Peter Reynolds takes Cancer Research UK to task for saying cannabis doesn’t cure cancer

Author: Kevin John Braid

Last month NORML UK created quite a stir with an article about a young man who believes that cannabis oil cured his cancer.

Several readers questioned in good faith whether it was responsible for NORML UK to post a piece from someone claiming cannabis as a cancer cure, and to their credit NORML UK encouraged everyone to have their say on Facebook. Sarah McCulloch responded to these concerns with a balanced essay on the importance of giving voice to stories like Dave’s, while also cautioning that the research is still ongoing (http://norml-uk.org/2012/08/can-russell-brand-cure-cancer/).

This fascinating dialogue caught the eye of one Peter Reynolds, who took to CLEAR’s blog to denounce the “foul-mouthed idiots”, “charlatans”, and “snake oil salesmen” who are destroying the cannabis movement from within by so much as mentioning cannabis’ cancer killing potential.

Unfortunately for Reynolds, who appears to have a very short memory indeed, he enthusiastically endorsed these claims on an official CLEAR flyer as well as his personal blog:

But his hypocrisy doesn’t end there. Around the same time as the leaflet was released, Reynolds doubled down on his cancer cure assertions when he lambasted Cancer Research UK for denying that very idea:

So which is it, Mr Reynolds? Are small scale studies and anecdotal evidence worth discussing, or will doing so bring the cannabis reform movement crashing down around our ears? Are you willing to retract your previous statements and apologise for deluding so many innocents into believing their cancer could be cured by snake oil? How many people received that flyer? Why is it still available to the public, if such claims are dangerous and destructive?

Meanwhile, as well as upsetting people in the UK, it has been drawn to the attention of Peter Reynolds Watch that he’s been upsetting respected cannabis activist, Mark Heinrich 10,000 miles away in Australia.

In typical Reynolds fashion he decided to troll Mark’s Facebook page and the good folk at Phoenix Tears where they were discussing the article he wrote on CLEAR condemning people who claim cannabis cures cancer.

Within minutes he upsets virtually the whole group, as he starts to lecture them …

Irresponsible to claim cannabis cures cancer? Like it did on the 30,000 leaflets CLEAR printed in 2011 with the money it the inherited from the old Legalise Cannabis Alliance.

Reynolds does not stop there; he accuses our Australian friends of being a “millstone around the neck of the vital work to advance cannabis as a medicine”

Jindřich Bayer tries to reason with Reynolds, encouraging him to look further into Rick Simpsons’ work.  Will Reynolds’ relent? … ack no, apparently he’s in regular and frequent personal contact with Rick Simpson.

Mark Heinrich is having none of it and seriously doubts Reynolds’ claim he is in regular contact with Rick Simpson; I doubted it too, so I checked and he isn’t. Jindřich Bayer is glad to see the back of Reynolds (who wouldn’t be?)

The conversation ended, Reynolds gone, why would they be hoping he won’t be in regular contact with them? Aw no Pete, tell me ye were nay a wee bit rude to our friends overseas? …. oh dear me, ye were … (sigh)

If history is any indication, Reynolds will not make amends for his self-described charlatanism. He will, however, take any opportunity and any ideological stance – no matter how outrageously hypocritical – to fracture the cannabis community and attack his perceived enemies. While it is certainly important to discuss cancer and cannabis responsibly, as NORML UK have done by opening the floor to all comers and presenting all sides, Peter Reynolds cannot have it both ways.

And the cannabis community won’t let him.

Further reading: Can cannabis cure Peter Reynolds?