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Wheel-Chair Bound Cannabis Campaigners Arrest Caught On Video
http://pr.cannazine.co.uk : A disabled man from Dorset who uses cannabis to relieve the painful and debilitating symptons of an incurable and crippling condition has been arrested for possession of cannabis.
Jim 'Pinky' Starr, complete with joint hanging from his lips at Downing Street to present a petition in support of medical cannabis to Prime Minister Gordon Brown
When Home Secretary Jacqui Smith almost unilaterally decided to change the laws on the use of cannabis we were informed as a nation she was undertaking this law change to protect the younger generation. A noble sentiment indeed.
In January 2009 the law was duly changed making cannabis a class B drug, instead of the class C substance Tony Blairs then Home Secretary David Blunkett decided it should be back in 2004.
In the meantime the American medical marijuana program carries on a-pace with over 25 million US citizens being granted safe access to cannabis so long as they have a recommendation from their doctor, and only recently California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger told reporters he thought it as time for an honest and open debate regarding the legalisation and taxation of cannabis, with not a single mention of mental health issues, psychosis, or any of the other excuses Jacqui Smith and Vernon Coaker used to steamroll a law change onto a British public who simply didn't agree with it.
In Europe, another 25 million EU citizens have safe access to medical cannabis. Meanwhile Spain and Portugal have gone one step further by decriminalising the personal possession and use of cannabis in the privacy of your own home.
Jim Starr Jim Starr has never made any secret of the fact he uses cannabis. He recently presented a petition to the front door at Number 10 Downing Street, in support of a law change which would allow seriously ill people like himself, to use their pain reliever of choice.
He has also arranged for two protests at the Houses of Parliament. Each one involving a full day trip which meant transporting himself, his wife and carer Emma, and Jim's trusty wheelchair all the way from Dorset to London and back. A feat many able-bodied protesters were unable to undertake.
Shooting fish in a barrel So when the police knocked on Mr Starr's front door on the pretence of looking for another person, and searched his house supposedly to find this person, they stumbled upon Mr Starr's personal cannabis stash. But it was fair to assume it would have been there whenever they knocked so there were no great surprises.
What then followed can only be described as police brutality as they turned over Jim and Emma Starr's house and treated them as if they were drug dealers.
Cannazine Cannabis News spoke to a shaken up Jim Starr not long after he returned from his stay in police custody.
"I had police call around my house looking for someone reported staying at my house, this male person the police where looking for wasn't even in the area as far as I'm aware, last I heard he was in Birmingham! He was reported to the police by my neighbour and his ex girlfriend who is staying next door. The police came in searched the property for him and found items that made them arrest me".
"How did you end up getting to the police station" I asked Jim.
"I requested about 8 times for my wheelchair to come with me to the police station - this was refused".
So I asked if Jim can get around without his wheelchair?
"Not too far" he answered.
"I requested could a police officer come down to the station with me in my specially adapted car with the wheel chair... but they said no. So I asked could my carer bring the wheelchair to the police station for me. Again they said no. So I was forced to use sticks which ordinarily wouldn't have been a problem except the police would not let me take any pain-killers. I can't walk very far at all using sticks without my entire upper body cramping up from the effort involved of supporting my entire body weight".
"So why didn't you take them Jim?
"I requested that I take my tablets before we go into the station, it's all prescribed and I have proof. This was refused and I was told to put the loose tablets which where in my hand into the container provided and the nurse will OK taking the medication at the station. Which wouldn't have been so bad, but the trip over to the police station was jolting my back as I had no support on the seats in the back of the police car".
"They just sat you in a car with no support" I asked?
"That pretty much sums it up" replied Mr Starr.
"On arrival of the police station I was told I wouldn't have to walk far, even though it was a short distance to walk it caused bad pain to my arms. The nurse at the station refused to give me my normal medication as they where not in the boxes the tablets come in, (the police told me to put them in a container). I was only allowed steroids as I had the box, then they only gave me under half of the dose I needed. The officer didn't tell me to take anything into the station apart from my tablets which he took. I requested my medical notes to be taken in with me as well as a few other bits of paperwork. This was OK'd but the Police didn't bring it in as I requested."
"At the police station, I was strip-searched, which I needed help to do as I was in such bad pain, the Police did help me a little but they never put the slipper socks on properly leading to the fall which followed. The Police locked me in the cell and didn't even carry the paperwork for me to read that they gave me at the desk".
