Politics Outside US

[Courtesy of Hands Off Cain] In this issue: IRAN. 12 CONVICTS HANGED NORTH CAROLINA (USA). DEATH ROW INMATE WALKS FREE-129TH EXONERATION DRC. FIGHTING TO ESTABLISH THE UNCONSTITUTIONALITY OF THE DEATH PENALTY SAUDI ARABIA. 3 PAKISTANIS EXECUTED FOR HASHISH SMUGGLING IRAN. 12 CONVICTS HANGED Drug traffickers after being executed in Iran May 5, 2008: Iran has hanged 12 convicted criminals, including nine drug traffickers and three rapists, the latest in a growing number of executions in the Islamic republic, reports said. Nine drug traffickers were hanged, one of them in public, in the northeastern city of Bojnourd, Kayhan newspaper reported, without giving the date of the executions. This appears to be the first report of a public execution in Iran since judiciary chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi ordered in January that there should be no more public executions without his approval. "One person was hanged in public," said Kayhan, without giving further details. Shahroudi's decree came after a growing number of public executions in Iran, including the hanging of two convicted murderers in the centre of Tehran. It was not clear if he had approved the reported public execution in Bojnourd. Meanwhile, three criminals convicted of kidnapping and raping at least 11 girls were sent to the gallows in the southwestern city of Ahvaz on May 3, the Quds newspaper reported. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NORTH CAROLINA (USA). DEATH ROW INMATE WALKS FREE-129TH EXONERATION May 2, 2008: The state of North Carolina dropped all charges against Levon Jones, and he was freed after spending 13 years on death row. U.S. District Court Judge Terrence Boyle overturned Jones's conviction two years ago, but he was held in prison awaiting a possible retrial until prosecutors announced that they were dismissing all charges. Judge Boyle criticized Jones's defense attorneys for "constitutionally deficient" performance, noting their failure to research the history and credibility of Lovely Lorden, the prosecution's star witness. The judge noted, "Given the weakness of the prosecution's case and its heavy reliance on the testimony of Lovely Lorden, there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel's unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different." In April, Jones's new defense team filed an affidavit in which Lorden said, "Much of what I testified to was simply not true." She also stated that a detective coached her on what to say. Additionally, she collected $4,000 from the governor's office for offering the clues that led to the arrest of Jones. Jones's retrial was set to begin May 12th, 2008. Duplin County District Attorney Dewey Hudson decided to ask the judge in the case to drop all charges. Jones was originally convicted of robbing and shooting a bootlegger named Leamon Grady. Levon Jones is the 129th inmate to be exonerated and freed from death row since 1973. He is the 8th such inmate freed from North Carolina, and the 6th person in the country exonerated in the past 12 months. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DRC. FIGHTING TO ESTABLISH THE UNCONSTITUTIONALITY OF THE DEATH PENALTY Liévin N'Gondji May 1, 2008: ongoing penal code reform in the Democratic Republic of Congo is giving abolitionists the chance to have the death penalty recognised as unconstitutional. The current Democratic Republic of Congo constitution, in place since early 2006, recognises the "right to life" and the "inviolable nature of human beings". A proposition for an article explicitly abolishing the death penalty was rejected by the national parliament during the text's elaboration in 2005. "We have submitted two requests, one to the director of public prosecutions' office and a second to the Ministry of Justice" to formally establish the unconstitutionality of the death penalty, explains Liévin N'Gondji, a lawyer and president of Culture for Peace and Justice (CPJ), member of the World and Congolese Coalitions against the death penalty. Thanks to international aid, the DRC's judicial system is being reformed and donors financing the project have invited CPJ to participate in the joint justice Commission, principally responsible for revising the penal code. N'Gondji estimates that "approximately three quarters of those present were in agreement" with his position on the unconstitutionality of capital punishment. According to N'Gondji, the Commission will make its recommendations to the government by the end of May. The latter should then make a decision quickly. "The next three months will be crucial", he believes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SAUDI ARABIA. 3 PAKISTANIS EXECUTED FOR HASHISH SMUGGLING May 1, 2008: Zargar Sadajan, Roajan Sodajar, and Naik Mohammed Malak Mohammed, all Pakistanis, were executed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after being convicted of receiving large quantities of hashish. A statement released by the Saudi Interior Ministry confirmed that the men were convicted by the court, and the verdict was approved by the Cassation Court and the Supreme Judicial Council.

