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Post by bigjohnritchie on Mar 13, 2024 15:42:54 GMT
Here's a small bio of the man that came up with these myths, as I said, he's well qualified to comment with no small amount of authority - julianbuchanan.wordpress.com/contact/And here's 5 more myths đ - Myth #6. âTaking drugs damages people.â All substances (legal and illegal) can to some extent cause harm, and the most damaging drug of all is a legal one â alcohol. However, prohibition makes illicit drugs more dangerous and damaging. In addition, acquiring a criminal record for drugs can be more harmful to life than the drug. Myth #7. âDrug use fuels crime.â The presence of a drug and the commission of a crime does not equate to a causal connection. The relationship is âassociatedâ rather than âcausalâ. However, research indicates that prohibition and tough law enforcement fuel acquisitive and violent crime. Myth #8. âLegal drugs are safer and less harmful.â This is a particularly misleading statement because alcohol and tobacco are far more damaging than most illegal drugs. However, prohibition makes it difficult to know the strength, ingredients or quality of illegal drugs, which in itself creates an entirely avoidable but serious risk. Myth #9. âLaw enforcement measures affect levels of drug use.â Studies show that in advanced western democracies neither tough nor liberal law enforcement approaches have much impact upon levels of drug use. Myth #10. âAddiction is an equal opportunity employer.â Drug use is an equal opportunity employer, but chronic addiction isnât. While anyone can be affected, chronic problematic drug use tends to disproportionately affect those with disadvantaged and damaged lives that had significant difficulties before PDU and these people lack the resources, opportunities and support to recover, resulting in chronic addiction. Most of the stiffs who whinge about weed are the very people who would benefit from it the most. They need to chill out a little more đ I'm not sure thst it is the" stiffs" who prevent any changes in the law on this really though . I think it has more to do with political will.....Unfortunately more and more political parties don't do what they think is right, nor in the interests of people, they are more concerned with " what is in it for the party/government/ opposition? I would not have thought any party would want to take responsibility for legalising cannabis until it has overwhelmingly perceived to have public support....particularly true on the current climate, in which I would have thought it was very low on the agenda. I'd imagine a lot of "stiffs" aren't particularly bothered, or at least don't feel it necessary to take a stance . In my opinion
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Post by elystokie on Mar 13, 2024 18:22:11 GMT
Most of the stiffs who whinge about weed are the very people who would benefit from it the most. They need to chill out a little more đ I'm not sure thst it is the" stiffs" who prevent any changes in the law on this really though . I think it has more to do with political will.....Unfortunately more and more political parties don't do what they think is right, nor in the interests of people, they are more concerned with " what is in it for the party/government/ opposition? I would not have thought any party would want to take responsibility for legalising cannabis until it has overwhelmingly perceived to have public support....particularly true on the current climate, in which I would have thought it was very low on the agenda. I'd imagine a lot of "stiffs" aren't particularly bothered, or at least don't feel it necessary to take a stance . In my opinion It won't change until certain elements of the media allow it. Politicians are broadly driven by public opinion which in turn is driven by the media. As I've mentioned previously, certain newspapers sometimes misrepresent the facts and sometimes just fabricate stuff completely, their readers contact their MPs and they react on this misinformation.
