Banned Aid:(Weed the World): Let them know its testing time.

Carol Coombes O.B.E, D.Univ, a leading strengths-based Leadership coach is the first Public figure in the UK to speak out about using more natural/ traditional methods, including cannabis oil to help manage her cancer.

A very private Public figure, Carol came out about her own cancer, diagnosed in February 2017, to try to make changes to the current situation of her beloved NHS effectively being gagged from discussing this.

She says there are a few big hurdles that have to be jumped for us to get there.

cannabis oil , although it’s only one of the herbs being used in her massive effort towards wellness, is the most contentious part, on a number of levels. Using this as an e.g. Carol says ‘The real challenge with using cannabis oil for many of us isn’t that it might be illegal, dependent upon where you are and which you use. It’s not even that it’s difficult to source. Both of those challenges can be overcome in a relatively short time, as there’s a growing community in the UK.

It’s not even of knowing which particular oil would suit your needs, as our cousins across the pond can lead us in that area, as well as more experience being developed in the UK’

Most people, it seems, in the Cannabis Community are keen to help. Too many, in fact, given that there are hundreds of ‘failsafe’ protocols, and ever changing stories. We saw exactly the problem. No one can offer anything other than anecdotes because no evidence is captured. We were overwhelmed when we tried to make our way through it.

Imagine doing that while you’re reeling in shock of a cancer diagnosisCarol says ‘ The biggest challenge for me, (and by that I mean the only one so far we can’t really workaround ourselves) is of gathering an evidence base. It would be great to do it now, for many reasons. We expect this will be legal in a few years. If we have started to gather information, we’re not starting cold. The great brains behind the work and research leading us to this point (Mechoulam, Melamede, Gordon, Russo, Guzman, Sanchez et al) are still around at the moment to stretch the understanding of what we find. How amazing would it be to learn from The Pathfinders?

She’s pushing for open, honest and useful conversations about treatments that people are using, whatever they are, now. If not, she says, we’re not just wasting, we’re consciously refusing to even acknowledge free and relevant data.

She stresses that there can’t be clinical trials for everything. This, she says, is a natural herb that’s showing clear benefits for lots of health issues, WITH NO LASTING negative impact to the people taking it, in countries that are much further forward in their knowledge

‘No-one at all would ask our exhausted NHS to take on more, if there weren’t clear benefits for everyone, in every way, of exploring this. There are proven and accepted benefits elsewhere.
To not even be able to start gathering and using the intelligence from people already taking it, as part and parcel of the data already collected, feels like a massively wasted opportunity.

The social, economic and environmental boosts to the country, both in terms of benefit found, and damage limited, could help the country into sustainable recovery. I’d go as far as to say our government, on our behalf, should invest in catching us up, and we should all own the industry that comes out of it’

She’s been told consistently that the NHS can’t even consider discussing the impact of Cannabis Oil on cancer as there’s no evidence. And no evidence can be gathered can’t without a clinal trial meeting a recognised Gold Standard. And we can’t have a Clinical trial without enough incentive to lead us there.

As a start to this, Carol’s set up The facebook group ‘Banned Aid: Weed the World’ and invited any and everyone with an interest to join the conversations. She’s resisted so far requests for a book or blog, feeling the market is so crowded with great ones, it’s hard to see how another could add benefit.
She wants evidence. And she wants to be one of the people who help to provide it.

She’s discussing presenting a radio session called for now, ‘Come Die With Me’ , while she literally has a voice. This will make noise , with guests about this and more of the biggest issues, and celebrate all the moods and humour of the last stages of life