Mecreational Drug Use

In the battle for legalized cannabis across the world there are more lines to be drawn besides Prohibitionists and Reformers. To think that all cannabis users are somehow united in a singular voice for the great herb is entirely off the mark. If anything cannabis reformers are as divided as militant factions in the Middle East, with as many iterations of legalization and decriminalization in mind as you could possibly imagine. I want to talk about one of those key distinctions, and this issue cuts across boundaries. The Medical User vs. Recreational User schism is deep, but it raises a more nuanced question in our society…

For the rest of the article visit serious talk of drugs

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A wonderful conversation between two old skool heavyweights in the second half of the program:

Mexico, Colombia, Coke, Money & Corruption

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Weed Like To Talk

Aiming to raise a million signatures forcing the EU to address the legalization of cannabis…

“While cannabis has become a worldwide debate over the last decades, the European Union somehow managed to avoid it. It cannot do so anymore. 

As underlined by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, the lack of harmonisation of European Member States’ cannabis policies has led to “a heterogeneous ‘legal map’ regarding cannabis offences: some countries or regions tolerate certain forms of possession and consumption; other countries apply administrative sanctions or fines; while still others apply penal sanctions”(1). 

Liberticidal policies pursued in certain Member States turn quiet citizens into offenders or criminals, while other European citizens are free to use cannabis in their Member States. The question of coherence and discrimination is worth asking.

The ECI Weed like to talk aims at making the EU solve this problem by adopting a common policy on the control and regulation of cannabis production, use and sale.

Cannabis use is a matter of every citizen’s freedom of opinion and right of control over his or her own body, as in the case of alcohol and tobacco. It has been shown many times that the health risks of cannabis are much lower than that of legal drugs used for recreational purposes (alcohol, tobacco) and medical purposes (pain killers, psychoactive medication). Yet cannabis is still considered as a narcotic drug and therefore a “punishable offence” by the United Nations (2), although this classification is more and more disputed (3).

Drug trafficking is in no way the cause, but rather the result, of repressive State policies: the troubles it brings are the logical consequences of drug prohibition, not of an intrinsic “evil” character of cannabis.

The reasons alleged to protect public health are contradicted in theory and in practice.

Prohibition has increased cannabis use and resulted in serious damages to public health and security.

Cannabis in and of itself is not the problem, but the renouncing of a debate and a European policy is.  Its regulation in the EU is incoherent and unworthy of the Union’s values, whatever governments argue and whatever mask they use to hide behind.”

Sign the petition here

Picnics and Protest

 

 

 

Prohibition Protest March, London October 4th

Global Commission on Drugs Demands Legaliastion

“The international community is further away than ever from realizing a ‘drug-free world’. Global drug production, supply and use continue to rise despite increasing resources being directed towards enforcement…

Rather than reduce crime, enforcement-based drug policy actively fuels it. Spiraling illicit drug prices provide a profit motive for criminal groups to enter the trade, and drive some people who are dependent on drugs to commit crime in order to fund their use…

Punitive drug law enforcement fuels crime and maximizes the health risks associated with drug use, especially among the most vulnerable. This is because drug production, shipment and retail are left in the hands of organized criminals, and people who use drugs are criminalized, rather than provided with assistance…

Criminal drug producers and traffickers thrive in fragile, conflict-affected and underdeveloped regions, where vulnerable populations are easily exploited. The corruption, violence, and instability generated by unregulated drug markets are widely recognized as a threat to both security and development…

Punitive approaches to drug policy are severely undermining human rights in every region of the world. They lead to the erosion of civil liberties and fair trial standards, the stigmatization of individuals and groups – particularly women, young people, and ethnic minorities – and the imposition of abusive and inhumane punishments…

Tens of billions are spent on drug law enforcement every year. And while good for the defense industry, there are disastrous secondary costs, both financial and social…

Instead of punitive and harmful prohibition, policies should prioritize the safeguarding of people’s health and safety. This means investing in community protection, prevention, harm reduction, and treatment as cornerstones of drug policy…

Criminalizing people for the possession and use of drugs is wasteful and counterproductive. It increases health harms and stigmatizes vulnerable populations, and contributes to an exploding prison population. Ending criminalization is a prerequisite of any genuinely health-centered drug policy.”

And if you were wondering whether this is just hot air and bluster coming from a bunch of fringe ex-leaders and a billionaire who like a smoke…

“This [Commission on Narcotic Drugs] will be followed, in 2016, by the UN General Assembly Special Session on the issue. I urge Member States to use these opportunities to conduct a wide-ranging and open debate that considers all options…”

“We are driven by a sense of urgency. There is a widespread acknowledgment that the current system is not working, but also recognition that change is both necessary and achievable. We are convinced that the 2016 United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) is an historic opportunity to discuss the shortcomings of the drug control regime, identify workable alternatives and align the debate with ongoing debates on the post-2015 development agenda and human rights.”

For the full report see here