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Post by bigjohnritchie on Mar 13, 2024 18:24:54 GMT
I'm not sure thst it is the" stiffs" who prevent any changes in the law on this really though . I think it has more to do with political will.....Unfortunately more and more political parties don't do what they think is right, nor in the interests of people, they are more concerned with " what is in it for the party/government/ opposition? I would not have thought any party would want to take responsibility for legalising cannabis until it has overwhelmingly perceived to have public support....particularly true on the current climate, in which I would have thought it was very low on the agenda. I'd imagine a lot of "stiffs" aren't particularly bothered, or at least don't feel it necessary to take a stance . In my opinion It won't change until certain elements of the media allow it. Politicians are broadly driven by public opinion which in turn is driven by the media. As I've mentioned previously, certain newspapers sometimes misrepresent the facts and sometimes just fabricate stuff completely, their That's basically what I said Ely, there won't be change until the politicians perceive thst there is something in it for them....ie Public support or votes. To be seen to legalise drugs would be unpopular for the foreseeable future and in any case is not a priority , in my opinion
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Post by elystokie on Mar 13, 2024 18:48:56 GMT
It won't change until certain elements of the media allow it. Politicians are broadly driven by public opinion which in turn is driven by the media. As I've mentioned previously, certain newspapers sometimes misrepresent the facts and sometimes just fabricate stuff completely, their That's basically what I said Ely, there won't be change until the politicians perceive thst there is something in it for them....ie Public support or votes. To be seen to legalise drugs would be unpopular for the foreseeable future and in any case is not a priority , in my opinion Bloody phone playing up, finished my post now 𤌠I don't see much public support for legalisation of all drugs sadly, I think we'll continue to completely waste ÂŁ20 billion a year tbh đĄ However I think as far as legal recreational cannabis goes a poll would indicate approval. People can see what's happening in other countries with no sky falling in, no reefer madness, no widespread teen addiction - in fact nothing that the prohibitionists predicted would happen actually happened. They could at least put it to the vote or have a grown up honest discussion about the matter. Instead we all have to play along admiring the Emperor's finest gowns đ¤Ś
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Post by bigjohnritchie on Mar 13, 2024 18:52:32 GMT
That's basically what I said Ely, there won't be change until the politicians perceive thst there is something in it for them....ie Public support or votes. To be seen to legalise drugs would be unpopular for the foreseeable future and in any case is not a priority , in my opinion Bloody phone playing up, finished my post now 𤌠I don't see much public support for legalisation of all drugs sadly, I think we'll continue to completely waste ÂŁ20 billion a year tbh đĄ However I think as far as legal recreational cannabis goes a poll would indicate approval. People can see what's happening in other countries with no sky falling in, no reefer madness, no widespread teen addiction - in fact nothing that the prohibitionists predicted would happen actually happened. They could at least put it to the vote or have a grown up honest discussion about the matter. Instead we all have to play along admiring the Emperor's finest gowns 𤌠I think we both agree that it won't happen in the near future.
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Post by elystokie on Mar 13, 2024 19:15:01 GMT
Bloody phone playing up, finished my post now 𤌠I don't see much public support for legalisation of all drugs sadly, I think we'll continue to completely waste ÂŁ20 billion a year tbh đĄ However I think as far as legal recreational cannabis goes a poll would indicate approval. People can see what's happening in other countries with no sky falling in, no reefer madness, no widespread teen addiction - in fact nothing that the prohibitionists predicted would happen actually happened. They could at least put it to the vote or have a grown up honest discussion about the matter. Instead we all have to play along admiring the Emperor's finest gowns 𤌠I think we both agree that it won't happen in the near future. It depends how you term near future I suppose. I can see recreational cannabis legalisation in some form within 2-3 years or at least a reschedule from B to C as happened in the early noughties. Then Jacqueline Smith as home secretary (allegedly due to a deal with the Daily Mail đ¤Ž) put it back to B 𤌠Care to guess what Ms Smith's current position is? She's an executive at a medical cannabis company đ Part of the scheduling of drugs includes whether or not it has a medicinal value, she's evidently changed her mind on that đ
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Post by elystokie on Mar 13, 2024 21:57:05 GMT
Last five.
For today đ
Myth #11. âAddiction is a brain diseaseâ. Untrue, yes the brain will be affected, but the loss of control of drugs (similar to internet addiction, gambling, over-eating) has much more to do with social, psychological and behavioural factors than any neurological or physiological defect. If addiction was a brain disease MRIs would be used in diagnostic assessments to show evidence of addiction, and chronic addiction would be spread more evenly across society.
Myth #12. âThe government can protect society by banning new drugsâ. Banning drugs masquerades as positive tough action to remove the âproblemâ when actually banning drugs has little impact on use and makes production, distribution and consumption more dangerous.
Myth #13. âOnce listed in the Misuse of Drugs Act, drugs become controlled.â Technically correct â but once a drug is listed as a controlled drug, it is forced underground and thus becomes completely outside government/social control. So ironically a controlled drug, is by nature, an uncontrolled drug.
