Drug Users' Pride

[Hughie Green]

in the space between yes and no, theres a lifetime, its the difference between the path you walk and the one you leave behind, its the gap between who you thought you could be and who you really are, its the legroom for the lies you will tell yourself in the future.

You forgot the quotation marks and the author grandad,

Jodi Picoult, Change of Heart

[lilith]

First of all I never compared getting high to being gay. I said that I wanted to change people's attitudes in a similar mannar to how the gay community has changed the public's perceptions of them not comparing sexual orientation to drugs use. I did use the term pride because I want to use similar tactics and their methods were successful.

I also chose to use the word pride because of the prevalent attitude that there is something wrong with getting high, that getting high is some kind of vice or sin and that users should feel ashamed for enjoying themselves. This is a throwback to christianities notions that pleasure is bad and suffering good and has no place in modern society. This concept also affects how painkillers are prescribed to patients. A friend's mother has terminal cancer that has spread to her bones. The doctor prescribed her 30mg codeine pills. She was in pain for months before they offered her morphine and that doesn't even cover it. The medical establishment is so afraid of causing an addiction even in someone who is going to die soon. Many prescription drugs that don't cause pleasure cannot be stopped immediately without causing problems yet are readily prescribed. Leaving someone in pain when there are medications that could treat or at least reduce the pain to a bareable level is torture. I'm sure there is some quote from the UN about how withholding treatment is torture but I can't find it.

The idea that drug users are more likely to be lazy, incompetant etc is common even among users. It is this attitude that has to be changed first and foremost.

The use of intoxicants is widely documented in animals and intoxicant use is almost universal in humans, whether the drug of choice is caffeine, alcohol, cannabis etc etc indicating it is probably a natural drive. If alcohol is banned, as it is in some native communities like it is on reserves for aboriginal Australians, the locals will huff petrol to get high. Where one substance is prohibited people wind up taking some potentially more dangerous substance for example, cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids sold as research chemicals.

e2a: Perhaps I should have called it Intoxicant Users' Pride to make it clear that alcohol and other legal substances are included.

Also, it wouldn't happen over night. There probably wouldn't be professionals at such a gathering for the first few events or at least until attitudes changed a little.

Edited August 26, 2013 by lilith

[sam-i-am]

I think there's a good equality vibe going down in this ad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H8Cz9woC2A

[Arthur Avalon]

Hi lilith!

While I appreciate your sentiment and the space you're coming from, I think you are barking a bit up the wrong tree or - at least - getting way ahead of yourself:

A "Pride" movement, of any sort, can only properly be done when its subject is legal.

For instance, since the Gay Pride movement has been mentioned, notice that it only took off once homosexuality was legalised, not before. That's because a Pride movement addresses prejudices in society, people's small-mindedness and the like... It's an invitation to other people (ouside of the <whatever> pride movement) to look and see that the people they might have turned their noses up at - while different from them - can be just as cool, fun, and exciting, etc.... IOW, it's an invitation to a celebration of diversity, a fun thing, a party if you like.

Of course, you cannot have a proper party if you think you are going to be locked up as a result. Gay Pride in Russia, for instance, is now considered as propaganda targetted towards minors, and can get you sent off to a Gulag in double quick time. I am sure a Drug Pride would fare no better. Sure you can have a "Pride" party, but it will be a war zone, NOT family entertainment. I see on a recent news item that a grower was jailed in the States for putting up a Youtube clip. Can you imagine a "Pride" parade without a Growing float? So off to chikey for anyone in that Pride movement who suggests growing your own is a good idea.

Would you go to a Pride march? Do you grow? Much as I like the idea, I would not go. I don't fancy compromising the safety of my family, my household and my job just to make a perhaps pointless statement. As for the Legalisation movement here in the UK, it is NOT NEARLY mature enough so that people can speak out without fear of harrasment, or at least in the certain knowledge that their brothers would have their backs covered.

This is what we need to focus on I think, the Legalisation movement, addressing issues of freedom and highlighting the social injustice of Prohibition, rooted as it is in racism and victimisation (bullying) of people who laugh at the system.

Then, on the first day that growing is made legal in this country, I'll join you on any Pride march you care to name. There will still be a ton of work to do against prejudice. But for the moment, I feel that there are other, much more pressing priorities.

[Arthur Avalon]

Incidentally lillith, I see from your growing profile that you may be US based. Is that the case?

If so, yes, I certainly think that Cannabis Pride movements could do well in Colorado and Washington, maybe even in Cali at a push.

However, before such a thing can happen in poor old UK (and several US States too) there are many, many rivers to cross... {Hit it Jimmy...)