of cannabis policy options and their likely effects
Criteria of the Cannabis Industry Tier System
● Licences are only given to S.A. identity document holders who meet requirements.
● Special licence for Tier 1 may be granted to legitimate permanent residents of S.A.
● Any person found to be operating outside of their licensee's regulatory agreements
will be fined and/or lose their licence for a period no less than 4 years, depending
on the severity of the offense.
● Tier 1 can form cooperatives of no more than 10 individual members per coop.
● No other Tier may form cooperatives.
● No more than 10% of arable land on any farm or smallholding may be used for the
growing of Cannabis.
● Freehold land to be regulated in accordance with mainstream property.
● Annual licence application. Covering agricultural year August to July.
● No licence holder may apply for more than one licence.
● Licence holders must adhere to security qualifications to prevent theft and
unwanted access to plants and product for each licence.
● Labelling of products must comply with rules and regulations.
www.cannabis.reforms.co.za 2
Cannabis Industry Tiers

Tier 1 Cannabis Agriculture:
1. Individual : 10m2 per licence.
2. Cooperative : With a maximum of 10 individual licence holders per cooperative .
3. SMME : Maximum 5ha per licence. Maximum 1 SMME licence per farm, not allowed to form
cooperatives, can only sell fresh f lowering tops and seeds to a Tier 2 licence holder. Industrial useable
products fiber and hurd may be used for whatever purpose without further restriction.
Tier 2 Cannabis Industry:
Industry: Allows for the purchasing of fresh cannabis flowering heads and beneficiation of seed, flowering heads for
further processing. No Tier 2 may form cooperatives.
Tier 2: Trade their beneficiated products to a Tier 3.
Tier 3: Cannabis Retail:
● Shopfront retail this includes establishments that allow open spaces catering for consumption on the
premises.
 Formalised market of registered stalls at a farmers market or traders market in compliance with local
municipal bylaws.
3
3

Suggested licence fees:
1. Tier 1 Cannabis Agriculture
i. Individual R 100
ii. Cooperative members individual licences.
iii. SMME R 500 p/ha
2. Tier 2 Cannabis Industry R 5,000
3. Tier 3 Cannabis Retail R 1,500
Licence fees will go to the running of the Cannabis Regulatory Council, to be established through due public process,
which will oversee compliance with all regulatory agreements including licence applications, holders and
transgressors.
Suggested equitable access. Implementation year licence for all South African citizens:
Tier 1, Individual and the first 2 Ha of S MME l licence free, where after the annual licence renewal fee will
become due and payable going forward.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A DRAFT AND CONSTITUTES THE PLATFORM
FOR AN EQUITABLE BILL TO BE DEVELOPED AND COMMENTED ON BY
THE CITIZENS OF SOUTH AFRICA IN THE PUBLIC FORUM. GAZETTE
AND ADOPTED IT CAN SERVE AS A TEMPORARY LEGAL MEASURE TO
SAVE PEOPLE’S LIVES UNTIL FULLER AND MORE EXTENSIVE
LEGISLATION CAN BE DEVELOPED BY THE BEST LEGISLATORS ON THE
REQUEST OF THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA. FROM THESE ROOTS.
www.cannabis.reforms.co.za
4
Dr. Lester Grinspoon: Whither Cannabinopathic Medicine
By Dr. Lester Grinspoon, Cannabis Culture - Thursday, January 8 2015

Document Title
CANNABIS CULTURE - Given all the excitement and activity surrounding cannabis as a medicine over the last few
decades, one might think that this is a new therapeutic discovery. Actually, its use as a medicine is ancient.
