Medicinal Herbs Will Disappear in EU and we are the only ones who can stop this.
This is not a post about Cannabis but it would be included; this is a post from/to a facebook group. If you use any herbal remedy or preparation you should read on as they are about to be made illegal!!!Posted By: Heidi Stevenson To: Members in Medicinal Herbs Will Disappear in EU and we are the only ones who can stop this We're becoming known! And e-mail interview. I have just been interviewed by the French newspaper, l'Avenir, regarding the THMPD petition and also about just who I am to be pressing it. Here's my response, in full. Hello Marine, I hope the following explains the opposition to Directive 2004/24/EC and my role in it: The wording of Directive 2004/24/EC (The Herbal Medicinal Products Directive - THMPD) demonstrates a lack of good intentions, insofar as the herbal industry is concerned. It refers (in paragraph 7) to a "simplified registration", but no requirement for herbal registration has been applied before this time. How can a non-existent protocol be simplified? A completely new and draconian system of registration has been put in place for herbal products. Why? Harm from these products has been extremely minimal. They are now expected to meet the same standards as pharmaceutical drugs--but they aren't drugs. The fact that many drugs were originally derived from them does not make a herb in its natural form a drug, other than by the most twisted logic. To expect herbs to meet the same standards as drugs completely misunderstands their heritage and use. The systems by which they're applied do not operate under the same logic as pharmaceutical drugs. For this, we should be grateful, since the history of Big Pharma's products is one of devastation and death. Just look to Vioxx and thalidomide to see the truth. Nothing in the ancient history of herbal use comes close, yet THMPD insists that they be expected to meet the same standards. If they did, we should worry! It's obvious that THMPD does not serve the needs of the public. Rather, it serves the will of multinational corporate interests to limit competition. The "harmonisation" referenced does nothing to benefit the needs of the people. The requirement that safety be proven, as specified in item 5, is unneeded, unreasonable, and draconian. If THMPD were innocuous, then why will all non-EU based herbal systems be banned as of next April Fool's Day? All Chinese, Ayurvedic, and other herbal systems that many Europeans rely on will become unavailable once stocks have been depleted. How can this benefit the thousands of people who rely on them and other herbal systems to maintain their health? European based herbs will be severely restricted, with few being able to meet the expensive and confusing requirements. Most manufacturers are small businesses and do not have the resources. This has been clearly demonstrated by the fact that only a handful of them have been able to maneuver the system set in place by THMPD, even though it's been in effect since 2004. It's painfully obvious that THMPD will clear the field of competition for Big Pharma. It will also remove the people's right to use nature's bounty. I am a homeopath in Scotland, practicing as Gaia Therapy and I produce the website Gaia Health (http://gaia-health.com). I do not use herbs in my practice and have no financial interest in these products. My background includes research and technical writing, especially in computer science. My interest in this campaign is human rights. The right to manage one's health, freely using personally chosen methods and products, is so obvious that it has never been considered necessary to specify it as a separate right along with the right of free speech. The EU is abrogating that unwritten right with THMPD, along with the supplements Directive 2002/46/EC. It's interesting to note that Thomas Jefferson, the author of the United States' Declaration of Independence, stated, "Was the government to prescribe to us our medicine and diet, our bodies would be in such keeping as our souls are now." That is precisely what the EU is attempting to do. If successful, it will result in the utter destruction of our health: the deliverance of our bodies to multinational corporations to do with as they wish. The more I learned, the more outraged I became. The Alliance for Natural Health has taken up the banner for this issue. Their approach is to institute a lawsuit (http://www.anh-usa.org/traditional-medicines-to-become-illegal-in-europe/). My belief is that this is an issue that the people need to address. There did not appear to be an existing petition that could do the job. I contacted Avaaz and asked them to take it on, but they refused, saying that they were booked for months in advance. It became clear that, if I didn't take this on, then THMPD would probably come to pass. I hope to be able to carry it forward. Regards, Heidi Stevenson Please, everyone - Invite your friends to join the Cause and to sign the petition!
Philip Walsh ● 5384d10 Comments