Cannabis Farms are a scourge on society. They are the product of prohibition. It is the British government that is responsible for the theft of

Cannabis Law Reform (CLEAR) is a political party registered with the Electoral Commission under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA).   We are registered on the Great Britain register for England, Scotland and Wales and on the Northern Ireland register.  We have declared that we intend to contest UK general elections and also the combined region of the South West and Gibraltar at European Parliamentary elections.
For the purposes of the PPERA, Peter Reynolds is the party leader and nominating officer, Janice Wells is the party treasurer.
CLEAR has adopted the Electoral Commission’s model financial scheme which demonstrates how we will comply with the legal requirements of party and election finances under PPERA.  The CLEAR financial scheme is reproduced in full here.

Constitution

CLEAR’s constitution is reproduced in full here.

People

These are the members of the Executive Committee.

Peter Reynolds was elected leader of CLEAR in February 2011.  Aged 53 and a professional writer all his life, Peter lives on the Dorset coast with his two dogs, an overworked computer and an overflowing in tray.  More information is available at his personal website: www.peter-reynolds.co.uk

Stuart Warwick was elected deputy leader of CLEAR in February 2011.  He lives in Swindon and is an  enthusiastic biker.  As such he is excluded from the CLEAR Executive Committee life assurance scheme.  He is, however, a good outside bet for the next British prime minister.  See his Facebook page “Hunar For Prime Minister“

Mark Palmer has been a stalwart of the CLEAR administration for seven years.  He lives in Norwich and is the CLEAR webmaster.  He has primary responsibility for the day to day management of our internet presence.

Jan Wells is the treasurer and secretary of CLEAR and is responsible for all membership administration and finance. She used to work as a lecturer in I.T. and now lives near Redhill in Surrey with her partner, two children and a dog.

Jason Reed joined the CLEAR Executive Committee in March 2011.  He is responsible for advancing the cause amongst the celebrity, arts and entertainment communities.  Writing under his pseudonym of Homegrown Outlaw, his blog is essential reading for all those interested in the cannabis issue.

 

 

1. To end the prohibition of cannabis.

Prohibition is a big, dumb, and very expensive failure.  It is brutal.  It puts prejudice before people.  The “war on drugs” is responsible for more death, destruction and despair than any other war.  History has shown that prohibition creates far more problems than it solves.   In the 21st century we should expect far better solutions from our policy makers and governments.

2. To promote as a matter of urgency and compassion the prescription of medicinal cannabis by doctors.

No reasonable human being can deny another relief from pain, suffering or disability.  There is no rational argument against permitting access to medicinal cannabis for those who need it.  The fact that the British government and the deeply rooted bureaucracy of the Home Office stand in the way is a deep and lasting shame on our nation.

3. To introduce a system of regulation for the production and supply of cannabis based on facts and evidence.

Authoritative research from the Independent Drug Monitoring Unit proves that a cannabis tax and regulate regime in Britain would produce a boost to the UK economy of at least £6 billion per annum.  That’s based on a cannabis tax of £1 per gram, massive savings in law enforcement costs but allowing for the cost of administering the system and providing additional healthcare and education services. All the evidence and experts agree that a responsibly regulated system would also reduce all health and social harms.

4. To encourage the production and use of industrial hemp.

The prohibition of cannabis has caused huge damage to our society, environment and economy by preventing the cultivation of hemp.  Although the industrial strains of the plant have no psychoactive potential, the absurd level of control has effectively destroyed its value as an agricultural crop.  With that we have lost the most efficient producer of biomass in the natural world, the strongest natural fibre, a better fabric than cotton, a better paper than wood and one of the most ecologically important activities on the planet.

5. To educate and inform about the uses and benefits of cannabis.

Prejudice is based on ignorance.  In the case of cannabis there is also deliberate misinformation. It started with Randolph Hearst, the media, timber and oil magnate of the 1930s  and it continues today with the vested interests of alcohol, tobacco, Big Pharma and, yes, media, timber and oil.  The truth about cannabis is clear and we have to spread the truth in the face of ignorance and lies.

License cannabis sales, expert says

 

Suppliers could be licensed to distribute branded products, Prof Pertwee argues

Policymakers should consider allowing the licensed sale of cannabis for recreational use, says one of the UK's leading researchers of the drug.