A native of Central Asia, cannabis (hemp) may have been cultivated as long ago as 10,000 years. It was certainly
cultivated in China by 4000 BC and in Turkestan by 3000 BC. It has long been used as a medicine in India, China, the
Middle East, Southeast Asia, South Africa, and South America. In an herbal published during the reign of the Chinese
emperor Chen Nung 5000 years ago cannabis was recommended for malaria, constipation, rheumatic pains,
"absentmindedness" and "female disorders." One Chinese herbalist recommended a mixture of hemp, resin, and wine as
an analgesic during surgery. In India cannabis had been recommended to quicken the mind, lower fevers, induce sleep,
cure dysentery, stimulate appetite, improve digestion, relieve headache, and cure venereal disease. In Africa it was used
for dysentery, malaria, and other fevers.
Today certain tribes treat snakebite with hemp, or smoke it before childbirth. Hemp was also noted as a remedy by Galen
and other physicians of the classical and Hellenistic eras, and it was highly valued in medieval Europe. The English
clergyman Robert Burton, in his famous work The Anatomy of Melancholy, published in 1621, suggested the use of
cannabis in the treatment of depression. The New English Dispensatory of 1764 recommended applying hemp roots to the
skin for inflammation, a remedy that was already popular in Eastern Europe. The Edinburgh New Dispensary of 1794
included a long description of the effects of hemp and stated that it was useful in the treatment of coughs, venereal
disease, and urinary incontinence.
However, in the West cannabis did not come into its own as a medicine until the mid-19th century. The first Western
physician to take an interest in cannabis as medicine was W. B. O’Shaughnessy, a young professor at the Medical College
of Calcutta, who had observed its use in India.
He gave cannabis to animals, satisfied himself that it was safe, and began to use it with patients suffering from rabies,
rheumatism, epilepsy, and tetanus. In a report published in 1839, he wrote that he had found Cannabis Indica (a solution
of cannabis in alcohol, taken orally) to be an effective analgesic. He was also impressed with its muscle-relaxant
properties and called it "an anticonvulsive remedy of the greatest value."
O'Shaughnessy returned to England in 1842 and provided cannabis to pharmacists. Doctors in Europe and the United
States soon began to prescribe it for a variety of physical conditions. Cannabis was even given by her court physician to
Queen Victoria for the treatment of her painful pre-menstrual cramps. Pharmacies welcomed the arrival of this "new"
medicine, Cannabis Indica, because at that time their shelves held few truly effective drugs to offer the practitioners of
allopathic medicine. As its use became increasingly widespread, clinical reports on cannabis accumulated, and by the turn
of the century more than 100 papers had been published in the WesteRN medical literature recommending it for various
illnesses and discomforts and extolling its remarkably limited toxicity. It was admitted to the United States Pharmacopeia
in 1850, and commercial cannabis preparations soon became widely distributed through drugstores.
The decline in the usage of Cannabis Indica began toward the end of the 19th century. Both the potency of cannabis
preparations and its absorption from the bowel were too variable, and individual responses to orally ingested cannabis
seemed erratic and unpredictable. (The fact that cannabis could be smoked was unknown at that time and so it was
delivered as an alcoholic solution.)

Another reason for the decline of interest in the analgesic properties of cannabis was the greatly increased use of opiates after the invention of the
hypodermic syringe in the 1850s allowed soluble drugs to be injected for fast relief of pain; cannabis products are insoluble in water and so cannot easily be
administered by injection. The end of the 19th century saw the development of such synthetic drugs as aspirin and the first barbiturate. Two of the most
common symptoms for which Cannabis Indica was prescribed were pain and insomnia, and now physicians could prescribe easy-to-take pills of known
potency for these two problems, hastening the decline of cannabis as a medicine. But the new drugs had striking disadvantages. Many people die from
aspirin-induced bleeding each year in the United States, and barbiturates were, of course, far more dangerous.
But the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 was the ultimate death-knell for Cannabis Indica. This law was the culmination of a campaign organized by the Federal
Bureau of Narcotics (predecessor to today’s Drug Enforcement Administration) under Harry Anslinger in which the public was led to believe that cannabis,
now commonly referred to as marijuana, was addictive and that its use led to violent behavior, psychosis, and mental deterioration. The film Reefer Madness,
made as part of Anslinger's campaign, may be a joke to the sophisticated today, but it was once regarded as a serious attempt to address a social problem; the
atmosphere and attitudes it exemplified and promoted continue to influence our culture, albeit much less so today.
