Displaying items by tag: cannabis

London mayor Sadiq Khan has endorsed a recommendation to decriminalise the possession of small amounts of natural cannabis, based on findings from the independent London Drugs Commission (LDC). The commission, chaired by former lord chancellor Charlie Falconer, found current cannabis laws to be disproportionate to the drug’s harms and criticised their enforcement as unfairly targeting ethnic communities. Rather than full legalisation, the report advocates moving natural cannabis (currently a Class B drug) to the Psychoactive Substances Act, effectively legalising personal possession while maintaining bans on manufacturing and distribution. The LDC also calls for expanded addiction services and stronger education on cannabis risks. The mayor cited the need for fresh thinking on drug-related crime, while Lord Falconer stressed the importance of targeting dealers, not users.

Cannabis plants contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which affects minds and moods. While giving a ‘chilled out’ feeling, it can also cause hallucinations, paranoia and long term psychosis. The risk of schizophrenia is higher when used by younger people as THC interferes with the still-growing brain. Cannabis also contains cannabidiol (CBD), which shows promising results for reducing seizures in children with severe epilepsy. Caring for a person suffering epileptic seizures is heartbreaking, and can be frightening if a seizure is prolonged and leads to status. Status happens when one seizure follows another without the person recovering in between. Severe seizures can cause brain damage. Pray for God to give peace and strength to families currently caring for a person experiencing epilepsy. Pray for God to inspire MPs to make rapid, accurate decisions regarding the use of CBD.

Wiltshire police have said a large-scale cannabis factory has been found in an underground former nuclear bunker with an estimated street value of £1m. The plants were seized in a midnight raid on Regional Government Headquarters Chilmark. Six men were arrested on suspicion of cannabis production in twenty rooms in the building, with almost every room converted for the wholesale production of cannabis plants.