[Courtesy of Trekt Uw Plant] PRESS RELEASE On Saturday May 3, 2008, from 14.00 onwards, on the Vrijdagmarkt in Antwerp, Belgium, the members of the association Trekt Uw Plant (Draw Up Your Plant) will put the seed of their private cannabis plant. According to a ministerial guideline issued by the Belgian state in January 2005 the possession, by an adult, of max. 3 grammes of cannabis and one plant is not persecuted. It can only lead to a simplified police record, but the cannabis will not be confiscated. This guideline has been issued after 8 years of parliamentary debates, working groups, decrees, a federal drug law and its revision by the Court of Arbitrage (Arbitragehof). The guideline is meant to create a situation in which the individual cannabis consumer (in Belgium there are approx. half a million of them) can provide him/herself in a safe and legal way with cannabis. Thus, he/she would no longer be dependent on the illegal trade in cannabis, with all the risks for public health and safety that this generates. In december 2006 Trekt Uw Plant established a collective plantation in which one plant per member would be grown. The implementation of this plan was then blocked by the Antwerp legal authorities, and the definitive verdict in this case has not been sentenced yet. Meanwhile, the local judge in Antwerp has confirmed that the right to associate is guaranteed by the Constitution and therefore, that the existence of Trekt Uw Plant as such is illegal by any means. On Saturday 3 May, there aill be manifestations in more than 220 cities in the world in favour of the legalisation of cannabis, the so-called Worldwide Marijuana March. Besides, on Monday 5 May it is new moon, which is a perfect day to put new seeds in the earth. Therefore, Trekt Uw Plant will use this opportunity to announce the start of the new growing season. From 14.00 onwards, an artistic and informative programme will unfold with the participation of several Antwerp musicians and poets. Some members of Trekt Uw Plant will each plant their own cannabis seed in a pot. These pots will not be put together in a plantation. Each of the members will keep his private pot with him, and take it home. From each private seed a private cannabis plant will grow. As tolerated by the Belgian law. We are curious to see how the Antwerp legal authorities will react this time. Will common sense gain, will it be accepted that growing cannabis for personal use is a way in which adult cannabis consumers, many of whom for medical reasons, can enjoy cannabis without becoming involved in crimes or antisocial behaviour? Or will the legal authorities strike again, arrest the organisers, search their houses, confiscate their computers and tap their mobile telephones etc?. Then it will be crystally clear that 8 years of research, debate and decision-making (paid by the tax payers) will have been of no value at all, and the ministerial guideline of January 2005 can be thrown in the dustbin. The legal authorities would make clear this way that it is themselves who increase the legal insecurity and disequality in Belgian society. Police commissioners of Brasschaat and Meulebeke declared on 11 august and 14 september 2007 in the Belgian press that they would respect the principle of growing cannabis for personal consumption. If the Antwerp authorities would not, the only ones that would profit from this are the illegal cannabis traders, who would have a serious competitor eliminated. We call on everybody who wishes to support our initiative to become a member of our association. From 3 May onwards the members receive a welcoming package with which they should in principle be able to grow an outside plant. On behalf of Trekt Uw Plant Kris Verdonck, Philippe Decraene and Joep Oomen Lange Lozanastraat 14 2018 Antwerp Belgium [email protected] Tel. +32 3 293 0886 / +32 495 122 644 (Joep) / +32 494 807 350 (Philippe) / +32 486 - 357595 (Kris)

HIPPIES INVITE THE POLICE TO SMOKE THE PEACE PIPE and NIMBIN APRIL FOOLS DAY RAID, WAITING FOR THE TRUTH TO COME OUT “The last two evenings in Nimbin have seen mini convoys of up to six police cars cruising the deserted main street of Nimbin’s tiny village. The cost must be prohibitive but the propaganda to justify targeting Nimbin is the real joke”, said Michael Balderstone, Hemp Embassy President. “Instead of this waste of money we need Senior Police to join us at MardiGrass for sane discussion on alternative strategies for dealing with cannabis use. But will anyone take us, the users, seriously?” “It is not the Police’s fault, they are the meat in the sandwich, ’just doing their job’ so to speak, but we need their support in making legal changes, as has happened in the UK. Policing Nimbin with a National Party local MP has been costing a fortune for years, you’d think the Labor Party might be a fraction different.” “One option is a trial of a decriminalised supply of cannabis and at MardiGrass this year Dr. Alex Wodak from St. Vincents Hospital will be presenting a model for regulated and taxable cannabis supply. He will be supported by Paul Wilson, Professor of Criminology