The Marijuana Tax Act was not directly aimed at the medical use of cannabis; its purpose was to discourage recreational marijuana use. Almost incidentally
the law made medical use of cannabis difficult because of the extensive paperwork and fees required. Its removal from the United States Pharmacopeia and
the National Formulary in 1942 signaled both the end of physicians’ interest in and allopathic medicine's institutional embrace of cannabis. Furthermore,
physicians allowed themselves to become ignorant about this drug as they have, since the mid-1930s, been increasingly exposed along with every other
citizen to the deceptive propaganda against marijuana propagated by the United States government and such private organizations as the Partnership for a
Drug Free America.
Pari passu with the explosive growth of the use of marijuana as a recreational drug in the 60s, many users serendipitously rediscovered its usefulness for a
variety of medical problems. By the mid-90s, its desirability as a medicine became so great that states, beginning with California in 1996, began to make its
use legal for specified medical conditions. At present 23 states and the District of Columbia allow for its use as a medicine, despite the fact that the federal
government still considers it a most dangerous substance.
This rapid growth of marijuana as a medicine has occurred in the face of the threat of punishment by the federal government. It continues to be confined to
Schedule 1 of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 as a drug that has a high potential for abuse, lacks accepted medical use,
and is unsafe for use even under medical supervision. It cannot be legally sold as a medicine because the US government will not remove cannabis from
Schedule 1; furthermore, its inclusion in Schedule 1 precludes the possibility of acquiring the research data which is needed before a drug can be approved
by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for commercial distribution.
In 1967, I began my studies of the scientific, medical and other literature with the goal of providing a reasonably objective summary of the data which
underlay its prohibition. Much to my surprise, I found no credible medical or scientific basis for the justification of the prohibition which at that time was
responsible for about 300,000 arrests annually. The assertion that it is a very toxic drug was based on old and new myths. In fact, one of the many
exceptional features of this drug is its remarkably limited toxicity. Compared to aspirin, which people are free to purchase and use without the advice or
prescription of a physician, cannabis is much safer: there are well over 1000 deaths annually from aspirin in the United States alone, whereas there has never
been a death anywhere from marijuana. In fact, by the time cannabis regains its rightful place in the pharmacopoeia around the world, it will be seen as one
of the safest drugs in those compendiums. Moreover, it will eventually be hailed as a "wonder drug" just as penicillin was in the 1940s. Penicillin achieved
this reputation because (1) it was remarkably non-toxic, (2) it was, once it was produced on an economy of scale, quite inexpensive, and (3) it was effective
in the treatment of a variety of infectious diseases. Similarly, cannabis (1) is exceptionally safe, and (2) once freed of the prohibition tariff, will be
significantly less expensive than the conventional pharmaceuticals it replaces while (3) its already impressive medical versatility continues to expand.
Given these characteristics, it should come as no surprise that its use as a medicine, legally or illegally, with or without a recommendation from a physician,
is now growing exponentially around the world. Marijuana is here to stay; there can no longer be any doubt that it is not just another transient drug fad. Like
alcohol, it has become a part of Western culture, a culture which is now trying to find appropriate social, legal and medical accommodations for this new kid
on the block.
In the United States, 23 states and the District of Columbia have established legislation which makes it possible for patients suffering from a variety of
disorders to use the drug legally with a recommendation from a physician. Unfortunately, because each state arrogates to itself the right to define which
symptoms and syndromes may be lawfully treated with cannabis, many patients with legitimate claims to the therapeutic usefulness of this plant must
continue to use it illegally and therefore endure the extra layer of anxiety imposed by its illegality.
