THE Prince of Wales asked a multiple sclerosis sufferer yesterday if she had
tried using cannabis to help her condition.
Prince Charles, on the fourth day of a week of engagements in Scotland, put
the question to June McLachlan, 52, during a visit to the Prince and Princess
of Wales Hospice in Glasgow.
She told him that she would be willing to try it, but feared she would be "out
of her mind" if she smoked the drug. The prince then advised her to "stick to
reflexology". The Scottish courts have recently shown leniency to several MS
sufferers facing drugs charges after they admitted using cannabis to alleviate
their symptoms, and senior police officers and politicians have called for its
use to be approved for medical reasons.
Alistair Ramsay, the director of Scotland Against Drugs, said the prince's
question was "understandable". He added: "I am sure it goes through
anybody's mind talking to an MS sufferer whether or not they have tried the
full range of treatments."
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Queen puts £86m stamps on display(Electronic Telegraph)
THE Queen's collection of stamps, valued at £86 million, went on public
display yesterday in tight security. Three quarters of them have never been
seen by the public and include one of the world's rarest, the Post Office
Mauritius Tuppeny Blue. The stamp, estimated to be worth £2 million, is one
of only 12 examples.
The collection was taken from a secret location by armed officers of the
Special Escort Group to the Royal Mail's Stamp Show 2000 at Earls Court
Exhibition Centre, west London. Security will be intense throughout the show,
which is held every 10 years and is expected to attract up to 120,000 visitors.