Cannabis N.I.

The aim of CannabisNI is to bring together everyone in Northern Ireland that uses Cannabis medically, recreationaly and spiritually.
(site is still under construction, please bear with us)

By far the greatest risk associated with using cannabis today is to do with the fact that it's illegal and not with any immediate harm from the cannabis itself.

When people are caught they go to jail, get kicked out school, lose their jobs, etc. not because cannabis makes them do bad things to others (it doesn't) but because drugs laws that were drawn up many years ago by ill-informed and prejudiced politicians brand them as evil criminals, as bad as people who hurt or rob someone. An otherwise law-abiding person who hurts no one is considered as bad as a rapist in the eyes of the police and the courts only because he might grow or possess a natural plant that was grown legally for thousands of years. This doesn't make sense.

One in four Americans, one in five Germans and one in fifty Japanese is a criminal by virtue of having smoked cannabis. The law is not working and it is doing more damage than it can ever prevent. It should be changed.

When you ever find yourself in a position where the forces of reason and the forces of habit and convention collide you will find that reason usually loses out. Most people will hold arguments for maintaining the status quo up to a much lower standard of proof than they require of anyone challenging the status quo. A long time ago cannabis could be banned because most people thought the law would not hurt any of their friends. But now that the law has been around for many years and large numbers of people get hurt by its enforcement, it is still difficult to convince enough people that it was a mistake.

All the original reasons given for the ban have been exposed as lies. Nobody any longer belives that cannabis turns ordinary people into bloodthirsty lunatics. We know that most of its users do not move on to harder drugs. It is safer than many freely sold medicines and even some foods, let alone the legal drugs alcohol and tobacco that kill more people every week than all dangerous illegal drugs do in a whole year. We need a drug policy that's more than a list of banned substances and penalties. The only drugs policy that will work relies on information and compassion for our fellow human beings.

Principles

We believe the use of cannabis ought to be a matter of choice and not of law.

We believe that the prohibition of cannabis is against the public interest.

We believe that the prohibition of cannabis contravenes Human Rights.

We believe that the prohibition of cannabis inhibits the use of a beneficial resource.

We believe that the legalisation of cannabis is a very important step that should be taken to benefit the people and their environment.

Aims

To hasten the full legalisation and utilisation of the cannabis plant for the good of the peoples of this world, on a local, national and international level.

To secure the release of all prisoners convicted only of cannabis offences and to ensure that all criminal records for cannabis offences are expunged.

To encourage public and private research into the many beneficial uses of cannabis including industrial, social and medical uses for the good of the people.

To halt all criminal prosecutions for the use of cannabis as a social or private relaxant including its uses as a sacrament or in religious or other ritual.

To provide a voice for those in society persecuted and prosecuted for cannabis activities which victimise none.

Proposals

That cannabis and cannabis products should be removed from the UK Misuse of Drugs Act, thereby being legalised.

That the possession, cultivation and use of pure cannabis and cannabis products be free from prosecution.

That cannabis be re-introduced into our society.

That high priority be given to the cultivation of cannabis for the express purpose of the localised production of virtually cost-free fuels through the process of pyrolysis on cannabis biomass, and as a source of fibre and hurd.

That provision be made to enable the setting up of public establishments where the use of cannabis is permitted.

That provision be made to enable the setting up of outlets for the legal supply of cannabis.

That at least the same level of protection be given to the cannabis consumer as is given to the consumers of other commodities: weights and measures, quality etc.

That all prisoners presently held only on cannabis convictions or charges be released from custody without delay and that all criminal records for cannabis offences be expunged.