The herb instinct

19.12.07: CANNABIS has become Britain's drug of choice.

Since it was approved for medical use five years ago, sales of cannabis extracts have been rising steadily, according to a Royal College of Physicians report. It is part of a revolution in drug use. Alongside spectacular advances in new pharmaceuticals, there has been a surprising resurgence of herbal treatments.

'These have nothing to do with old-fashioned herbal teas or tinctures,' says Professor Adrian Dunlop, one of the authors of the report. 'These are standardised extracts of the whole plant, grown under carefully controlled conditions.'