"I also told the officers who stripped searched me that I can't sit or lie on a hard surface due to pressure pain, all they did was give me two board like pillows and 2 blankets as I was cold and shaking, suffering with high blood pressure due to the event, and by now the pain I was in was excruciating. This was also noted by the nurse but no doctors visit was arranged. I felt like my head was going to explode in pain".
"I was told they would have to take my walking sticks away from me so I was unable to get around the cell as there where no rails etc for me to use only tiled floors. They said they put me in cell D1 next to the desk so if I need help I can call for help as I can't get to the button. I thought this was good of them. I needed the toilet, as my carer was not there I had to try and go myself and fight the pain. As I stood up I slipped on some gravel, or something similar to gravel which was on the cell floor. The police were trying to say i had brought the small stones with me, even though I had only recently suffered the indignation of a strip search. One can only wonder where they thought I had hidden the aggregate material to bring it into the cell"?
"So what happened next? You actually fell over"?
"I slipped and went down on the side of the bed towards the floor. I used my left arm to break the fall on the side of the bed. As my arms where in so much pain I could not use my sticks let alone break a fall. My back also jolted against the bed".
"This fall left me with agonising pain to my upper arm, shoulder, neck and mid back. I called for help whilst lying on the floor in pain crying and no one came. I called a few more times as I have a loud voice and I'm trained to throw my voice over distance too, when I heard it was quiet at the desk etc but no help came. I couldn't reach the button as I never had sticks, nor could I get to the button. I crawled back up on the bed and kept on calling and started to count how many times I was calling, 33 calls for help in total was ignored. I was in so much pain I started crying like a baby, having suicidal thoughts again due to pain".
Eventually someone did come to the hatch asking what was wrong? I explained I had a fall and was told that no one had informed them that there was a severely disabled person in cell d1. When they realised I was in pain they called the nurse in but my full medication was denied and I was only offered 5 ml of morphine where I take up to 20ml as often as needed. Normally I use the bottle as a hip flask (words of my doctor) as needed".
"At this stage I had requested 3 times for an ambulance to come and give me the treatment and medication I need. This was refused".
"I complained again and had an 'Inspector Chalkley' call me on a phone that was brought into the cell. I told him what had happened, he seemed shocked to say the least, I had a pleasant call from the inspector. Then I had to prove I was unfit to do the taped interview so I could get the medical treatment which I needed".
"The nurse came in and manipulated my arm saying try relaxation, I told the nurse I had been through rehabilitation twice and they have failed to help so relaxation won't work, she lifted my arm till I was in pain".
"I did ask if she was qualified to manipulate me and asked if she was qualified in neurology and she said she wasn't. I requested she stopped as she was not qualified to treat me and that she could do more harm than good manipulating me. She said she has protocols to follow, I asked if this includes going out of what you're allowed to do. At this she walked out. I was calm all this time and had showed no aggression to the police or staff at any time. I'm just a normal human being who only gets pain control from taking all medications including the medicine I was arrested for which I will explain shortly the reason for my arrest".
By this time I was facing withdrawal from all the medication I had been on since 2003. I felt I was in hell!! I believe this put my life at risk as I'm on a lot of dangerous medication and stopping them suddenly can cause big problems and withdrawal. None of this was treated and I truly believed I could of died in the cell, in a way I wish I did as I'm scared to go back on the 24th June to answer bail. I FEEL I CAN'T GO BACK".
Whatever your personal view point is on cannabis isn't it about time a senior politician cleared up if this is what the Misuse of Drugs Act is in place for?
200 miles due east of Jim Starr's home in Holland, the government would make arrangements to deliver cannabis to Mr Starr in his home if his doctor thought it would benefit him.
In the UK however, we treat disabled cannabis users like common criminals and as an able-bodied voter that doesn't make me feel particularly good.
If you feel the same please write to your elected representative/MP and ask that this inhumane, barbaric law be changed in favour of medical cannabis at once.
Feel free to send them this account of what took place at a police station in Dorset.
Jim found time to set up his laptop (just before it was confiscated) as the police were raiding his house, and caught the happenings in his living room on a webcam. Please excuse the poor sound quality and rest assured it DOES get a lot better.
Green/Eco/Environment 