Myth #14. âCannabis is a gateway drug that leads to addiction and âhardâ drugs.â Untrue, most young adults have used cannabis and most have not progressed onto using other drugs, nor have they become âaddictsâ. The last three Presidents of the USA all successfully used cannabis without any gateway effect.
Myth #15. âPeople who use caffeine, tobacco and/or alcohol are not drug usersâ. Untrue â they certainly are drug users and many could be classed as âaddictsâ. These three substances are all drugs, and ironically unlike some illegal drugs â in high dosages caffeine, tobacco and alcohol are toxic and can result in death.
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Post by elystokie on Mar 14, 2024 9:05:32 GMT
Today's starter for 5, myth number 16 is particularly relevant to the ongoing discussion about prisons on another thread -
Myth #16. âIf we lock up dealers we can reduce the drug-related violence.â The opposite is true, disrupting supply and removing dealers creates more violence by fuelling market uncertainty, presenting new business opportunities and creating âbusinessâ conflict.
Myth #17. âDrug use isnât a crime issue itâs a health issue.â This may sound like a step in the right direction, but taking a substance isnât inherently a health issue, any more than enjoying a coffee or glass of wine is a âhealth issueâ. Even problematic drug use isnât best described as a health issue, itâs more accurately a social, psychological, health and/or legal issue.
Myth #18. âThere are âhardâ and âsoftâ drugs.â There is no scientific evidence underpinning the misleading categorisation of hard and soft drugs. While some drugs can generally pose greater problems than other drugs to some people, â these generalisations are misleading because the impact of a drug varies from person to person depending upon the set (the person) and the setting (the environment) â itâs not just the substance.
Myth #19. âDrugs are illegal because they are dangerous, and the proof they are dangerous is that they are illegal!â This circular Double-Speak offers no evidence and is used to defend prohibition, but the substances we have called âdrugsâ are not inherently more dangerous than other substances such as alcohol, sugar, tobacco, caffeine and peanuts. However, prohibition increases the risk, danger and uncertainty considerably.
Myth #20. âDrug testing will tell you if a person is on drugs.â The result is unreliable due to human error, machine error, deliberate and accidental false positives and false negatives. Someone eating a poppy seed bagel could test positive for opiates. Someone who tests positive for cannabis may not have used the drug that day, however, because of the metabolites of the drug the positive result may be detecting cannabis used days, weeks or even months ago. Drug presence does not indicate drug impairment or intoxication.
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Post by elystokie on Mar 14, 2024 12:58:36 GMT
Lunch/dinner đ time five -
Myth #21. âLike everything else on the market, drugs must be proven safe before they can ever be legalised.â Not true. Indeed, many substances, widely promoted and legal, are damaging or lethal to some: such as tobacco, alcohol, and peanuts. Whereas a drug such as cannabis with known medicinal benefits that has never killed anyone is considered dangerous, and remains illegal.
Myth #22. âPeople who use drugs are not criminals they need help.â An apparently benign and supportive statement, however, while taking a drug should not be a law enforcement concern, neither should we problematize or pathologize drug use as a health issue. There is no reason why we should assume a person using drugs needs help.
Myth #23. âRecovery is about becoming drug-free.â Recovery is about people who have been dependent on drugs regaining control of their life, but becoming drug-free isnât always necessary to achieve that. Some people sort their life out and continue to use in a non-problematic way, and some take clean legal prescribed substitutes such as methadone or heroin and successfully lead productive and stable lives.
Myth #24. âHarm reduction is about reducing the spread of diseases.â Harm reduction is not just about health â itâs also about reducing social, cultural and psychological harms. Harm reduction is an evidence-based approach that should sit alongside human rights to underpin all drug policy. Itâs pragmatic, humane and non-judgemental, it engages people where they are at with a view to reducing risk and harm.
Myth #25. âHarm reduction doesnât support abstinence.â Harm reduction isnât about getting people off drugs â itâs about working with people to reduce risks. However, in some cases abstinence might be a good way to reduce risks â so harm reduction incorporates abstinence â but only if the person is ready, able, interested and wanting to become abstinent.