at Bond Uni. There are several working models overseas to consider and in the MardiGrass “Beyond Prohibition Forum’ we will have visitors from those countries to give us first hand accounts of how it works”. “We are especially inviting the law makers, the politicians, to come and hear these ideas borne of necessity out of desperation from worlds politicians rarely see. We also invite parents to the MardiGrass forums and it is worth remembering the Al Capone era in America ended when mothers marched against prohibition. Of course everyone is welcome, but we would especially love to see the gag taken off government employees like police and health professionals so they could join in the Forum”. At some point even the most hard headed must come round to seeing some merit in sitting down and talking a different approach to Nimbin’s unique situation. A few facts to consider please: A fast growing indigenous population in Nimbin would rather smoke yarndi, than get drunk. The local police would rather they did too! Dealing or stealing? Nimbin’s ‘refugee camp from the war on drugs’ sees all sorts of disadvantaged people finding their way here to ‘the last bus stop’ hoping to score a smoke, which is their favourite pain reliever. The catch is, they have little money and no land to grow their own so they join the growing throng of street “dealers” trying to catch the eye of someone visiting Nimbin to buy pot. They get a small cut, probably a smoke, for organising the deal. A huge risk just for a joint shows how desperate they are. It’s impossible for the police to bust all these people who rarely possess anything. Many backpackers come from countries where cannabis use is regulated. The current situation is teaching young people bad habits to say the least. No wonder disrespect is a boom industry. We notice young people in and out of jail lose their fear of it and even enjoy the gangster rap with police. Jail offers credibility in some cases, as well as study opportunities and a reliable bed and food. MardiGrass program details growing on www.nimbinmardigrass.com On April Fools Day the police ( with Lismore City Council inspectors} came with their media unit and supplied all the footage for channels Seven, Nine & Ten’s news stories that night, but the raid netted so little the story barely made it into the Sydney or Brisbane news. “The police media release announcing the raids came out at 11.41am. At 11.30 the search began in Nimbin. They arrived in riot gear, screaming and yelling like it was Nim Bin Ladin’s very own cave. They were in full battle dress and surrounded Nimbin’s two primary off the street (which is covered by cameras live to the copshop) tourist attractions, the Nimbin Museum and the HEMP Embassy, and cordoning them off for searches until well after the many school buses had unloaded. Hippies love their children and are angry about this insensitivity. Unable to answer back the battle dressed riot squad were fair pickings for some cheeky Nimbin kids who have grown up in a “criminalised cannabis culture”, other kids were shocked and scared at the show of force in their village. Many in the village think it is just anti-terrorist training on harmless hippies.” The pages and pages of Property Seizure Forms of what was confiscated in their raid is all tabled on www.hempembassy.net “Many of the items were not prohibited and will be returned when the police discover they are not illegal. Many of the food items were just that, with no cannabis in them.” “The cash collected, around five thousand dollars from so many sources was clearly no big deal. The Hemp Bar Activist’s Kiosk run by volunteers has no bank account but gets donations for drinks, etc. It apparently had ice cream containers full of ten and twenty cent coins. Perhaps this is the ‘large quantity of cash’ seized by police from our study of money listed on their Property Seizure forms.” “The eight arrests were in fact mostly Cannabis Cautions. We reckon five cautions for personal amounts, two small cannabis charges and one young Aboriginal male who was in breach of bail conditions by being in Nimbin. EIGHT ARRESTS! BIG DEAL!” “The five kilos of cannabis they claim to have seized was in fact mostly cookies making up the weight. FLOUR AND WATER! The “plants” they seized were in fact one tiny straggly male plant no one had noticed in the back yard of the HEMP Embassy! The cannabis ‘suppositories’, (ouch!), seized from the Hemp Bar we hear are tobacco plugs!” Further details of the raid with pictures and movies www.hempembassy.net Embassy… ph 02 6689 1842 ah 66897525

PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE NIMBIN APRIL FOOLS’ DAY POLICE RAIDS Michael Balderstone, President of the Nimbin Hemp Embassy, was sitting in the backyard of the Museum. “I thought it was the musicians arriving for our “Fossil Fools’ Day Event”, but the van door slid open and police poured out in riot gear screaming like on American TV – ‘NOBODY MOVE – IT’S A CRIME SCENE’ etc etc……” Possibly seventy police spent the day in Nimbin trying to make a difference in our village. But they can’t be here every day, and hippies are never going to stop smoking pot, so when do we start talking and creating real solutions? If only government employees could speak their mind. Many of them know what we all know - drug use is a health issue and I have no doubt many of the police in Nimbin today quietly questioned the morality of their operation and how worthwhile it was. They know the difference between a pot smoker and a real criminal, and they know pot is the least harmful of all the illegal substances. They also know pot is the easy bust and the harder they target cannabis in Nimbin the more people will use easily hidden powders and pills and drink a lot more alcohol. In California today there are about four hundred vending machines which spit out a bag of pot if you put in a fifty dollar note! And this, in the country which started the war on drugs. Hopefully Kevin Rudd’s closer look at youth binge drinking might lead him to some understanding of all youth drug use. Why are they so reckless? Why is disrespect for authority a growth industry? Why don’t the police lobby for more leeway with cannabis users as has happened in the UK? Making the hippies’ favourite medicine illegal has created widespread generational disrespect for the laws and lawmakers, not only in our community but throughout the land. Unfortunately the police are the meat in the sandwich, ‘just doing their job’. The most distasteful part of today is that police co-ordinated their raid with Lismore City Council departments….the crudest way possible for the LCC to communicate with this community. Clearly they are keen to make us as ‘normal’ as possible, which will sterilise the thriving tourism industry here and kill the Aquarian spirit which has brought so much colour to the north coast. Ironically today our planned event was to ask LCC to let us be nothing like normal, because ‘normal’ has nearly killed the planet, as our press release said. It also appears they want the Museum closed, if not the Hemp Embassy and it’s incorrect of Commander Lyons to say he has the community’s support for his operations. The majority of this community is sick to death of the consequences of cannabis being illegal and he needs to lobby Sydney for us to trial something different instead of just getting more and more police. His job, above all, as I understand it, is to keep the peace. Our annual MardiGrass and Cannabis Law Reform rally, on the first weekend in May will show him how much support for change there is in the community. Many people in the large crowd witnessing the police today were galvanised for the coming rally. Many other people in the crowd were asking “Where are you when the pub shuts” or “Where are you on Friday night”? We all know these days that respect is the critical ingredient. When cannabis users are respected for their choice of medicine, the laws and lawmakers may start to be respected again. More information at Nimbin Hemp Embassy 02 6689 1842, after hours 6689 7525

HEMP PARTY-NOT DEAD YET The Nimbin based HELP END MARIJUANA PROHIBITION party is in limbo, undead, neither registered nor de-registered. We did not contest the 2007 Federal elections because we had not been re-registered in time. The Howard government had arbitrarily de-registered all political parties, without a current representative in Parliament in December 2006. Our application for re-registration, complying with all the requirements of the Electoral Act, was submitted early in April 2007. The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) took until August, three weeks before the election was called, to advise us that we had failed their membership test. We replied asking that our application be accepted as is, or be reviewed by the commissioners. We intended to appeal any negative review. The calling of the election froze this process and nothing has happened since. Last month the AEC informed us that they would be reviewing their own test. Apparently they have taken our objections on board. So we wait for their new test before deciding whether to resubmit or continue with an appeal. If we do resubmit we will probably still need a membership whose addresses and phone numbers are current and contactable and who will not ignore an enquiry from the AEC. This has been the crux of the test. A random sample of members contacted by the AEC must all say – YES, I am a HEMP party member. (And try not to feel afraid of Big Brother!) To this end a membership drive will be conducted at MardiGrass. We want brave new members with established addresses. We want old members to update their contact details. Anyone who supports our campaign for cannabis law reform can join, or re-join, at the Information booth outside the Town Hall, or Dutchies Café in Peace Park during MardiGrass, or the HEMP Embassy anytime. Membership is free. With little chance of getting anyone elected why do we want a registered political party at all? Because the $1500 it costs to put our name on the Senate Ballot paper buys us more access to the corridors of power than any number of $10,000 a plate political fund raising dinners. See you at MardiGrass.

