World Audit Hot Topics - Marijuana and the legalisation debate.

The use of cannabis for recreational narcotic purposes has an ancient history in certain cultures but in the 20th century was collectively proscribed by most western governments, along with a range of other substances, resulting in the criminalisation of many otherwise unoffending citizens. Cannabis however has shown every indication of having important medicinal qualities for various (mainly neurological) conditions - multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury and many others - that have symptoms such as chronic pain, (repeat 'chronic pain'), virtually untreatable otherwise.

The debate about decriminalisation has now been overtaken by the new pharmaceutical developments, which indicate that European governments at any rate, are now depending on the outcome of current medical trials, likely to accept cannabinoid based treatments. more.

Links:

Top 10 links

Top 10

Research Resources
Addictions Resource Guide CNN Drug-Related Articles DanceSafe DrugLibrary Drug-Related Articles in the Media Drug Text Erowid Institute for Scientific Analysis Join Together Hyperreal Drug Network Resources The Lindesmith Center	The Lycaeum Library Medline Search National Health Information Center Partnership for Responsible Drug Information The Psychedelic Library RAND's Drug Policy Research Center Substance Abuse Librarians & Information Specialists Stanton Peele Addiction Web Site The Voluntary Committee of Lawyers

Cannabis Links
215 Now! Alliance of Cannabis Therapeutics Artists Helping End Marijuana Prohibition Association for Cannabis as Medicine B.C. Marijuana Action Group Initiative Coalition (BCMAGIC) California Compassionate Use Act of 1996 Californians for Compassionate Use Campaign to Legalise Cannabis International Association Campaign for the Restoration and Regulation of Hemp Cannabis Activists Connection Collection Cannabis Culture Cannabis Freedom Fund Cannabis Is Good Medicine Cannabis Law: Medical Marijuana Laws Cannabis Science Cannabis.Com Cannabisnews.com The Compassion Club (B.C.) Change the Climate Darral's Marijuana, Land and People Page Ecolution The Hemp-CyberFarm The Flow Magazine : The Hemp iNTERNET Free Will Foster Green Prisoners Release Amsterdam Hanf.Org Hemp BC Hemp Nation Hemp Québec Hemp SA (South Australia) Hemp Food Industries Association	Hemp World HempSeed.com High Times Magazine Howlin' Dave K-PAX Hemp Shop International Cannabinoid Research Society Irish Hemp Awareness Group Los Angelas Cannabis Resource Center London (Ont) Cannabis Compassion Centre Kenex Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts Marijuana Policy Project Medical Marijuana Archives Marijuana News Marijuana Reform Party of New York Mother Hemp New Scientist Magazine NORML NORML Canada North American Industrial Hemp Council Carl Olsen's Marijuana Archive Portland Oregon NORML The Sacred Herb The Science of Medical Marijuana Swiss Cannabis Pastilles TenFreak's Secret Pages Texas Hemp Campaign Tom's Cannabis Information Site True North Hemp Company UK Medicinal Cannabis Project Universal Compassion Centres The Uses Of Marijuana Washington Hemp Education Network Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana http://www.rxcannabis.org/ http://www.rxmarihuana.com/ YaHooka! - The guide to marijuana on the internet.

Cannabis Links

Prohibitionist Links
California Narcotic Officers Association Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse Community Anti-Drug Coalitions Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) Drug Education and Awareness for Life Drug Enforcement Administration Drug Strategies Drug Use is Life Abuse Family Research Council For Our Children's Children Institute for a Drug-Free Workplace International Drug Strategy Institute	Freevibe Marijuana: Advances in Research National Families in Action National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign Office of National Drug Control Policy Partnership for a Drug - Free America Parent Resources and Information on Drug Education (PRIDE) Project Know Reality Check on Marijuana Woman's Christian Temperance Union

Reform Organizations
American Society for Action on Pain Asian Harm Reduction Network Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy Canadian Harm Reduction Network Canadian Media Awareness Project CIAdrugs.org : 45-years of CIA drug trafficking Common Sense For Drug Policy Copswatch Page Chronic Pain Information Network The Criminal Justice Policy Foundation Damn Sam Productions James Dawsons' Freedom Pages The Drug Money Times Drug Policy Forum of California Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii Drug Policy Forum of Texas Drug Policy Forum of Virginia Drug Policy Forum of Wisconsin Drug Policy Foundation The Drug Project Drug Reform Coordination Network DrugSense Efficacy European Cities on Drug Policy (ECDP) Families and Friends for Drug Law Reform (Australia) Families Against Mandatory Minimums Family Watch Forfeiture Endangers American Rights Friends of the Addicted for Comprehensive Treatment	Global Coalition for Alternatives to the Drug War Harm Reduction Coalition Human Rights and the Drug War Ibogaine Homepage Independent Institute Legalize! The Lindesmith Center Medien Bewusstseins Projekt Mothers Against Misuse and Abuse (MAMA) Multidisciplinary Association For Psychedelic Studies National Drug Strategy Network National Foundation for the Treatment of Pain New Zealand Drug Foundation The November Coalition Oblivion Youth Rights Open Society Institute Pacific Drug Policy Institute Psych@ctive Magazine Religious Leaders for a More Just and Compassionate Drug Policy ReconsiDer Forum on Drug Policy Stop The Drug War John Taylor Finns Page Think For Yourself Transform (UK) Vermont Grassroots Party Virginians Against Drug Violence The War On Drugs is a Scam Home Page Web of Addictions

Reform Organizations

If you know where to get hold of the following WHO report please let the editor know by using the mail link at the bottom of the page.

Cannabis: a health perspective and research agenda (WHO/MSA/PSA/97.4)

Books:

The Cannabis Culture

The Emperor Wears No Clothes

Hashish!

Marijauna myths, Marijuana Facts

That still leaves the question of medicinal use in the USA. Medical practitioners there - as in many other countries - are keen to have the medicinal cannabis issue properly researched . Federal authorities however are still dragging their heels, fearing that this might be represented by a variety of powerful primitive Christian and other pressure groups, as the 'slippery slope' towards acceptance of recreational use.

The prospect opens up of American MS and other sufferers having to travel to Europe for relief from their chronic pain, rather like women from the Republic of Ireland that used to have to travel abroad to have an unwanted pregnancy terminated.

Apart from the urgent question of medicinal applications it is plain that cannabis is widely used not just in countries where this for recreational purposes is traditional and was never criminalized but just about everywhere else in the western world, now for at least two generations. The passions inflamed by this as the links on this page show, means that the issue remains a HOT TOPIC.