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Post by elystokie on Mar 14, 2024 17:30:35 GMT
Doing a rough calculation, if the bill for enforcing drug prohibition is still ÂŁ20 billion (it's highly likely to be more by now) that's around ÂŁ75 per year for each basic level taxpayer.
I'm not sure whether or not that includes costs of incarcerating offenders and the related court costs, obviously it will be more if they aren't part of that sum.
That's a lot of money to spend when it seems it just makes things worse đ¤ˇđť
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Post by elystokie on Mar 14, 2024 21:27:05 GMT
Last five myths.
Until tomorrow đ
Myth #26. âIllegal drugs have little or no use in medicine.â Although this sentiment is enshrined in the much out-dated 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotics it couldnât be further from the truth. Opiates are essential in severe pain management, while cannabis and MDMA have medicinal benefits in the treatment of a growing number of conditions (e.g. MS, PTSD, Epilepsy). Illegality has made medical trials and acceptance extremely difficult.
Myth #27. âPeople who use drugs need treatment, not prison.â Another apparently positive statement, however, people who use drugs donât need treatment or prison anymore than someone who has a double espresso each morning, or the person who enjoys a glass of whisky before bedtime needs treatment or prison. Under the umbrella of âitâs better than prisonâ all sorts of questionable practices can appear palatable.
Myth #28. âTo prevent stigma we need to understand addiction as a disease.â Yes, we want to prevent stigma but addiction is not a disease. The most effective way to prevent stigma is to end the drug apartheid and challenge the hypocritical and flawed social construction of âdrugsâ.
Myth #29. âDrug laws affect everyone the same.â This is not true. The chances of being stopped, searched, arrested and prosecuted for drug possession depends greatly on the colour of your skin, your social class, age, location and your social background.
Myth #30. âIf we try hard enough we can eradicate drugs.â A fallacy. Forty years of extremely tough prohibition involving masses of time and money for police, armed forces and customs has had no impact upon supply, price or use. They canât even keep drugs out of high-security prisons.
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Post by musik on Mar 14, 2024 21:49:58 GMT
I think we'll continue to completely waste ÂŁ20 billion a year tbh đĄ If this is the cost (no matter where the number comes from or how it's calculated), what do you think the net profit from prohibition is?
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Post by elystokie on Mar 14, 2024 21:53:36 GMT
I think we'll continue to completely waste ÂŁ20 billion a year tbh đĄ If this is the cost (no matter where the number comes from or how it's calculated), what do you think the net profit from prohibition is? For the drug cartels and whichever politicians/officials are on the take? I'd imagine it runs to many billions quite easily to be honest. When the policing cost was ÂŁ20 billion the UK market was worth around ÂŁ9 billion, a lot of that is profit, obviously because of the risk of prosecution.
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Post by elystokie on Mar 15, 2024 7:34:03 GMT
Five more to kick off the day -
Myth #31. âHeroin is a dangerous drug that damages your body.â Any street drug could be very damaging because illegality means the user hasnât got a clue whatâs in it. But clean pharmaceutical heroin (unlike alcohol) doesnât cause any permanent damage to the body.
Myth #32. âCrack cocaine in pregnancy leads to permanently damaged âcrackâ babies.â There is no consistent evidence to support this claim. Longitudinal studies indicate severe and enduring poverty appears to be the most significant factor that thwarts child progress and development, not parental crack cocaine use during pregnancy. So instead of emotively and inaccurately, focusing upon âcrack babiesâ, it would be more appropriate to direct attention towards the plight of âpoverty babiesâ.
Myth #33. âDrug testing will help identify people who have a drug problem.â Besides its unreliability â at best drug testing only indicates drug presence, it provides no indication of the pattern, time, place, reason or context of drug use. A positive result indicates drug use not problematic use.
Myth #34. âLaw enforcement targets the most dangerous drugs.â Untrue, arrests and drug seizures for cannabis outnumber all the other drugs arrests combined. The war between drugs is largely a war on the relatively benign cannabis while the significantly more dangerous drug alcohol is enjoyed and promoted amongst law enforcement officials.
Myth #35. âPeople caught with cannabis donât end up in prison.â Untrue, certainly many certainly do, and indigenous people, poor people and people of colour are more likely to be targeted.
