CANNABIS CAMPAIGN - MARIJUANA FARMER TO MEET HOUSE OF LORDS

DR GEOFFREY Guy, the British entrepreneur licensed by the Government
to farm cannabis, is to speak to the House of Lords health
sub-committee looking into the legalisation question during a final
public meeting on 28 July.

This month Dr Guy, of G W Pharmaceuticals, is planting his first crop
at a secret location. He is expected to tell the sub-committee that he
believes legal research into the beneficial properties of the drug is
now essential.

Following the public meeting next Tuesday, the Lords will meet again
in private at least twice before drafting a report that will
eventually be published and presented to the Government in November.

As the debate surrounding the legal status of the drug is brought
closer than ever to Britain's policy-makers, the BBC has chosen to
poll viewers of tomorrow night's Watchdog Healthcheck programme to
find out whether they agree that cannabis should be legalised for
medicinal purposes.

The telephone vote will be preceded by a filmed investigation into the
benefits of treating a series of chronic conditions with the currently
illegal drug.

Visiting a Cannabis Buyers' Club in Los Angeles, the BBC reporting
team has examined the state laws in that area and the way they allow
certain registered sufferers legal access to a small amount of the
drug each week.

In the film, reporter Wesley Kerr interviews club members about their
illnesses and about the effect of cannabis on their condition.

"The whole club, which was run on the floor above an indoor
cannabis-growing facility, had a very organised, clinical atmosphere.
I could see that those running the club took the medical verification
of their members very seriously and made sure they were only helping
people who were genuinely ill and who felt they needed the drug in
order to continue," he told the IoS.

In order to avoid prosecution for dealing, the "patients", whose
conditions range from arthritis to cancer and Aids, are only dispensed
with 27 grams a week. They must also present themselves at the club
with an "advisory note" from a doctor, rather than a straightforward
prescription.

The British segment of the filmed report will focus on the need to
find an efficient delivery method for the drug to ensure that there
are no unpleasant side effects.

Andrew Coldwell, an MS sufferer for 18 years and a member of the
Alliance of Cannabis Therapeutics, will explain his struggle to cope
with a succession of legal drugs prescribed for his condition. For the
last five years, he will argue, his life has been immeasurably
improved by the use of cannabis.

Dr Vivienne Nathanson, of the British Medical Association, will also
set out the collective view of her organisation, which has called for
greater research into the potential therapeutic uses of the drug.

Checked-by: "Rich O'Grady"