California and Colorado are the two states in which the largest number of patients for whom it would be medically useful have the freedom to access it
legally. New Jersey is the most restrictive, and I would guess that only a small fraction of the pool of patients in these states who would find marijuana to be
as or more useful than the invariably more toxic conventional drugs it will displace are allowed legal access to it. Like legislatures in many other states, the
framers of the New Jersey legislation may fear what they see as chaos in the distribution of medical marijuana in California and Colorado, a fear born of their
concern that the more liberal parameters of medical use adopted in these states have allowed its access to many people who use it for other than strictly
medicinal reasons.
If this is correct, it is consistent with my view that it will be impossible to realize the full potential of this plant as a medicine, not to speak of the other ways
in which it is useful, in the setting of this destructive prohibition. But this is rapidly changing as in 2013 both Colorado and Washington repealed, as far as
the state is concerned, the prohibition of cannabis for anyone over the age of 21 making it possible for patients in these two states to obtain it without medical
consultation. And, this year Alaska, Oregon and the district of Columbia joined them.
During the last three years we have arrested annually approximately 750,000 people; we are now gradually realizing after arresting over 24 million marijuana
users since the 1960s, most of them young and 89% for mere possession, that "making war" against cannabis does not work anymore now than it did for
alcohol during the days of the Volstead Act. Many people are expressing their impatience with the federal government's intransigence as it obdurately
maintains its dual archaic positions that "marijuana is harmful" and that it "is not a medicine".
The states that have made it possible for at least some patients to use cannabis legally as a medicine are inadvertently constructing a large social experiment
in how best to deal with the reinvention of the "cannabis as medicine" phenomenon, while at the same time sending a powerful message to the federal
government. Each of these state actions, plus those that have now freed themselves of the prohibition altogether, have taken a slice out of the extraordinary
popular delusion, cannabinophobia.
There are presently some states which are in the process of enacting medical marijuana legislation which would restrict the legal availability of cannabis to
the single cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) a policy which makes little sense. CBD is one of the more than 60 cannabinoids in the plant but it is, in itself, not
nearly as useful as a medicine. The most useful medical strains are those which contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and CBD in the presence of terpinoids.
Patients who wish to have some degree of psychoactive effect (often for its antidepressant capacity or because they find the "high" pleasant) will choose a
high THC/low CBD strain. Similarly, those who wish to avoid the psychoactive effects while maximizing the therapeutic capacity will seek strains wherein
that ratio is reversed. These two cannabinoids along with the terpinoids behave in what I refer to as the ensemble phenomenon to provide the best therapeutic
effect.

Document Title
Many of those who staunchly defend sustaining the prohibition against marijuana believe we do not yet know enough
about cannabis to be able to make the kinds of decisions which are now necessary. Despite the US government’s three-
quarter century-long prohibition of marijuana and its confinement to Schedule 1, it is nonetheless one of the most studied
therapeutically active substances in history. At this time a keyword search on PebMed reveals that there are over 20,000
published studies or reviews in the scientific literature referencing the cannabis plant and its cannabinoids, and the number
is growing almost exponentially; half of them were published within the past five years. Over 1,400 peer-reviewed papers
were published in 2013 alone.
These studies reveal that marijuana and its active constituents, the cannabinoids and terpinoids are safe and effective
therapeutic and/or recreational compounds. Unlike alcohol and many prescription or over-the-counter medications,
cannabinoids are virtually non-toxic to the health of cells and organs, and they are incapable of causing the user to
experience a fatal overdose; unlike opioids or ethanol, cannabinoids are not central nervous system depressants and cannot
cause respiratory failure. In fact, a 2008 meta-analysis published in the Journal of the Canadian Medical Association
reported that cannabis-based drugs were associated with virtually no elevated incidences of serious side-effects in over 30
years of investigative use.