Participants argued that the Netherlands, in cooperation with other nations, should aim to revise the current framework of international law in order to achieve a more credible and effective alternative that is not just based on repression for the existing cannabis policy at the national level. The signatories of this resolution, I. concluded that the current cannabis policy: A. is based on an outdated international law framework created in the 1960s which is not appropriate to tackle contemporary problems resulting in a stagnation of the development of just and effective policies; B. is being implemented by a policy of tolerance (“gedogen”) on the basis of a justified lenient interpretation of the current international law framework and that this policy of tolerance is a practical solution but at the same time temporary response which on the long term will discredit the credibility of public authorities; C. is inconsistent and difficult to explain to citizens because use and sale of small quantities are not prosecuted in practice while production and large scale distribution are still prosecuted; is also inconsistent with policies regarding substances with a similar health risk such as alcohol and tobacco; D. is ineffective in several aspects: despite positive facets such as the separation of markets between soft and hard drugs and the limited involvement of criminals in the retail market, other policy options such as legal possibilities to control the quality of cannabis (THC content and pollution) and other measures to reduce health risks are lacking in the current system, which is still facilitating significant illicit gains at the level of production and wholesale and is encouraging in-house cannabis growing; E. is causing considerable and unbalanced administrative and judicial burdens and continuous criticism of some countries and UN drug control agencies. II. concluded furthermore that: A. attempts by the Dutch parliament and local authorities to address the inconsistencies in the current tolerance policy – such as proposing to tolerate production of cannabis for the supply of coffee shops – have been rejected by subsequent national governments on account of incompatibility with international agreements; B. there is a need for an international debate to explore the possibilities for an international framework that allows more room for manoeuvre by national governments to execute a consistent policy; C. more and more countries feel the need to reformulate their policies to achieve better protection of public health and combat organized crime; D. cannabis is grown and commercialised worldwide and is used by over 170 million people, consequently the production and distribution is a common problem for the international community; E. the 10-year review of the 1998 United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on drugs and the Ministerial meeting in 2009 devoted to this evaluation, offer an excellent possibility to put the issue on the international agenda. III. urge the Dutch government to: A. start an international debate with other likeminded countries in order to work out a credible and effective alternative for the current policy on cannabis; B. promote actively with those likeminded countries the formulation of proposals that can be presented in the context of the upcoming UNGASS evaluation; C. provide for human and financial resources to implement these efforts; The Hague, 31 October 2007 signed by * Mr. A.A.M. van Agt, former Prime minister 1977-1982 * Dr. E. Borst-Eilers, ex-minister of Health, Welfare and Sport * Drs. A. Apostolou, former member of Parliament * Kathalijne Buitenweg, MEP GroenLinks * Mr. R. Dufour, president Stichting Drugsbeleid * Drs. G.B.M. Leers, mayor of Maastricht * Dr. R.L. Vreeman, mayor of Tilburg * Mr. Th. C. de Graaf, mayor of Nijmegen * J.A.H. Lonink, mayor of Terneuzen * Dr. J.P. Rehwinkel, mayor of Naarden * W.J.M. Velings MOI, chief of police, region Limburg Zuid * F.J. Heeres MPSM, chief of police, region Midden- en West Brabant * Mr. A.D.J. Keizer, former policy official of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport * Mr. drs. V. Everhardt, drugs and alcohol prevention expert * Dr. M. Jelsma, Drugs & Democracy Programme, Transnational Institute

[Courtesy of EURODRUG] Dear friends, In the past days, there has been an escalation of repression by Italian police and justice authorities against cannabis growers and members of the anti-prohibitionist movement. Several people have been arrested for minor plantations, and one of them, Mr. Aldo Bianzino of Umbria, has died in prison under circumstances that could suggest he was tortured to death. These operations take place on the bases of the Law Fini-Giovanardi, which has been adopted by the previous Berlusconi government. The current centre-left coalition had promised to modify it, but has not done so yet. We have written an open letter to Italian authorities calling for an end to this escalation and a thorough investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Bianzino's death. This letter can be signed and sent from http://www.encod.org/info/LETTER-TO-ITALIAN-AUTHORITIES.html In Italian from http://www.encod.org/info/ALDO-BIANZINO-LETTERA-ALLE.html Please join this action and ask others to do so as well.... Best wishes, Joep

