Media Release
| Embargo: Immediate release |
Enquiries: Doctors For Life Int. |
| Date: 31 July 2017 |
Telephone: 032 481 5550 |
The cannabis court case, or so-called “trial of the plant” that starts today in the Pretoria High Court, is about the total legalisation of cannabis (dagga). The use of dagga for medicinal purposes is however being misused across the world as the thin edge of the wedge to get dagga legalised.
In the World Drug Report of 2017, Executive Summary, Conclusion and Policy Implications, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime officially holds the same position that Doctors For Life International (DFL) has taken for the purposes of this court case:
“Medical use of cannabis needs a scientific approach”
“Research has shown that, notwithstanding the usefulness of some cannabinoids in the management of specific medical conditions, their use, particularly in the botanical form of herbal cannabis with unknown content and dosage, can be detrimental to health. To protect human health, it is therefore necessary that the principles of safety, quality and efficacy and the rigorous scientific testing and regulatory systems that apply to established medicines be applied also to cannabis-based medicines.”
In light of the above mentioned rigorous principles for allowing dagga for medical use, we cannot see how South Africa can consider legalising dagga for recreational use.
Doctors for Life International represents 1500 medical doctors and specialists, three-quarters of whom practice in South Africa. Since 1991 DFL has been actively promoting sound science in the medical profession and health care that is safe and efficient for all South Africans. For more information visit: https://doctorsforlife.co.za]]>
