A Weed That Works Wonders?

Garstang is an unlikely hotbed of cannabis use but locals are taking to this interesting - and legal - plant

IF you head to the market town of Garstang and think the locals have a slightly glazed expression, don’t worry. It’s all in the mind.

While this attractive community is far from being a hotbed of drug taking, many residents will privately admit to a flirtation with cannabis.

Before the drugs squad wake the sniffer dogs, we should point out this is not the narcotic that makes you put flowers in your hair and reach for the nearest tie-dyed t-shirt. This is 100 percent legal with the hallucinogenic components – some might say the fun parts – taken out.

But for the people using it there is a serious point and it’s all about the efficacy of extracts from this unassuming little weed.

Historians believe we have had cannabis as a herbal treatment since Neolithic times. Physicians from the eighth century onwards have made a wide range of preparations from it. Through ancient Egypt and Greece to the 19th century, it has been claimed to have a positive effect on many conditions. It was even prescribed for Queen Victoria to ease period pains. Research is being carried out in several countries to investigate these benefits.