For those who haven’t been paying attention (2), Debra Bell is a (bored housewife) writer who wrote a diary of her son’s experiences with cannabis to (get her through the grinding monotony of another wasted day) warn other parents about the evils of killer skunk.

Shamefully broadcasting her son’s personal life around the world in a bid to (stave off the feelings of self-doubt and hopelessness) raise awareness about cannabis, Debra has enjoyed a ripple of publicity after the noble drug warriors of the Daily Express took up her plight.

Recently she was asked to speak at the recent ACMD review into cannabis classification and is very clear in her view that cannabis users should face stiffer penalties and that cannabis should be reclassified as a Class B drug.

Debra thinks a criminal record and presumably a spell inside will help kids who get into trouble after toking on too many fat ones.

In her earnest quest for salvation Debra now claims to have set up a charity patroned by tory shadow chief whip Baroness Anelay. However in the small print it becomes clear that she has not set up a charity at all, merely a campaign group.

Debra is soliciting for funds and as her esteemed husband, a barrister, will likely tell her, claiming to be a charity when you are not is a criminal offence.*

We’ve informed the Charity Commission of her actions.

Elsewhere on her site Debra warns that cannabis use can trigger personality change. This seems particularly true in the case of her son, who as we revealed said of his mother:

“Frequently my parents will sit me down and tell me what they think is wrong with me, which is usually considerable. Add to this that my mum is the kind that thinks MSN messenger is ‘disgusting and pornographic’ and when I arrived on my book return day at school wearing irregular trousers, as I had somehow lost my others in a friend’s bedroom she screamed at me in front all my friends.”

William also said that cannabis was something he loved.

Poor William recently appears to have undergone a Damascene conversion and a piece written by William now states his opinion (3) on the evils of Killer Skunk. Interestingly Debra notes in her cannabis diaries:

“I almost wonder now whether he was doing this so that I would agree to give him money.”

For once we wholeheartedly agree, particularly as her diaries reveal William was still using cannabis several weeks later.

Still, this doesn’t stop her from dishonestly using William’s insincere diatribe as propaganda to support her noble cause. After all she’s used every other aspect of her son’s personal life in her campaign which reeks of self-promotion rather than any genuine understanding of the issues.

William’s original statement can still be read here (4), or here just in case Debra’s getting all deletey on us we’ve kindly reproduced it here (5).

One thing that has disappeared is the link on the front page of her site to her blog. One of Debra’s posts attracting 34 comments, all but one from other parents and cannabis users pointing out the inaccuracies of her position. Debra is repeatedly asked to defend her position but sadly never does. Instead the blog is disappeared, although not being the sharpest tool she’s only removed the link and the blog still can be read here (6).

And just in case she decides to delete the blog then lucky void readers can also catch up on the comments here (7).

So fraudulently claiming to be a charity, exploiting her son’s personal problems to further her own agenda, failure to answer her critics, providing dishonest health advice and attempted censorship seem to be stock in trade for our Debra.

The mental health charities SANE and Rethink, who appear to back her campaign, must be wondering who they’ve got into bed with. So for that matter must be her husband.

*void disclaimer: Talking About Cannabis does not appear on the Charity Commission’s online register and in her campaign notes she talks of forming a ‘company’. If she has in fact establsihed a charity we will of course withdraw our remarks and lobby the Charity Commission as to why it thinks that spreading factually incorrect information about cannabis to the nation’s youth constitutes an identifiable public benefit as required by law.

(1)  http://www.talkingaboutcannabis.com/
(2)  http://johnnyvoid.wordpress.com/2008/02/08/talking-bollocks-about-cannabis/
(3)  http://www.talkingaboutcannabis.com/Update%20from%20William.pdf
(4)  http://www.talkingaboutcannabis.com/williams%20views.pdf
(5)  http://johnnyvoid.wordpress.com/2006/02/24/talking-about-cannabis-williams-view/
(6)  http://www.talkingaboutcannabis.blogspot.com/
(7)  http://johnnyvoid.wordpress.com/2006/02/24/talking-about-cannabis/