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Post by elystokie on Mar 15, 2024 14:55:41 GMT
A few more -
Myth #36. âDrug law enforcement targets people who use drugs.â Levels of drug use across the white and black population are similar. However, it depends upon the colour of your skin and your social status as to whether you will be targeted. If you are poor and have a minority ethnic heritage you are much more likely to be targeted â stopped, searched, arrested, prosecuted and subsequently sentenced â for drug defined crime.
Myth #37. âHeroin during pregnancy will cause permanent harm to the unborn child.â Street heroin is a problem because you donât know whatâs in it. But clean pharmaceutical heroin causes no known permanent damage to a baby. Once recovered from withdrawal symptoms babies will have no permanent harm. However, alcohol taken during pregnancy can cause Foetal Alcohol Syndrome â a permanent condition.
Myth #38. âA drug-free world is desirable.â Drugs have been used since records began for pain relief, treating sickness, for relaxation and social reasons. Alcohol, caffeine, tobacco are drugs and arguably cocoa, sugar and fat too. A world without drugs is unthinkable, undesirable and untenable.
Myth #39. âIllegal drugs kill people.â This is misleading because the majority of drug deaths are consequences of prohibition and a draconian drug policy that makes taking drugs uncertain and more dangerous and getting help risky. A lot of deaths could have otherwise been avoided.
Myth #40. âDrug policy is based upon the best available evidence.â For decades research reports, reviews, inquiries, expert groups have provided mountain loads of evidence â but drug policy has repeatedly ignored the best available evidence and instead continued to uphold the principles of prohibition enshrined in the 1961 UN Single Convention. Drug policy is rooted in ideological beliefs and an attempt to seize the moral high ground, rather than science and evidence.
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Post by musik on Mar 16, 2024 2:00:06 GMT
Hi Big John Ritchie! Sweden's approach to this is to stop people from taking anything. The drug, any drug, is never a solution to anything. It should make sense, according to our experts. This topic btw is way down the list here nowadays. Their focus is on gang crime and war and peace instead. What makes cannabis a drug and caffeine not a drug out of interest? Or Vitamin B12 compared to thc? I can only answer what the Swedish experts and researchers say and what the guidelines are here. Cannabis is a drug, its eventual "good" effects are very doubtful. There might be a way to treat rare patients with some cbd, but it always contains some thc so it makes no good in the end anyway. "It's always best to let the experts on human bodies treat human bodies" is often heard in the debate. The ones saying cbd MIGHT have some good effects often simply lose their jobs or are ignored by their work mates here. So I never mention these things ... Caffeine is often described as - not an essential - but a welcoming nutritional component here. It's not considered as a drug, you can't compare the two, since the effect is much milder and quickly fading. They often point out the advantages in the form of cancer prevention and healthy to the vascular system. Overuse is no good though, they say. Edith: addition, alcohol btw is more and more presented as something with good health effects; as the only known help to prevent ALS, the dreadful neuro muscular disease. Thc they say has no positive good effects at all, it only disturbs and destroys the central nervous system. It's seen as poison. Vitamine B12? Well it's absolutely essential for the human nervous system and perhaps the only nutritional component that is very hard to get too much of. We have a right wing government and their support is steadily rising again. The main reason is the increased drug controls and the expanded visitation zones. Very welcomed among the people not being searched. No doubt the cultural origin drugs have contributes to what's accepted here. And in an upcoming post I will present what their guidelines comes from. The reason Sweden will be the last place on Earth to accept drugs.
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Post by elystokie on Mar 16, 2024 7:34:22 GMT
First five for today đ
Myth #41. âItâs a war on drugs.â Untrue â drugs have never been more accommodated, integrated or promoted. There is no war on alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, sugar, fat or BigPharma drugs. It is a war on particular drugs that have been outlawed for political, social and economic reasons (not pharmacological or scientific reasons). Itâs a âWar Between Drugsâ enforced by an uncompromisingly tough Drug Apartheid.
