The War on Drugs is NOT The War on Cannabis

[JahRy]

This scenario may sound familiar to some.

You come across some great information regarding cannabis legalisation/reform (e.g. a web page, a flier etc.). You read superb explanations of the plant's virtues. You are reminded of how many uses and benefits it carries. You are reminded that cannabis is a life-saving herb. Until, you are abruptly stopped by a harrowing portion of text; disgustingly and painfully slapped somewhere in amongst it all (usually the end) is a slanderous phrase along the lines of " THE WAR ON DRUGS IS NOW OVER ".

The act of attempting to aid a pro-cannabis argument with a statement as destructively broad as " THE WAR ON DRUGS HAS FAILED ", is preposterous. Not only does it trivialise all preceding facts and information delivered regarding cannabis, it does nothing except further perpetuate the general public's long-existent, crushingly incorrect and damn right alienating perception of what cannabis is and how it is used. Ironic, since the purpose of any pro-cannabis argument is surely the opposite...

The use of such statements in the context of a pro-cannabis argument is self defeating, as it removes any ability the reader has to differentiate cannabis from actual drugs. Again, ironic, as the whole point in our struggle is to educate people that there is a difference between cannabis and actual harmful illicit substances, e.g. cocaine, heroin etc.

There seems to some confusion surrounding cannabis activism and general drug policy activism. I personally have never seen or heard of anyone advocating the reform of anything other than cannabis. However, this does not stop the constant mentioning of how the popularity of cannabis activism is winning the "War on Drugs" and making the authorities lose. Strange, because we only want cannabis to be redefined in the eyes of the law/public. We do not want or need a general drug policy reform

Our aim seems to be misinterpreted. Sometimes even by our own advocates. We are not trying to reform all prohibitive laws concerning every illicit substance. We are trying to PROVE solely that CANNABIS is a beneficial HERB, and has been wrongly identified and undermined as a DRUG!

While the War on Drugs is still waging on, the War on Cannabis is almost over. But it will never be over until people can understand the distinction between the two.

[sam-i-am]

We are not trying to reform all prohibitive laws concerning every illicit substance.

I am.

Fuck prohibition then fuck it some more.

e2a divide and conquer bollocks, turn the potheads on the other minority drug users

Edited May 3, 2014 by sam-i-am

[resinous palms]

Legalise everything! If i want to take heroin or coke then i will, it has fuck all to do with anyone else what i put into my body.

[Gram Paw smurf]

yeah sorry but the whole argument smacks of the same hypocrisy they use to justify anyone's not being allowed to smoke weed while others can sit back n pop pills or get wasted with booze whenever they please.

The entire war on drugs IS a failure n Should be stricken out right.

What's the nxt diluted point to be made that opium is dangerous so it should be illegal for all aside for corporate entities that can make huge profits from it mostly for the simple fact that it's been outlawed for everyone else?

The war on drugs is nothing but an extreme form of market manipulation, n would be illegal for any government to even attempt with any other commodities, just as it should be illegal for them to do so with drugs, especially seeing as how these same drugs are used an d needed for many ppl's preservation as well as quality of life.

It's an obvious violation of ppl's human rights.

But how else would these big companies be able to make money of drugs so easily obtainable in nature?

Not like they'd even be worth half the mark up they get if the values of all the substances on their lists weren't so overly inflated simply for being on their lists in the 1st place now would they.

So yeah the entire war on drugs is a failure n should be fucked n fucked again as sam brilliantly pointed out.

cheers,.......................................................................gps

Edited May 3, 2014 by Gram Paw smurf

[Arnold Layne]

I am not in favour of legalising anything. Normalise the lot, that's my view. If a person wishes to take a drug, that is their affair and no-one else's. The law has no right intruding into the personal space of individual liberty.

So I repeat, Normalise all and every drug there is. In other words, shove the DDA through the shredder. And NO, I do NOT see legalisation as any kind of step towards Normalisation, quite the reverse. I consider legalisation to be nothing but prohibition in disguise, Thin disguise, at that! The state has no business telling anyone what they may or may not ingest for their own personal recreation, spiritual illumination, or medication. Let alone what they may or may not grow in their homes and gardens.

Edited May 3, 2014 by Arnold Layne

[Bones de WeedZard]

should enjoy the same status as lettuce tomatoes spuds'n'chilli, that wot there is!!

[Hiphip]

As above, it is not the drug that is illegal but your use of it, whatever the substance is

Prohibition kills

Cheers

[Easy01]

I don't want it legalised I want it decriminised , it's already an expensive habbit imagine if it was leagAl the amour of tax this shitty goverment would put on it .

[JahRy]

I don't disagree about ending all prohibition either. Prohibition itself causes most of the problems, rather than actual drug use.

However I do disagree about the fact that the cannabis plant should currently be burdened with having the same identity as something [drugs] which kills its users, ruins the lives of their families, and causes endless problems with crime, to say the least. Cannabis does none of those things...

Especially since cannabis is a plant which can save lives by having a medical application. Yet, has not even had fair clinical research conducted until very recently, due to the persistent belief that there is no difference between drugs and cannabis. This belief is what makes politicians, parents, people in general, and even medical patients take little interest in even speaking about cannabis. They respond highly to the widely perceived social stigma that provokes one to think "drugs are bad, don't take them, stay away from junkies, don't be a junkie". Something everyone gets drilled into their heads all their life. Therefore, they think cannabis is a bad drug.

