Banned in the UK?

[五祖拳]

Hi all I've just spent the best part of a day searching for Xue Jie (血竭) in London. None of the shops had it, some told me it had been banned the rest hadn't seen it for some time. Can anyone on here confirm if this is true, as a search via Google doesn't bring up anything. I also tried various Incense/Head Shops knowing that some use it for simulating other substances. That proved fruitless too. If it is banned I'm guessing that was the reason.

Thanks all.

[五祖拳]

Sorry I forgot to ask if anyone can recommend a suitable alternative to this herb?

[PlumDragon]

I dont know if its banned in the UK or not, but I have several customers from the UK that order it from me on a normal basis. One in particular has an acupuncture shop and orders a pound or so of it every few months, along with some other obscure herbs. So, for one reason or another, these people arent able to get it locally...Or its drastically more expensive, who knows...

There are lots of ways to substitute for it, depending on what your goals are.

[五祖拳]

Hi PlumDragon,

I'm using it in a Die Da Jiu recipe tailored towards limbs locking. To reduce pain and static blood.

[五祖拳]

Thank you one and all for all your magnanimous contributions to this problem. Not to worry though as I have secured a supply and now do not need a substitute.

[Martialphoto]

Hi yeah Xue Jie or dragon's blood is banned in the Uk. I never found out why although I tried. It's a mineral as you may know. Other Chinese minerals and a bark type material have been banned as well. Again I'm not sure why and never did find out despite some efforts I made. It maybe because they're poisonous? Although I was thinking how bad can they be, they're not banned worldwide or in US States. Still though a point to consider why. At the same time countries ban lists and lists of things and sometimes due to the stupid actions of a few who spoil it for everyone else. Not in all cases but some.

[五祖拳]

Hi Martialphoto, only just seen your post as I rarely come on here.

To be honest, I think most herbalists out there are completely oblivious to the real reasons as to why they don't have herbs in stock. If they don't have it on their books their stock answer seems to be that "it's illegal". One place I went after having phoned in advance to check they had it, told me that they didn't upon arrival. Only after speaking to the manager who remembered the phone call was a 250g tin of Xue Jie produced. Needless to say I bought it up. I had one so called herbalist tell me that Xue Jie was horse hair, and as an animal product was illegal?? This was after showing her the Hanzi - not the pinyin! Crazy..

[Kaylun]

Xue Ji isnt banned in the UK, it just herbalists can get insurance to use it or any other mineral herb or for that animal product, only plants are to be used

so you can buy and use but if there is a problen then you are screwed!

[GeneChing]

Anyone across the pond have the details?


UK ban on TCM sales to hurt Chinese clinics (http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/808295.shtml#.UidS2MosasI)
Ecns.cn | 2013-9-3 16:41:38
By Agencies

The UK is expected to issue a ban on the sale of Chinese patent drugs in 2014, a move that could push many Chinese clinics out of business.

The UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued a notice on July 9, ordering major Chinese medicine stores in Britain to report their current traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) inventories, according to a China Business View report.

The medicine regulator also said it was planning to halt the sale of "Unlicensed Herbal Products",or Chinese patent drugs, in Britain next year.

The plan will have a huge impact on the traditional Chinese medicine community in Britain, according to Bo-ying Ma, president of the Federation of TCM, UK, on Monday.

The traditional Chinese medicine community in Britain has born the brunt of the global financial crisis that started in 2008. Chinese medicine has not been included in the UK.s medical insurance system, so British people whose incomes have fallen have been reluctant to buy Chinese medicines, said Ma.

"We hope the MHRA can offer a five-year transitional period to Chinese drug stores and clinics, so they can sell out their TCM inventories before the ban comes into force",said Ma.

Ma also said he had called on the leaders of the TCM community in the UK to jointly petition the MHRA to drop the plan.

[mawali]

It is not so much that the herb is illegal but practitioners have not insured the integrity of the herb and its interaction with other herbs. If it is the wrong herb (genus/species, etc) that has been substituted and no accounting for the purity or the miis(classificaltion) then this is what we get!

Many of these patent drugs lack GMP/GCP guideline so they suffer in the long run and they fall by the wayside.

[David Jamieson]

Maybe the TCM practitioners in the UK can get their act together and do what is happening in the US and in Canada. (more specifically Canada)

IE:
http://www.ctcmpao.on.ca/

http://www.afcinstitute.com/aboutacupuncture/regulationincanada/tabid/78/default.aspx

http://www.cicic.ca/684/Acupuncturists_and_Practitioners_of_Traditional_Ch inese_Medicine.canada?noc=3232.2

Long and short of it? Get regulated and License your practitioners. It's not good enough to go with the whole route of mystery and what not. If it works, it will be regulated and licensed. Pretty simple.

[Syn7]

Look at something like willow bark. Proper studies can clearly show it has salicylic acid and that it has anti-inflammatory properties. It had traditional use, and now we have the tools to show how and why it works.

If a particular herb has a benefit, then just state the benefit and get to work showing how and why. "It's an old secret" just doesn't cut it around here anymore. Sure, some will be honest and responsible, but far too many take advantage. You need to have strict guidelines for all variables. Unfortunately, making something illegal will just force people to look elsewhere and perhaps get taken advantage of or worse, get something unsafe.