Around the UK today

Five cases are being brought before the Court of Appeal arguing that people who use cannabis to relieve chronic pain should not be convicted for a crime. The defendant's are pleading their cases using a necessity defense, or at least trying to. The judge has already ruled one party is barred from using it but has sent another case to the jury for a decision. The question on the table remains is chronic and debilitating pain capable of causing serious harm? We await the disposition of these cases with great interest.

In other news, the Cumbria County Council came out strongly against random drug testing in schools despite the availability of a "revolutionary" new testing kit. Some school administrators however, are rubbing their hands together with glee and can't wait to start the testing.

Finally, I thought this was sweet. A 74 year old Bradford on Avon councillor will go on a cannabis training course after nearly half of teenagers quizzed in a survey thought the drug was used in the town on a daily basis. He says he knows very little about the plant and wants to learn more before debating the issue.