Cannabinopathic medicine, because it has developed so rapidly since the late 90s, has provided many patients and the
people to whom they matter the opportunity to observe for themselves that cannabis is both relatively benign and
remarkably useful. This growing new increment of people who have personal experience with cannabis may be
contributing significantly to the observation that the moral consensus about the evil of marijuana is becoming uncertain
and shallow. Conservative authorities pretend that eliminating cannabis traffic is like eliminating slavery or piracy, or
eradicating smallpox or malaria. The official view, at least as far as the federal government is concerned, is that
everything possible has to be done to prevent everyone from ever using marihuana, even as a medicine. But there is also
an informal lore of marihuana use that is far more tolerant. Many of the millions of cannabis users around the world not
only disobey the drug laws but feel a principled lack of respect for them. They do not conceal their bitter yes yes
resentment of laws that render them criminals. They believe that many people have been deceived by their governments,
and they have come to doubt that the "authorities" understand much about either the deleterious or the useful properties of
the drug. This undercurrent of ambivalence and resistance in public attitudes towards marihuana laws leaves room for the
possibility of change, especially since the costs of prohibition are all so high and rising.
It is also clear that the realities of human need are incompatible with the demand for a legally enforceable distinction
between medicine and all other uses of cannabis. Marijuana simply does not conform to the conceptual boundaries
established by twentieth-century institutions. It is truly a sui generis substance; is there another relatively non-toxic drug
which is capable of heightening many pleasures, has a large and growing number of medical uses and has the potential to
enhance some individual capacities? The only workable way of realizing the full potential of this remarkable substance,
including its full medical potential, is to free it from the present dual set of regulations - those that control prescription
drugs in general and the special criminal laws that control psychoactive substances. These mutually reinforcing laws
establish a set of social categories that strangle its uniquely multifaceted potential. The only way out is to cut the knot by
giving marihuana the same status as alcohol - legalizing it for adults for all uses and removing it entirely from the medical
and criminal control systems.
It is now clear that we know as much or more about cannabis than we know about many if not most prescription
pharmaceuticals. And we most certainly now know enough about its limited toxicity and remarkable medical potential to
readmit it as a significant contribution to the pharmacopeia of allopathic (or modern Western) medicine. Shortly after O
Shaughnessy introduced cannabis as a new medicine, Western medicine signaled its acceptance when it was entered into
the various Western pharmacopoeia in the mid-19th century. It was expected, certainly by the 1990s, that it would be
readmitted as a legitimate medicine given the growth of a mountain of largely anecdotal evidence which establishes both
its efficacy and safety, and its potential (once free of the prohibition tariff) to be much less expensive than the
pharmaceutical industry products it will replace. The two major agencies of this resistance to its readmission are the US
government and the medical/pharmaceutical establishment.
The government will, sooner or later, abandon its archaic view of cannabis and free it from this costly prohibition and
thereby free the millions of people who are over the age of 21 who want to use it. This will not, however, ensure its
rightful place in the pharmacopeia of allopathic medicine. The American Medical Association's House of Delegates in
their November, 2013 meeting voted to retain their long-standing position that "cannabis is a dangerous drug and as such
is a public health concern." As modern medicine continues to ignore the use of cannabis as a medicine, this growing
practice will surely continue to develop, perhaps into a school or philosophy of medicine which might be referred to as
cannabinopathic medicine.
Perhaps the most interesting question about the future of cannabinopathic medicine is whether it will continue to develop
on its own as an alternative medicine with its growing literature, the identification of the endo-cannabinoid system, newly
developed strains, the development of new and faster breeding techniques, the inventions of new delivery devices,
publications, experience and experts, or whether it will, at least to some extent, be absorbed into modern Western
medicine.

