Germany Requires Doctor's Prescription for Common Herbs: EU Plans the Same

A common question about the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD) is what effect it will actually have. We need only look to Germany to see. Germany accepted and implemented Codex Alimentarius rules back in 2005 and 2006. These are the rules that are now being implemented throughout Europe. The directive associated with herbal medicines is 2004/24/EC (THMPD), set to begin full enforcement at the end of April 2011.

Michael Morris is a German citizen who uses herbs to maintain his health. Recently, he ordered three herbal blends from a company in the United States. He hasn’t received them. Customs grabbed them, saying that they’re medicines requiring a doctor’s prescription.

The Products in Question

Before continuing this tale, let’s take a look at the products Michael ordered:

• Liver cleanse: Ingredients are Wormwood, Orange peel, Burdock root, Milk Thistle seed, Turmeric, Black Pepper, Chanca Piedra, and Dandelion root.
• Parasite cleanse: Ingredients are Quassia bark, Butternut bark, Graviola, Green hulls of Black Walnut, Rhubarb, Wormwood, Goats Rue, Milk Thistle seed, Diatomatious Earth, Cloves, African Cayenne, Red Raspberry seed, Pumpkin seed, Garlic, Black pepper, Turmeric, Aloe Vera, Papain.
• Charcoal cleanse: Ingredients are Activated Charcoal, Bentonite Clay, Cascara Sagrada, Senna leaf, Lo Han Guo.

These products are preservative-free, starch-free, gluten-free, magnesium stearate-free, non-GMO, and vegan. One of these products has no reasonable chance of being approved by the EU, and two of them have absolutely no chance.

No non-plant products will be allowed in herbal blends. Activated Charcoal and Bentonite Clay eliminate the charcoal cleanse as a product that will be available without a prescription in the EU. Diatomatious Earth will keep the parasite cleanse off the market.

At this point, not a single herb in the liver cleanse has even been listed by the EU. The liver cleanse’s chances of being approved are virtually nil on that basis alone. Consider that Orange peel is a common ingredient in marmalade. Turmeric is commonly used in Asian cooking and soups. Black Pepper is the common table condiment. Wormwood is an old remedy for parasites. Milk thistle is routinely taken to protect the liver. Burdock root is used to remove toxins from the blood. Chanca Piedra is used to support the liver, gall bladder, and kidneys, and has been used to treat stones. Dandelion root promotes liver health. Each of these must be approved for use as medicinal herbs in the EU. Then, the particular combination must be subjected to testing before it can be sold. Even after the combination has been approved, the product must also be subjected to the same sort of processing that chemical drugs must (and should) undergo.

Seizing Herbal Products

Lest this sound like fear mongering, let’s take a look at what Michael Morris, who already lives under Codex Alimentarius rule, is facing. He wants to use the products for his health. He says, “I’d like to detox my body and those products contain the optimal mix of herbs for deep and thorough cleanses.”

But, it appears that the German state takes a dim view of a citizen’s right to choose how to manage his health. Customs stepped in and seized the products. They sent him a letter,which you can see here, telling him why.

The products were examined by the State Office for Health, which identified them as “medicine”. Medicines may be imported from other countries only if they have been approved within the Medical Law by German federal agencies and the recipient has approval to import them.

Non-approved medicines may be imported only if they can be marketed in both the countries of origin and receipt and if they are provided in quantities and doses that are provided by pharmacies and the receiver has a doctor’s prescription or license to import them.

When he phoned the Customs office on receipt of the letter, Michael Morris was informed that they were considering forwarding the package to law enforcement, with the clear implication that he might have ordered all that detox stuff to sell illegally. However, they were too busy, and since it wasn’t an easy enough case to make, they opted against it.

Michael was informed that he could have the herbs only if he can provide a special import permit or a doctor’s prescription that was issued before the purchase and states the reasons for importing them. If he doesn’t provide the permit or prescription, the package will be sent back or destroyed. He has until the 13^th of December.

Michael Morris’ Concerns

Michael has been interested in alternative medicine for years. He likes to explore new things that could make people more free and independent, such as alternative and advanced renewable energy sources. He’s interested in the current state of mankind, which he believes “is not too great, to be frank”, and how we can do better.

He states that the pharma industry is not interested in your health, that if people were healthy, pharma would go bankrupt. Therefore, it’s logical that their aim is to keep and make people ill. Michael says that doctors don’t cure diseases, that they only mask and suppress symptoms. He believes that the only way to be well is to flush out what makes you sick and to maintain a healthy diet.

In response to the question, “What worries you about not having access to these herbs?” Michael responded:

This is very worrisome, since government and officials are restricting access to herbs I need in order to detox my body. The powers that be want to dictate what I shall eat and drink. They’re taking away my right to self-determination. I’m a mature citizen and can decide myself what is and is not good for me.

My case is a clear example that Germany has fully implemented this EU directive on herbal medicine, and that from April 2011, this will be the norm for all EU countries. The seven year transition period ends then, and every member state must fully abide by the Directive.

I don’t like to say this since it might frighten some people, but being honest and upfront: This is the direction everything is going with EU directives and other laws—clearly towards a dictatorship. People must wake up to this fact. This is not a game. This is bitter reality.

Germany’s Draconian Policy Is Planned for the Rest of Europe

Will herbs that are defined as having medical uses still be available under the THMP Directive? Should we trust to luck that they will? What’s clear is that many, and possibly most, medicinal herbs will not be available after they’ve been sold out. No one will be able to grow, process, and package herbs grown in the back garden; it will be illegal without going through the onerous and prohibitively expensive process of registration. Most manufacturers of herbal products, especially the highest quality, organic products, are relatively small. They won’t be able to afford the costs involved in registering their products. All herbs from systems developed outside the EU, such as Ayurvedic and Chinese, will be illegal.

What is happening today in Germany is what’s planned for the rest of the EU. It’s that simple.

Of course, the powers that be aren’t stating that’s the intent. If they did, people would resist. They’re relying on the vagueness, convolutedness, and technicality of the wording in their documents to hide the truth. That alone should make clear that we cannot trust that the outcome will be acceptable. If it isn’t, it’s too late. Trying to undo a disastrous law is far more difficult than trying to stop it.

The question that’s often asked is, “What will THMPD actually do? Will it really be all that bad?” That’s not the right question. The right question is, “Does the EU have the right to do anything at all regarding our access to herbs?” The answer to that is a resounding, “No!” Any limitations are an abrogation of our rights.

That’s why the Stop the THMPD Petition says, “We call on the European Commission to stop the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD), Directive 2004/24/EC, which is set to remove access to the vast majority of herbal medicinal products beginning 30 April 2011.” It doesn’t say that we want to negotiate. It says we want it to be stopped.

We, the people, have the right to make health decisions for ourselves. There is no reason to regulate medical systems and methods that have been freely available throughout human history. Compared to any modern medical treatments, herbs compare so safely that a comparison is farcical.

Whether you agree with Michael Morris or disagree strongly is not the issue. The point is that Germany has taken his right to self-determination in health away from him. Even if you think that he’s unreasonable, by what right does anyone step between him and his choices in healthcare?

Read the original here.