Thursday 25 January 2018

PRESS RELEASE - UPA Northern Ireland Medical Cannabis Summit 2018



PRESS RELEASE - United Patients Alliance – Northern Irish Medical Cannabis Summit


NO EMBARGO

Event: United Patients Alliance – Northern Irish Medical Cannabis Summit
Date: 27th January 2018, 10:00am – 5:00pm
Venue: Riddel Hall, Queens University, Stranmillis Road, Belfast.
Guests: 150+

Major announcements to be made this week;

  • GreenLight Medicines agreed to sponsor the event. They are Irelands only cannabis based pharmaceutical firm, have been building an extraction plant and laboratory on the border with Co. Tyrone and Co. Donegal.
  • Dr. David Gibson, Northern Irelands only cannabinoid researcher working out of Ulster University will attend and present his recent research conducted right at home.
Conference speaker list to be found below in editorial

Quote from Keynote Speaker: Professor Michael Barnes, MD FRCP, Neuropharmacology,
“The Northern Irish Medical Cannabis Summit is really important to raise awareness of the benefits of medical cannabis and continue our efforts to get this invaluable product legal for thousands of people currently having to live with pain and other real problems in their daily lives.”

Quotes from Patients:
Neil Paine, 46, Coleraine, British Army Veteran 14 years, PTSD and Chronic Pain
“I believe that members of organizations concerned with the care of veterans could gain a much needed insight into this long demonized medicine. The Barnes Report already shows evidence to support the medicinal and therapeutic value of cannabis as treatment for PTSD among other conditions.”

Gareth Tuff, 36, East Belfast, MS Patient using cannabis
(seeking to stand in local council elections next year with the Ulster Unionist Party)
“A governments primary role is to keep its citizens safe. If the medicine is safe and effective and there is general consensus amongst the medical fraternity then there is no question; the law will change. As a Multiple Sclerosis patient I am forced (as there is no other option) to take some very dangerous pharmaceutical infusion medications. The danger is death. Debate not hate, that is what is needed.”

Deborah Hempkin, 55, Newry, Mother of a Chrons Patient using cannabis
“From a mother who was against Cannabis her entire life to watch her son heal within 3 days was hard to believe. I watched my son struggle with Crohns Disease for 14years and I have also watched him heal within 3 days from taking Cannabis. Events like these are of the utmost importance to deliver the truth behind Cannabis and help to educate people.”

Quotes from UPA Directors:
Alex Fraser, UPA Director
“Conferences like this are essential to change the image of cannabis in the mind of the public, to remove the stigma and to educate people about how Cannabis could help them or someone they love"

Jon Liebling, UPA Political Director
"We have been seeing a significant shift around the world over the last few years and indeed in the UK over the last 12 months. UPA Northern Ireland showed at the protest outside Stormont in October that there are things that all political paritnes can agree upon and cannabis as medicine is one. The time is perfect for such a well organised, well attended summit here in Belfast.

Editorial:
United Patients Alliance Northern Ireland are proud to announce the Northern Ireland Medical Cannabis Summit, the regions leading forum for evidence based discussion on cannabis based medicines. To be held in the rather fitting backdrop of Riddel Hall, Queens University.
This conference is a gathering of people at the forefront of cannabis research, policy innovation, legal knowledge and cannabis product and brand development. Ran completely by volunteers, the Northern Irish Medical Cannabis Summit should be in the calendar for anyone planning to engage in the debate in 2018 and beyond.

We will host talks, presentations and panel discussions from;


  • Professor Michael Barnes, MD FRCP, Consultant Neurologist and Neuropharmacologist, Author of The Barnes Report, the UK’s leading body of cannabinoid research.
  • Baroness Molly Meacher, Chairperson to the All Party Parliamentary Group for Drug Policy Reform, Crossbencher House Of Lords
  • Dr. Arno Hazekamp, Cannabis Consultant
  • Dr. David Gibson, Cannabinoid Researcher, Ulster University
  • Paul North, Treatment and Addiction Policy Advisor at VolteFace
  • Kirstie Douse, Release, The UK Centre of Expertise on Drugs and Drugs Law
  • PANEL FROM REPUBLIC OF IRELAND; Dr. Garrett McGovern. TD Gino Kenny, Tom Curran and Brian Houlihan
  • UPA Directors and Regional Chairpersons
One day to promote change

The first of its kind in Northern Ireland. This conference will be a collection of minds at the
forefront of developing sensible evidence-based cannabis policy, regulated cannabis products, progressive policing and first-hand experience with the effects of cannabis prohibition on the healthcare system, legal system and people.
Intended to redistribute knowledge to those in a position to influence future policy, this event will be the first opportunity to receive this level of education from the front lines of cannabis research and policy innovation. The aim of this conference is to redistribute knowledge to those in a position to influence future drug policy reform.
Not only to provide a forum encouraging discussion in a professional and academic context and develop a qualified response to a serious social and health issues but to facilitate liaison between executive bodies and relevant nongovernmental civic input organisation, provide research and evaluate developing frameworks while adopting and enhancing
current collaborative networks that will help with the advancement of policy and its appropriate use by companies, institutions and individuals in Northern Ireland.

All ages are welcome and disabled access is available, tickets cost £21.50 including booking fee free the EventBrite page
ticketing service at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/northern-irish-medical-cannabis-summit-2018-tickets-41766613064.

