A grandmother who recently avoided jail for supplying her friends with cannabis-laced cakes was one of the speakers at this year’s pro-cannabis rally…
The Cannabis Education March was organised by a global network of pro-cannabis groups and supporters, including the Legalise Cannabis Alliance, a political party that ran 18 candidates in the recent UK elections.
From Russell Square a march of more than 1,000 people poured into the streets of London to join the afternoon rally at Trafalgar Square on 15 May.
At the front of the march a large banner representing members of Med Users 4 Legislation, a group of political and social activists determined to challenge the UK government ruling on the use of marijuana in medicine, was proudly displayed.
Grandmother Patricia Tabram, 66, who recently avoided a prison sentence for possession with intent to supply the drug was one of the speakers promoting medicinal marijuana at this years cannibis rally
In earlier statements to the press Tabram said she had given pies, cakes and biscuits laced with cannabis to four friends after using it for her own ailments.
She said it was “far better than any tablets you can get from the doctor”.
Tabram highlighted the problem of serious health side-effects being caused by pharmaceutical medication.
She said pharmacists acknowledge that 60 per cent of medication can cause depression and each medication can have up to 88 different side-effects on the user, including convulsions, hallucinations and suicidal tendencies.
“It’s full of all kinds of toxins,” she said.
“I have 15 health problems. Four of them are genuine, the other 11 I got from side-effects of NH (National Health) medication,” she added.
“I want to see the oil from cannabis used as the base for medication, then we would not have so many side-effects.”
As the parade took to the streets it drew in more people, nearly doubling in size by the time it emerged at Trafalgar Square.
Samba bands drowned out the usual city noise.
Colourful dancers gave out cigarette lighters, information leaflets and cannabis cakes.
By 4pm Trafalgar Square was full.
A mix of hippies, political activists, doctors, lawyers and scientists – both old and young from every conceivable background.
The smell of marijuana was everywhere, just being there was intoxicating in itself.
Police maintained a steady presence for a while, but soon dwindled away.
When asked if she expected trouble, one policewoman said: “These things usually pan out peacefully.”
There was no aggression, no anti-social behaviour, only a calm, peaceful and fun vibe.
Various speakers took to a makeshift stage at the base of Nelson’s Column to give their opinions and advice on the use of marijuana, law and health issues concerning the drug, and grave warnings of bad quality and contaminated hashish, commonly known as Soap Bar.
Dana Beal, co-ordinator for Global Marijuana March, Cures Not Wars and author of The Ibogaine Story, highlighted his campaign to legalise the use of the ibogaine to combat all drug and alcohol addiction.
Ibogaine is derived from a root bark used in West Africa and in tests has shown strong evidence to eliminate addiction-induced craving by blocking receptors in the brain.
Beal said he came to the London Cannabis Rally to put across a three part program for the entire planet.
The program he referred to is to replace alcohol and tobacco with marijuana, administer ibogaine for drug addiction, and to grow hemp and use it to save the environment.
“The cure for drug addiction has always been in the African rainforests,” said Beal.
“You take ibogaine one time and stop doing heroin, crack, alcohol, cigarettes and crystal-meth. Ibogaine is being used all over the world.”
“If we have the answer to hard drugs why not release it and change the dynamic,” he said.
Other speakers included Roger Warren Evans, barrister and representative for UK civil liberties group Liberty, jazz musician George Melly, renowned ex-marijuana smuggler turned writer Howard Marks, and a group of mushroom traders from the Entheogen Defence Fund, who highlighted the new law designed to make the sale and cultivation of magic mushrooms in the UK illegal.
A spokesperson for Scotland Yard said the entire event passed with no arrests and no record of any disturbances.
