Martin Kelly is a campaigner for the legalisation and regulation of medicinal cannabis. He is a member of CISTA NI, a political party that are seeking a change in UK’s drug laws relating to cannabis. On Friday November 11, Martin faces being sentenced to jail time at Craigavon Court following his latest set of charges.
On this occasion Martin is charged with cultivating and possession of cannabis. However, when he was raided again on Saturday November 5 Police officers seized a variation of medicinal cannabis infused products such as capsules, tinctures, vape oils and coconut infusions.
Here is Martin’s take on the situation:
“Today I had my house raided, again. The police confiscated cannabis oil which I use (very publicly and inoffensively) to keep seizures at bay. I was spending my last few days with my daughter before I go to jail for my recent stance against a stupid law that is now going to harm my life, as well as others more than cannabis ever could, to protect the interests of commerce.
“In March 2015 police came to my house. I don’t hide the fact I use cannabis and so it was no surprise they found cannabis – and other drugs in my possession. Two other guys were caught up in it all as well, and unfortunately have found themselves before the crown charged with various cannabis related offences.
“The biggest problem being the police have poised us as an enterprise of sorts, which we aren’t and never were.”
“I use cannabis as I was taking seizures in 2012 and the health system only offered Frisium and Clobazam…neither of which I could live happily with. I would need supervision to see my daughter and would be taking benzodiazepines and opiates for the rest of my life. I took the choice to not live in that perpetual deterioration.
“I started studying cannabinoids and the science, nights on end following Rick Simpson and Jeff Ditchfield’s methods and reading cited scientific studies from the likes of PubMed about seizures. I quickly found a safe, reliable and effective answer in a coconut and cannabis oil infusion. My studies continued and developed over the next two years. The knowledge and understanding of how cannabis has been systematically removed from common medicine made me angry. Suppressed to make way for commercial poisons that are basically useless and cause more damage than good. the politics and bureaucratic nonsense had to be challenged and so I joined the birth of CISTA NI.
“A week after joining CISTA NI the police raided for the first time and I was arrested on various drug charges, mostly cannabis but I take no shame in saying I had a small amount of cocaine and another controlled substance (5meo-dalt). These were to be tested and checked for safety because the government wouldn’t do it.
“People need safe access to minimise the risk. I believe in harm reduction. I believe we can control the drug problem but the current plan has failed. We took a democratic stance. We got the votes. We proved the science. We have the studies and the people have spoken. Yet the powers that be don’t listen.”
“The leaders of this country should be ashamed for the damage that goes on despite the mounting evidence to support our mission despite the success of our stance and the collaboration of the world’s finest studies and scientific research our government rejects what is undeniable.
“I ask, how is this democracy?”
Martin Kelly: “We don’t deserve to be forced on to a life of opiates, courses of chemotherapy or even taking painkillers before being offered a natural and effective plant”
“Since then I have been raided twice again, stopped in a car and while I was on holiday I had my house raided again. I was stopped by customs and searched too..bear in mind I have been unencumbered by the law for the last 10 years and now inside six months of joining CISTA I have been harassed and bullied. Followed and watched, dragged through the newspapers as “CISTA man on drugs charges”, but thankfully the public rejected the attempt to blacken the party. The response was supportive with people saying things like “obviously- that’s what they do” and simply posting “so?”.
“My point being the public are aware of what we do. They support CISTA and the mission we are on. The government needs to accept that we are doing this by the book. What we have done, is used the rights this country has torn itself apart over for the last 100 years. We are a non religious, post peace process party.
“I want to highlight the damage to society prohibition causes.”
“They are failing us and we are becoming victims of our supposed leaders’ incompetence to address northern Ireland drug pandemic, but he illicit and pharmaceutical.
“We should have the choice.”
“We don’t deserve to be forced on to a life of opiates, courses of chemotherapy or even taking painkillers before being offered a natural and effective plant. That’s common sense.”