Myth #42. âStrict Regulation is the way forward.â Ideally, but it depends upon what regulation looks like. Not if that regulation (as illustrated in the New Zealand Psychoactive Substance Act 2013) means: you are now prohibited and punished for possession of substances not approved by the state (s.71 $500 fine); supply carries a 2 year prison sentence (s.70); all new psychoactive substances not listed in the Misuse of Drugs Act are automatically prohibited and the only way of acquiring âapprovedâ substances is through BigPharma or BigBusiness.
Myth #43. âEvery day drug-free is another day of being clean.â This is misleading, is anyone ever (and should they be?) drug-free because we take caffeine, sugar, cocoa, aspirin, alcohol? More importantly, this statement wrongly insinuates taking a drug is wrong and dirty and without them, we become âcleanâ.
Myth #44. âAlcohol occupies so much police time â imagine how bad itâd be if we legalise cannabis.â There is no comparison between these two different substances that impact behaviour very differently. It is rare for anyone on cannabis to be argumentative, aggressive and violent, unfortunately, the same cannot be said for alcohol. Itâs like saying weâve seen the damaged caused by sports like rugby, so we have no intention of allowing tennis.
Myth #45. âLegalising drugs is dangerous because more people will use drugs.â In countries where drugs have been legalised or decriminalised there has not been an overall increase in drug consumption. However, it is not drug use per se that should concern us, it is problematic drug use that we should be concerned about. Only a small proportion of people who use drugs develop addiction issues. However, while drugs remain illegal it creates uncertainty regarding purity, toxicity, content, strength and people are further at risk of acquiring a criminal record that could damage them for life.
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Post by elystokie on Mar 17, 2024 9:36:08 GMT
Today's Famous Five đ -
Myth #46. âCannabis use by drivers is leading to more deaths on the road.â Unfounded. There is evidence that cannabis is increasingly found in blood samples in road traffic accidents (RTAs) but this presence of cannabis in the bloodstream could arise from the use of cannabis days, weeks, even months earlier. Drug presence doesnât mean drug impairment. Association is not causation. It would be similar to suggesting the increased possession of a mobile phone by drivers in fatal RTAs was leading to more deaths on the road.
Myth #47. âEvery drug death is further evidence of the dangers of drugs.â Most drug deaths are a by-product of draconian drug policy that could be avoided by a combination of decriminalisation, legalisation, naloxone distribution, safer drug use education, heroin-assisted treatments, drug checking kits, drug consumption rooms and less intolerance and stigma. Our drug policies are killing people.
Myth #48. âThe underground criminal business in drugs is enormous so we need tougher law enforcement.â Unfortunately, it is prohibition that has created these conditions in the first instance, more enforcement can only be expected to further increase the power and wealth of the criminal cartels and increase violence. However, decriminalisation and regulation could significantly reduce illegal drug business, and also reduce harms for users.
Myth #49. âBetter that someone gets treatment in Drug Court than go to prison.â Anything can appear palatable and justified if presented as an alternative to prison. For the overwhelming majority of non-problematic drug users, coercive treatment is pointless, expensive, and unethical. For the small minority of problematic users who need and want help, it is better that they can access help voluntarily in the community, following a thorough assessment, and be matched to a best-fit treatment plan that has access to a full range of services; rather than having to carry out an enforced abstinence 12 step programme with the threat of imprisonment looming for any failure.
Myth #50. âThe world would be a better place without drugs.â Drugs are vital in medicine and pain relief, they are also important for relaxing, sleeping, socialising, providing energy, thinking laterally, creatively and artistically. Legal drugs alcohol, caffeine and tobacco are used for these purposes every day, although other (currently illegal) drugs might be safer and better suited.
"Our drug policies are killing people." đĄ
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Post by elystokie on Mar 18, 2024 8:01:21 GMT
There's more -
Myth #51. âPeople grow out of taking drugs.â While there is evidence that people grow out of criminal activity, the use of prohibited drugs involves criminal risks, so if there is a shift away from illegal drugs at a later age itâs not necessarily the case that people are âgrowing out of drugsâ, but perhaps, over time, they learn to avoid the associated criminal associations. There is no evidence people grow out of using the drugs alcohol, tobacco and caffeine.