Document Title
To the extent that cannabinopathic medicine continues to exist as an entity it will be adjunctive to allopathic medicine as it
will be limited to therapy, mostly as a palliative, and possibly as a preventative. Presently it's only connection to allopathic
medicine is the requirement by the states in which cannabis is legally available as a medicine for the patient to first
present to the state authorities a document from a physician stating that the patient has a need for cannabis in the treatment
of a health problem specified in that particular state's medical marijuana law. Not all physicians are willing to provide
such a document and many who do, know very little about cannabis. Unfortunately, among these physicians there are
some who, for a fee, are willing to sign such a document with little or no attempt to verify either the presenting medical
problem or the appropriateness of cannabis for that symptom or syndrome. While most physicians presently know too
little about the use of cannabis as a medicine to competently sign this document, there is a relatively small but rapidly
growing number sufficiently versed in its use to provide medical authority with their signature; they can also offer
recommendations and advice to patients concerning its use.
The recent history of both the growth of interest in and use of marijuana as a medicine, and the extraordinary rise in the
number of citizens who believe that marijuana should now be legalized have so undermined the federal government's
posture toward cannabis that it now appears inevitable that the prohibition will be repealed in the near future.
According to a 2013 Gallup poll, legalization is now supported by 58%, 10% higher than it was one year earlier. It is
possible that this will be preceded by the long overdue decision to free cannabis from Schedule I. Either of these events
will make it legally possible to do the large double-blind controlled studies which are required for approval as a legal
therapeutic by the FDA. However, there is some question as to whether they should or could be undertaken for several
reasons. Physicians have always had available evidence of a different kind, whose value is often underestimated.
Anecdotal evidence commands much less attention than it once did, yet it is the source of much of our knowledge of
synthetic medicines as well as plant derivatives. Controlled experiments to determine both efficacy and toxicity were not
needed to recognize the therapeutic potential of chloral hydrate, barbiturates, aspirin, curare, insulin, or penicillin. The
anecdotal evidence which underlies the success of marijuana as a medicine exceeds by at least an order of magnitude that
which allowed the above-mentioned drugs admittance to the pharmacopeia. Furthermore, it is questionable whether these
studies will be undertaken for lack of a sponsor to provide the enormous funds which would be necessary.
It seems unlikely that the federal government would, any time in the near future, be willing to take an Orphan Drug Law
approach to herbal marijuana even after the prohibition has been repealed. The pharmaceutical industry will not undertake
such an endeavor because it is impossible to patent marijuana and, in any event, it would be worthless after the repeal of
the prohibition. The 23 states which have now accepted medicinal marijuana and the four (plus the district of Columbia)
which have made it available for any use have obviously been convinced by this mountain of anecdotal evidence that
herbal marijuana is both safe and efficacious. Some may regard it as irresponsible to suggest on the basis of anecdotes that
cannabis may help people with a variety of disorders. That might be a problem if marijuana were a dangerous drug, but
we now know that it is remarkably safe.
Two powerful forces are now colliding: the growing acceptance of cannabinopathic medicine and the proscription against
any use of the plant marijuana, medical or nonmedical. As a result, two distribution systems are now emerging for
cannabinopathic medicine: the conventional model of pharmacy-filled prescriptions for FDA-approved cannabinoid
medicines, and a model closer to the distribution of alternative herbal medicines. The only difference, albeit an enormous
one, will be the continued illegality of whole smoked or ingested cannabis.
In any case, increasing medical use by either distribution pathway will inevitably make a great number of people familiar
with cannabis and its derivatives. As they learn that its harmfulness has been greatly exaggerated and its usefulness under
estimated, the pressure will increase for drastic changes in the way that we as a society deal with this drug.
Lester Grinspoon, M.D. is Associate Professor of Psychiatry, emeritus, at Harvard Medical School and the author of
Marihuana Reconsidered and (with James B Bakalar) Marijuana, the Forbidden Medicine.
This legislation has the capacity to create economic, political, social, industrial and ecological
harmony and dignity, self worth, self respect, self confidence and self esteem for all of our
people from the cradle to the grave. Ubuntu!
“There is nothing as powerful as an idea whose time has come”
Johann Wolfgang van Goethe

South African Cannabis Activism Guide

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