Please sign to help stop new EU directive to ban Herbal Medicine

[Ronan]

Hi,

This just came to my attention and its a big worry as far as i'm concerned.

In 2 days, a new EU directive will ban much of herbal medicine, denying us safe remedies and feeding the profits of big pharma.

Let's raise a massive outcry to push the Commission to fix the Directive, and our national governments to refuse to implement it.

Add your name here:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_herbal_medicine_ban/96.php

Article: Alternative Health Ireland

 

[In Vitro Infidelium]

In 2 days, a new EU directive will ban much of herbal medicine, denying us safe remedies and feeding the profits of big pharma.

So big pharma doesn't own 95% of herbal medicine production/sales ? Even with the introduction of the THMD large numbers of products will remain available - but will come with the assurance of having been licensed just as any other medication. http://www.thmpd.eu/ http://www.herbsociety.org.uk/mh-legislation.htm

 

[Mark]

But - aside from the entirely undebated questions of whether it's cool to illegalise the sale of natural plant products whose properties have not yet been sufficiently scientifically explored and commercialised (for whatever reason), whether it's cool to demand they're bought licensed rather than home-grown (may we grow our own, or is that a black market question?), and whether I should be free to experiment with said plants for myself or with partners, considering both scientific evidence and what survives of the traditional wisdom about health - in the UK, at least, the new licensing will be via practitioners rather than via health shops, which will go out of business as a result, and those with the least money but with stable solutions to their health problems will be obliged to pay practitioners to obtain them - and will have to argue their case with said practitioners, who may or may not know better than they do what is best for them.

Possibly a good thing for the majority - there's an arguable case for the paternalism (though if you treat people like children they will increasingly behave like children I would say). But there will certainly be losers: for those most vulnerable, with least money, untreatable or untreated conditions, and stable remedies they've spent years tracking down, remedies which happen to be keeping them alive (though of course there's no evidence of that)...oh dear, oh dear, oh dear...

What exactly is the crying imperative and the crisis in our society that is driving this hardline EU directive...part of what was known as "codex alimentarius" when I first heard about it many years ago and was told that was a "conspiracy theory"? Could it perhaps be a financial issue?

 

[In Vitro Infidelium]

But - aside from the entirely undebated questions of whether it's cool to illegalise the sale of natural plant products whose properties have not yet been sufficiently scientifically explored and commercialised (for whatever reason), whether it's cool to demand they're bought licensed rather than home-grown (may we grow our own, or is that a black market question?), and whether I should be free to experiment with said plants for myself or with partners, considering both scientific evidence and what survives of the traditional wisdom about health - in the UK, at least, the new licensing will be via practitioners rather than via health shops, which will go out of business as a result, and those with the least money but with stable solutions to their health problems will be obliged to pay practitioners to obtain them - and will have to argue their case with said practitioners, who may or may not know better than they do what is best for them.

Possibly a good thing for the majority - there's an arguable case for the paternalism (though if you treat people like children they will increasingly behave like children I would say). But there will certainly be losers: for those most vulnerable, with least money, untreatable or untreated conditions, and stable remedies they've spent years tracking down, remedies which happen to be keeping them alive (though of course there's no evidence of that)...oh dear, oh dear, oh dear...

What exactly is the crying imperative and the crisis in our society that is driving this hardline EU directive...part of what was known as "codex alimentarius" when I first heard about it many years ago and was told that was a "conspiracy theory"? Could it perhaps be a financial issue?

All that is happening is that the opt outs that the UK and Eire had from a 2004 Directive (yes it all happened seven years ago in the rest of Europe) are coming to an end as was agreed in 2004. The legislation only covers sales so 'growing your own' would not be affected unless you are intending to supply. Of course self poisoning is not unknown but that has a strong Darwinian element and therefore part of the natural order.]

IVI

 

[Mark]

IVI this inevitably means a black market in these products does it not?

Criminalising people seeking solutions to problems that the prevailing order sweeps under the carpet?

Is all of this the new marijuana or what?

I'm curious as to your stance: are you in favour of the darwinian natural order, or not? Or both?

PS: thanks for clarifying that growth of these herbs for personal use is legal. The line does seem to be neatly drawn: I thought this explanation was well-written:
http://www.webmd.boots.com/vitamins...l-remedies-registration-rules-come-into-force