Legalise Cannabis Alliance petition (UK), and government response: Response from UK Downing Street on petition (note the last paragraph) NHS-cannabis - petition reply 21 September 2007 We received a petition asking: "We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to make cannabis/cannabis based drugs legal and available on NHS prescription to people suffering chronic pain and other ill health." *Details of Petition:* "Cannabis and cannabis based drugs are proven to be of great benefit to people suffering from chronic pain and illnesses such as cancer and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in Canada, some US states and other countries. As the law currently stands, cannabis is illegal in the UK and cannot be prescribed on the NHS." * Read the petition * Petitions home page Read the Government's response: The Government has every sympathy for people who suffer from debilitating illnesses who cannot satisfactorily alleviate their symptoms through the use of existing medication. However, cannabis has a number of acute and chronic health effects and remains a controlled drug for good reasons. It is in this context that, on 27 May 2005, the Court of Appeal rejected an appeal to allow the use of cannabis (in its raw form) for the relief of chronic pain. The Court took the view that necessity was no defence for using or supplying the drug. It dismissed appeals in six cases where people were given fines or suspended sentences after convictions for possessing or importing cannabis. The Court also took the view that the general prohibition on cannabis in the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 showed that any benefits perceived or suggested for individual patients were regarded as outweighed by the detriment of allowing its use. The judges left open the possibility of an appeal to the House of Lords because of the public importance of the issue. Whilst the Government has no intention of legalising the use of cannabis in its raw form for medicinal purposes, it would be willing to legalise the scientifically established medicinal use of a medical preparation of the drug. Any decision to legalise such a product is subject to product approval being granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which will evaluate the safety, quality and effectiveness of all prospective medicines in the interests of public health. Sativex (Cannabis Sativa L.Extract) is an unlicensed medicine in the UK and a controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act, listed in Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. Previously, Sativex could only be prescribed by a doctor who had been granted the appropriate licence, and pharmacists could only stock and supply the product if they too had the appropriate licence. Guidance on this was issued by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) in the December 2005 issue of Community Pharmacy News. Since then, the Home Office has confirmed that it has issued an open general licence for the product which allows pharmacists to dispense the product as an unlicensed medicine under certain conditions. There is no longer the requirement for a prescribing doctor or dispensing pharmacist to contact the Home Office in relation to obtaining a licence to prescribe or supply Sativex. The Home Office has lifted the record-keeping requirements and pharmacists now do not need to record Sativex in their controlled drug registers. There are provisions for patients to obtain Sativex in the UK but it would be for the individual patient and their doctor to discuss and consider whether the use of Sativex is appropriate for their particular clinical need. The GP concerned would have to write out the prescription and the pharmacist would contact the manufacturer for a supply of Sativex. Prescription requirements for Sativex still apply whereby prescriptions must be written in the same way as they are for Schedule 2 drugs with prescriptions including the dose, form, strength and total quantity of the preparation in both words and figures. Sativex is still classified as a Schedule 1 controlled drug and will remain so until such time as it has been approved by the MHRA, at which point the Home Office anticipates that Sativex (but not cannabis) will be rescheduled as a Schedule 4 controlled drug. Unfortunately, the MHRA cannot provide information about the status of an application or when it can be expected. The Agency will only approve applications once it is satisfied that the product in question is of a suitable quality, is efficacious and safe, and has an appropriate risk/benefit for the patients and indications sought. There has always been provision in both UK and European legislation which allows doctors to prescribe an unlicensed medicinal product (for which they are personally responsible) specially prepared and for administration to a particular patient to meet a special clinical need.