First step towards legalising medical cannabis in the UK

OMG! Not the dreaded litmus 'common sense'.  There will be none of that!  You will not want to hear this but I have been using a variety recommended for sleep and calming the body.  It has the effect of relaxing all muscles until close to where I am having my worst rip-tear excess tone, and those muscles that were cramping up slowly calm down, as though the tension could now recede into the surrounding calm.  It works too well, becoming something I may use too much of.  

In February California came under new State regulations with full legalization, even for recreational use.  The weed now must be sold in standardized, sealed containers.  This is a reenactment of what happened in the 1950s regarding milk consumption.  Until that time small farmers could put out single 50 gallon cans  of milk at the bottom of their drive for the milk wagon to collect.  The milk was then taken to a pasturizing facility, usually a coop owned by area small farmers.  Private businesses convinced state legislators that the existing system created a health risk and farms should be required to pasteurize milk on site.  Bingo, big farms took over since the little guys running 10-20 cows could not afford to continue under the new regulations.  

Now a grower on the west coast has to be able to get the cash to upgrade their packaging area.  Machines!  But Marijuana growers cannot borrow $ from banks because the federal government regulates banks to prevent them servicing  ... drug lords, and marijuana is still federally illegal.  So private capital steps in and created a situation that drives out much of the diversity of product so they can "rationalize".  Monoculture green houses.  

The variety I've used for 6 months is no longer available.  Until this year I could buy $5 samples to find out what really worked.  Now the minimum purchase is a lot higher and If a strain does not agree with me I have to toss it.  

While my mouth hung open in shock the young man serving me took pity and said quietly, "we have some of the old stock in back.  How much would you like? I told him the small quantity I'd intended to buy and he gave it to me for free.  But the story does not end here.  He said "we are selling the old stuff for $100 USD/ounce until it runs out, probably a week or 2 more.  

The math of that is about $3.57/gram of the stuff I wanted, compared to over $8/gram for any of the new regulated-for-my-protection stuff.  Of course I bought  an ounce. and I am thinking of returning for another.  That would give me a lifetime supply, I think.  It keeps well in a mason jar.