The War on Drugs

[spot]

Originally Posted by oscar

I now can not understand that after "de-criminalising" cannibis to grade C in Britain. they have recently re-regulated it as grade B. Surely this is going the other way?

There is, as you can imagine, something of a battle going on about it. There are a couple of Chief Constables who want a blanket lifting of drugs restrictions, it's not just me.

Statistics tend to lag a year or two behind the calendar. Firstly you need someone interested enough and powerful enough and rich enough to do the measuring - which is why Iraqi deaths, for example, or US homelessness totals, are so impossible to find authoritative government sources for - and secondly you need what you're measuring to have happened.

[oscar]

Are drug restriction laws here anything to do with which government is in no 10 although i can't remember anything in post manifesto's?

If it would so drastically reduce bloodshed, police time and prison over-crowding, why has no politician worth his salt come out publically, or have they??

We have a field outside the house and kids get in there drinking and smoking, skunk, i believe they call it. Although what 'skunk' is, i have no idea. I thought it was an obnoxious smelling animal.
Alot of the kids chat to us as they go by and we have our say about them using cannibis. They all seem very confused at the moment. Plod has been recently pulling the kids at an infamous gathering area and stop searching them.
They all thought it was o.k. to have it in possession providing it wasn't enough to be regarded as intent to supply. Now they are being searched and having even the smallest amount confiscated.

[spot]

Both parties support the current state of affairs. Neither will be "soft on drugs" for fear of the other party attacking them on it. It'll take an abrupt reversal after an intense debate, eventually, before that's changed.

http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/...alization_call discusses where things stood this time last year. I'll look at which MPs have said they're for abolition - there's more than one, but none are in the cabinet or shadow cabinet.

Skunk is high-strength cannabis resin as opposed to ganja or weed. It's allegedly related to psychotic episodes but. There are lots of vested interests in keeping the War on Drugs who, in my opinion, simply lie without evidence; psychotic people take drugs too; you need a good study to tell such an effect and, as you might guess, nobody's ever gone near one, what you have instead are anecdotal tales.

The one that's had most research is Ecstasy. It's the safest recreational drug of all time alongside LSD, way way safer than alcohol or tobacco.

[spot]

The question of winning the war on illegal recreational drugs by legalizing their production, distribution and use has finally made the cover of New Scientist this week.

Better world: Legalise drugs - 11 September 2009 - New Scientist

[K.Snyder]

Originally Posted by spot

Lon, you have a prior example of legalizing what was previously an illegal drug when Prohibition was lifted on alcohol. Alcohol kills more people than all the illegal drugs added together but it was still considered less harmful to society to take its distribution out of the hands of criminals. Isn't that the same issue that's at stake today? The criminality? There's no criminality associated now with the production or distribution of alcohol other than that associated with tax avoidance which happens in any area of trade, it's not drug-specific. The profits have been brought inside the tax system and declared legitimate, they're part of pension funds just like any other enterprise.

Simple

War on drugs has been won when all material elements are consumed by a greater number of the ethical as defined by their lack of criminal behavior.

See?

Simple

[K.Snyder]

Originally Posted by K.Snyder

Simple

War on drugs has been won when all material elements are consumed by a greater number of the ethical as defined by their lack of criminal behavior.

See?

Simple

The difference being not accepting as to who defines "illegal drugs" rather "illegal drugs" being defined by those who take them irresponsibly. HUGE difference

[spot]

Originally Posted by K.Snyder

The difference being not accepting as to who defines "illegal drugs" rather "illegal drugs" being defined by those who take them irresponsibly. HUGE difference

Then surely alcohol should be top of the list, more people use that irresponsibly than any other drug on the market. Would you like to see its recreational use made illegal?

[Robert J]

Originally Posted by spot

The question of winning the war on illegal recreational drugs by legalizing their production, distribution and use has finally made the cover of New Scientist this week.

Better world: Legalise drugs - 11 September 2009 - New Scientist

I was heartened when I saw a piece on the NewsHour here on PBS a few weeks ago. The NewsHour is very cautious and particular about what they offer up with their limited time vs cable news' 24/7 format, though sometimes, to my angst.

[spot]

Originally Posted by Robert J

I was heartened when I saw a piece on the NewsHour here on PBS a few weeks ago. The NewsHour is very cautious and particular about what they offer up with their limited time vs cable news' 24/7 format, though sometimes, to my angst.

That was specifically about pot and the loss of State revenue resulting from the prohibition, unless I saw the wrong program.

LEAP - Law Enforcement Against Prohibition - Cops Say Legalize Drugs goes rather further.

[Robert J]

Originally Posted by spot

That was specifically about pot and the loss of State revenue resulting from the prohibition, unless I saw the wrong program.

LEAP - Law Enforcement Against Prohibition - Cops Say Legalize Drugs goes rather further.

Yes. Now that the Obama administration has decided to curb the government thirst for at least Obama's tenure, the state legislatures that have non criminal marijuana laws are upping the ante in regards to becoming more active themselves in finding ways to cause hardship for users. So frustrating here in the U.S.

I get the impression thats is so much more calm on your turf, no? Actually, mature is probably a more suitable word.