Myth #52. âIf we provide robust evidence drug laws will changeâ Strong reliable evidence is crucial to develop effective drug laws, but most advanced capitalist countries show little sign of being influenced by science and evidence. Instead, they seem committed to an ideologically driven position to maintain the privilege of legal drugs by demonising all illicit drugs regardless of the harms caused.
Myth #53. âSociety needs to learn to accept drug useâ With the massive range of alcohol, tobacco and caffeine products available, combined with the ever-increasing range of pharmaceutical drugs, there is no doubt society already accepts, embraces and engages in drug use â on a daily basis! So this statement is misleading and feeds into the faulty thinking that fails to acknowledge legal substances as â drugâ use. Society needs to learn to understand we are operating within a drug apartheid.
Myth #54. âThere is no cure for addictionâ Addiction is essentially a social and psychological condition, rooted in patterns of thinking, behaviour and lifestyle thatâs got out of control. Itâs not an incurable disease from which people never recover and are forced to live in ârecoveryâ. The vast majority of people who become dependent successfully regain control, most of them without professional help. The large numbers who have quit smoking are a good example.
Myth #55. âThe only appropriate place for taking drugs is in medicineâ It is a position you could hold for yourself but not one you have any right to impose on others. Itâs an extreme position that would mean no tea, coffee, chocolate, alcohol, fizzy drinks, sweets or cakes, most breakfast cereals etc (avoiding the drugs; alcohol, caffeine and sugar). Itâs akin to saying the only acceptable reason for consuming food is to keep us healthy. Pleasure, relaxing, getting more energy, feeling sleepy or enhancing our senses are not unreasonable motivations for taking food or substances.
'Society needs to learn to understand we are operating within a drug apartheid'
One that is killing people daily đ
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Post by elystokie on Mar 18, 2024 14:24:04 GMT
I can't remember any politician in my lifetime talking more common sense than this lady does in this ten minute video.
Absolutely brilliant đđđ
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Post by elystokie on Mar 19, 2024 6:39:46 GMT
Tuesdays tempters đ -
Myth #56. âDrugs like cannabis are illegalâ As a result of the 1961 UN Single Convention signature countries have made possession and cultivation of certain substances listed in the Convention a criminal offence. However, the substances themselves are not illegal, which raises the question why plants like cannabis, coca and the opium poppy are not illegal, on what basis can or should the police and armed forces search the countryside to dig up or destroy uncultivated plants.
Myth #57. âThe Drugs War has failedâ That depends upon what you think the purpose of the Drug War is. Yes, the drug war has failed to reduce or stop people from using banned drugs â but that is a war that should never be fought, it is fundamentally misguided and wrong. If the drug war is understood through a neoliberal lens it has been a great success. It has preserved the privileged position granted to the legal drug industry (pharmaceuticals, sugar, caffeine, alcohol and tobacco); it has provided the state with considerable powers to control the poor, people of colour, indigenous people and the âotherâ; it has provided great numbers for the burgeoning and profitable penal industrial complex; and it has spawned extensive new testing and surveillance business opportunities in times of recession.
Myth #58. âPeople choose to buy alcohol, caffeine and tobacco, but illegal drugs are pushed on peopleâ This notion is deeply flawed. Most people are exposed to illicit drugs through friendship networks, whereas, legal drugs such as alcohol are actually pushed on people via advertising and sponsorship, and they are further pressured to use alcohol by powerful cultural norms to âcelebrateâ, âhave funâ and âjoin inâ. So, if anything people are more likely to be âpushedâ into legal drugs.
Myth #59. âDrugs are dangerous, thatâs why we need regulationâ Adopting prohibition arguments to draw people towards decriminalisation or legalisation, only serves to perpetuate myths and misinformation. Drugs are not dangerous per se, they vary widely and cannot be lumped together like this. What we can say is that prohibition enforcement has made drug use dangerous. Beware because regulation can be so strict, it is effectively new prohibition.
Myth #60. âMaybe we were wrong about cannabisâ Donât just isolate cannabis, drug prohibition is wrong for all illicit drugs. Yes, itâs right that cannabis should be legalised and free for individuals to cultivate for personal use, but isolating cannabis and inviting this particular drug to enjoy power and privilege in a corrupt system not only perpetuates the drug apartheid, but it potentially weakens the opposition to it. So while cannabis should be legalised, the commitment needs to be focused upon exposing and dismantling the entire corrupt drug control system that lacks scientific evidence to support it, so that all drugs are decriminalised and sensibly regulated, rather than select particular drugs to enjoy privilege and promotion alongside alcohol, caffeine and tobacco.