Professor Roger Pertwee is to make the call in a speech at the British Science Association festival in Birmingham.
He is expected to say radical solutions have to be considered because he believes the current policy of criminalising cannabis is ineffective.
But the government insists decriminalisation would not work.
The dismissal last year of Professor David Nutt as the previous government's leading drugs adviser showed it was in no mood to consider relaxing the status of cannabis as an illegal class B drug.
It is a view shared by the current government, but Prof Pertwee, an expert on cannabis-like chemicals, is to tell scientists that he, like Professor Nutt, believes it is a policy that is doing more harm than good

Click to play

Professor Pertwee discusses legalising certain forms of cannabis

"I'm talking about harm minimisation," he told BBC News.
"At the moment there is an awful lot of harm caused by what we have at the moment, with children going to a drug dealer or they try and grow it themselves and then they get into trouble with the law."
The University of Aberdeen researcher added: "And by dealing with criminals they may well go on to other drugs as well".
Instead, Prof Pertwee argues, one option policymakers should consider is the setting up of a committee to license the sale of recreational cannabis.
"You would have to think about licensing a suitable supplier and have retail outlets and the next step would be to have marketable, branded products that someone wants to use. At the same time it's got to be as safe as possible," he explained.
Prof Pertwee said licensed products should not be sold in cigarette form - so called "joints".
Avoiding harm Manufacturers should instead develop products that avoid lung damage.
One delivery mechanism he said should be considered is known among drug users as a "volcano", which heats cannabis to produce a vapour without burning it.
This avoids the burnt products of cannabis that are carcinogenic.
These products should be withheld from high risk groups, he said, especially young people under the age of 21.
Successive governments have resisted efforts to decriminalise cannabis for recreational use.
Even the change in classification for the drug from "B" to the supposedly less harmful class "C" made by the then Home Secretary David Blunkett in 2002 was reversed in 2009.
So how does Professor Pertwee respond to the suggestion that what he is asking for is politically unrealistic?
He said: "What's the alternative?"
"Ideally, recreational cannabis would be banned but that's not going to happen so we're now in a situation where there is quite a lot of harm done by recreational cannabis and what we've got to do is think about a way of reducing that harm".
Commenting on Professor Pertwee's remarks, a Home Office spokesperson said: "There is clear evidence that cannabis is a harmful drug which can cause damage to mental health in the immediate and longer-term. Even the occasional use of cannabis can be dangerous for people with diseases of the circulatory system.
"The Government does not believe that decriminalisation of cannabis is the right approach. Our priorities are clear: we want to reduce drug use, crack down on drug related crime and disorder and help addicts come off drugs for good."

Eight arrested after cannabis seizures

Eight people have been arrested after gardaí seized 55kg of cannabis worth an estimated €650,000 in counties Dublin and Kildare.
The seven men and a woman were detained after the drugs were found in two cars in Celbridge, Co Kildare, and an apartment in Adamstown, Co Dublin.
The seizure is part of an investigation by the Organised Crime Unit into the activities of a Dublin criminal gang.
Officers from the Organised Crime Unit stopped two cars in a supermarket car park in Celbridge at around 4.30pm this afternoon.
They suspected a drugs handover was taking place and 30kg of herbal cannabis, estimated to be worth €360,000, was found.
Four men, two from Northern Ireland and one each from counties Cork and Meath, were arrested and the cars were seized.
Gardaí then searched an apartment at Adamstown and discovered another 25kg of the drug with an estimated street value of €300,000.
Around €10,000 cash was also seized and three men and a woman from Eastern Europe were arrested there.
The eight are being questioned at Lucan, Leixlip, Ballyfermot and Clondalkin garda stations. Their ages range from 22 to 49 and they can all be held for up to seven days.
Gardaí say this was an intelligence led operation, and was focused on the activities of a north Dublin city criminal gang.

Four due in court over cannabis seizure

Blanchardstown Garda Station - Four due in court in relation to seizure 

 

Three men and a woman are due to appear before Blanchardstown District Court tomorrow morning charged in relation with the seizure 55kg of cannabis worth an estimated €650,000 in counties Dublin and Kildare earlier this week.
Another man arrested will appear at the same court sitting charged in relation to a separate matter.
Three other people who were also arrested have been released without charge and a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The seven men and a woman were detained after the drugs were found in two cars on Tuesday in Celbridge, Co Kildare, and an apartment in Adamstown, Co Dublin.
The seizure was part of an investigation by the Organised Crime Unit into the activities of a Dublin criminal gang.
Officers from the Organised Crime Unit stopped two cars in a supermarket car park in Celbridge.
They suspected a drugs handover was taking place and 30kg of herbal cannabis, estimated to be worth €360,000, was found.
Four men, two from Northern Ireland and one each from counties Cork and Meath, were arrested and the cars were seized.
Gardaí then searched an apartment at Adamstown and discovered another 25kg of the drug with an estimated street value of €300,000.
Around €10,000 cash was also seized and three men and the woman, from Eastern Europe, were arrested there.
Gardaí say this was an intelligence-led operation, and was focused on the activities of a north Dublin city criminal gang.