The organisers are delighted to reveal that the event is a SELL OUT 

END

Author contact:
Pearse Donnelly
Regional Co-Chairperson UPA Northern Ireland, NIMCS18 Manager
Suite 3, 100 University Street, Belfast, BT7 1HE
E: upanorthernireland@gmail.com
T: 07927093596

Political Director
Jonathan Liebling
E: jon@liebing.co.uk
+447921589237

Wednesday 3 January 2018

CLEAR's PR Threatening Cannabis Patients - AGAIN



Patients meet with Lynne Featherstone - Feb 2015

How ironic is this picture from a few years ago now. The very first time that I met with CLEAR - Cannabis Law Reform and Peter Reynolds. I learned after this single experience that he was not someone with whom I was going to get along......or trust. It should be noted that in 2017, the entire CLEAR Board resigned and left!

Unfortunately I couldn't post about this directly on Facebook as I had been banned for 3 days for bullying him! So I wrote it in blog form......and he can't stop me tweeting it! :)


Recent Litigation History


After his recent £36k loss from his unsuccessful long term liable litigation against Chris Bovey of NORML UKyou might have thought he would take a rest from threatening more vexatious law suits. 



Alas, no. Peter seems to want to focus his time, effort and resources into attacking more cannabis patients and other reform groups again, instead of actually doing anything constructive about changing the law




You can read all about these from:
1:Sarah McCulloch
2: The Dorset Eye
3: Petey Pays Chris Bovey (Which include more legal threats to a UPA patient/admin)

Are these "vexatious lawsuits" from Peter, actually what the CLEAR subscription is paying for? 


Peter Reports UPA to Facebook - For nothing!

Over the last couple of weeks, Peter Reynolds has been reporting members of United Patients Alliance but particularly myself to Facebook for various things.

Shortly after updating our CBD Product information and recommended suppliers pages (Check them out!), Facebook acted on a complaint (pending investigation) about "Copyright Infringement" for a photo apparently belonging to CLEAR Cannabis Law Reform and reported by Peter Reynolds.

Unfortunately, Facebook's policy appears to be to remove anything that someone complains about first and ask questions later! 
This fabricated complaint is being actively investigated by Facebook on our request....watch this space....



Peter Turns to Twitter

As he had me blocked on Facebook, I did ask Peter,via Twitter, to which photo the complaint was referring, as all photos and logos were approved by the companies on the page? But if there was something we hadn't noticed, then a simple request would suffice. Of course, there is nothing. It's a complete fabrication.

Neither his first, nor second response was helpful:

https://twitter.com/TweeterReynolds/status/942880343140466689


A Happy New Year - From CLEAR!

So - Whilst minding our own business as usual, it seems he had infiltrated and was spying and taking screenshots (see - documentary evidence, in the email) in our private patient forum (does he have no scruples at all? - Spying on a PRIVATE PATIENT forum!) where something else he had said to another patient was under discussion, I and our Founder, Clark French received this threat in an email from Peter, who is described by Cannabis Trades Association Chair, Mike Harlington as "nothing but an adviser". Mike was cc'd. I have not heard whether he supports Peter's threats or not as yet.
You can read an alternative point of view on CTAUK and Peter's "involvement" here: Cannabis Trade Association Scam!




I don't like this sort of "secretive" communication and wanted the conversation out in the open, I posted the text on my own personal timeline on Facebook. 
The post was reported a few moments later for "Bullying" by Peter and I have been banned from posting or using messenger for 3 days.






UPDATED 3rd Jan
Response Received from Mike Harlington of Cannabis Trades Association

As Mike had been copied into Peter's communication even though he apparently has nothing to do with the organisation and only acts as an advisor, and given Peter had now changed his story from the "Copyright" issue being about CLEAR and now it was about CTAUK - I was keen to get some clafirication of their positions in all of this:


As you can see - He chose to ignore that and attempt to discredit individuals (myself) and patients that they had attacked - note how Tom from Canabidol is now copied in too...They seem really keen to keep bringing UPAs appointed trustee Professor Mike Barnes up too - Haven't mentioned him once! Weird!





UPDATED 4th Jan - Peter Claims Stock Photo and Boris's Bus as his own - sort of?

So first off, apparently this is the photo that is "owned" by CLEAR or CTAUK (he can't seem to make up his mind) - But since it is a free stock photo that has been used by CBD companies and articles for years - seems a bit rich to suddenly claim it as your own and try to sue others for using it - Peter - That's NOT how the internet works......



But not only that - he goes on to make a claim that Boris's bus, was indeed HIS idea too - Sorry Peter, but you will have to take that up with Boris - I think you will find they did it before you did! (You're not related to the current President of the US are you?)



And finally he wants to try to blame United Patients Alliance for some comments someone from 'The Community' made on one of HIS blog entries. Please note that 'The Community' is not a UPA account or forum.  I do not know who they are. The internet doesn't work like this either!




Besides a number of threats of legal action Peter has made against me personally and Clark, he has also threatened other UPA Patients and Directors.
Some might think that this is some sort of entertaining game but the patients that he abuses and threatens would not agree and whilst I have done my level best to ignore it, now that UPA and our patients are being actively targeted - enough is enough.  



All of this happened to our founder and MS patient, Clark French, along with a few others (Read Sarah's blog above too!) a number of years ago which had a disastrous effect on his mental health. Being threatened with and then being taken to court has a huge impact on a person already suffering from a chronic illness and of course, this now happening again (with NO provocation) is dragging it all up and increasing stress levels all over again. 

Peter, and the organisations that he is involved with, must be shown up for what they really are. They do NOT care about patients or consumers or even their own members, they do not care about cannabis or the future of the industry, they do not care about the truth and they do not care about YOU!

Patients and consumers alike need to be informed and protected and we have legal access to cannabis therapeutics for patients in the UK to advance.
Not only are they bringing disrepute into the whole future of cannabis, they are also getting in the way of effective change! 


Jon Liebling - jon@liebling.co.uk