This stigma carries over to cannabis use today. And my point is that this stigma must be eradicated, because the beautiful green is not in any way a fooking drug.

[sam-i-am]

However I do disagree about the fact that the cannabis plant should currently be burdened with having the same identity as something [drugs] which kills its users, ruins the lives of their families, and causes endless problems with crime, to say the least. Cannabis does none of those things...

Neither would any "hard" drugs when clean and used correctly, obtained legally at a reasonable cost.

Don't believe the hype.

Just say know

e2a we shouldn't be stigmatising any drug user

Edited May 3, 2014 by sam-i-am

[Grimweeder]

we defo do need an a lot of people certainly want an all drugs policy reform an not jus cannabis. all drugs should be controlled an properly regulated inc heroin and cocaine even crystal meth. not sayin they have to be freely available on the shelf for all or any to buy but the current state of drug laws is far far from acceptable.

i dont really want the gov to have cannabis an tax it so id rather it was decriminalised or something but as cannabis is slightly different to most other drugs in that its hard to cut unless soap bar/hash an its the only drug where a lot of dealers still take pride an try to source a quality product. its the only drug that in bud form is pretty damn hard to cut an its quality in general will only go up an not down( tho its price continues to rise where other drugs purity has gone down instead) although some cunts did try to cut it with that grit shit that went about. with weed i think it would be a safer bet to jus decrim but with other drug they need to be fully legalised an properly regulated and fucking soon before any more un needed lives are lost to this stupid war that is actually against people with different life choices than the drugs themselves.

prohibition is whats causing 99% of the harms associated with pretty much 99% of all drugs if not 100% of harm. heroin is medically benign in its pure form but on the street its cut with other toxic an dangerous substances an the purity is unknown, that is what makes that drug dangerous, heroin itself is not a toxic or dangerous drug when prescribed by a doctor. the reason people with class A drug habits commit crime is not because the drugs make them do it an make them want to be evil but because prohibition has made them do it as they have no choice they are dependant an will get sick or some drugs can even kill you with withdrawels like benzos an alcohol. ultimately its the drug an the effects it has on the user but if the laws were different an the user had other choices to acquire the drugs then they would an would not commit crime to score poor quality drugs. the users quality of life would also increase an youd find people with drug habits would actually be able to live normal-ish lives an even get jobs an stuff an would stop being such a burden on society. you likely wouldnt even be able to tell a heroin user from a non drug user if it was not for prohibition n the laws were different.

most of the illicit drugs when in pure form are often not really much of a problem an shouldnt be ( even cocaine in its pure hcl salt form). end prohibition an you end the mass amount of harm an suffering caused by these drugs (or really prohibition.)

Edited May 3, 2014 by Grimweeder

[JahRy]

Neither would any "hard" drugs when clean and used correctly, obtained legally at a reasonable cost.

Don't believe the hype.

Just say know

e2a we shouldn't be stigmatising any drug user

I totally agree with that. My philosophy exactly.

To achieve that level of reform would be great, an incredible change in the way society thinks is required.

prohibition is whats causing 99% of the harms associated with pretty much 99% of all drugs if not 100% of harm.

Damn right man.

I can say allbeit hard to believe, that I have had friends who are funtioning H users, they contribute to society, and are all together prety cool cats... even enlightened at some levels. But this is far from the norm, we cannot expect every dipshit out there to have enough controll of self to warrent a mass legalisation to some of these drugs, if not just for the fact that some of our youth before they are ever ready to undertake such a serious exploration of self will not be ready for, and be overtaken by such a serious substance. Outright availability of things of such a nature should be gaurded and Cannabis is nowhere in that type of league.

Excellent point.

[Hir]

Although I'm not in favour of some of the opioid based drugs I still think it makes sense for a number of common sense reasons to legalise everything. As long as you can insure that the use of a drug only affects and effects the user and has no consequences for anybody else what right has the state got to tell anybody what to do!? We free money up from policing, stop criminalising and imprisoning users/victims and help the users of the more potent drugs by giving clean supply and needles. It is the cutting and polluting of drugs by criminals supplying drugs that kills almost everybody not the drugs themselves.

[sam-i-am]

Every medicine cabinet should contain some morphine for emergencies. Paracetamol is shit for toothache.

[JahRy]

Although I'm not in favour of some of the opioid based drugs I still think it makes sense for a number of common sense reasons to legalise everything. As long as you can insure that the use of a drug only affects and effects the user and has no consequences for anybody else what right has the state got to tell anybody what to do!? We free money up from policing, stop criminalising and imprisoning users/victims and help the users of the more potent drugs by giving clean supply and needles. It is the cutting and polluting of drugs by criminals supplying drugs that kills almost everybody not the drugs themselves.

Like you said, criminals take advantage over the gap in supply of drugs. At the same time, the authorities decide to spend undue time and resources attempting to stop these drugs being distributed, produced, and also possessed. But people will always be able to access drugs.

Sadly, the only drugs available now are dangerously contaminated by scandalous greedy bastards. So the battle is pointless.

As @ said though, there would be many issues with self control if everything was fully legalised. Many hard drug users would probably just opt to use high quality cannabis, more often than the substance they have struggles with, if it were readily available and affordable.