"the commitment needs to be focused upon exposing and dismantling the entire corrupt drug control system that lacks scientific evidence to support it"
đ
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Post by elystokie on Mar 19, 2024 7:16:01 GMT
This is very interesting, why athletes use weed -
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Post by elystokie on Mar 19, 2024 16:36:06 GMT
I can't remember any politician in my lifetime talking more common sense than this lady does in this ten minute video. Absolutely brilliant đđđ More on this quite historic moment from a cannabis activist that was invited to attend after receiving a federal pardon for his cannabis crimes. www.marijuanamoment.net/what-happened-in-vp-harriss-marijuana-meeting-at-the-white-house-after-media-left-the-room-according-to-an-activist-who-was-there/?'Chris Goldstein: As soon as the doors closed, the vice president made some more colloquial remarks. In fact, Fat Joe and the vice president started a dialogue on a lot of things. The moment where she raised her hands in the air and said, âwe need to legalize marijuanaââsaying those words out loud, saying it in the Roosevelt Room, it did feel very meaningful, and it wasnât lost on anyone there what was going on in that moment.'
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Post by elystokie on Mar 19, 2024 19:06:34 GMT
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Post by elystokie on Mar 20, 2024 7:05:27 GMT
On the home straight now đ
Myth #61. âDrug laws are outdated and need changingâ Untrue. Itâs not that drug laws have become outdated, they have never been fit for purpose at any time. They are rooted in propaganda, myths and lies and we need to understand this in order to develop new drug laws rooted in scientific evidence with policies that promote harm reduction and protect human rights.
Myth #62. âDrug users need compassion and support, not stigma and hatredâ Certainly stigma and hatred towards drug users is wrong but people who use banned substances donât need patronising, they are not inherently in need of support or compassion. They need to be free from criminalisation and they need their human rights restored.
Myth #63. âNations need to work together tackle the global drug problemâ There is no global drug problem, what we have is a global drug policy problem. Drug policy harm that has been created, sustained and exacerbated by the nations working together under the UN mandate to prohibit so-called drugs.
Myth #64. âWe need to get the UN to change their approach to drugsâ The UN system to control âdrugsâ has created the problem. The UN the bastion of needless prohibition that has created the World Drug Policy Problem, should not be commissioned to lead reform, their role and involvement in controlling âdrugsâ needs to be decommissioned. Instead, we need countries to invest their energy to tackle the drug policy problem in their own country and roll out reform nationally, rather than divest and waste energy seeking and waiting for international reforms.
Myth #65. âItâs time to consider legalising drugsâ This statement colludes with the prohibition lie that drugs such as alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, sugar and pharmaceuticals are somehow not legalised drugs. They are not only already legalised they are heavily promoted and embraced drugs, so the more accurate and honest question would be to ask âShould the other drugs that weâve outlawed be legalised?â An important question because there is no scientific evidence to separate or distinguish them from the substances that have been selectively legalized.
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Post by OldStokie on Mar 20, 2024 13:26:55 GMT
Slowly slowly catchee monkey, Robbie. Take a few puffs and carry on. M.
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Post by elystokie on Mar 21, 2024 8:18:51 GMT
Slowly slowly catchee monkey, Robbie. Take a few puffs and carry on. M. Cheers Mick đ The times they are a changin' as some hippy stoner once wrote đ With the nation that inflicted the farcical war on drugs on the world gradually backtracking it's only going to go one way, at long bloody last! Anyroad, the penultimate five, number 70 is a personal favourite, I'll miss this đ Myth #66. âIn-recovery is the term for a person who no longer uses drugsâ A person who overcomes addiction isnât forever in recovery, this is a disease model of addiction that claims people never recover from addiction, so spend the rest of life as âaddictsâ in recovery, living with an incurable disease. Whereas, âin recoveryâ should refer to the period when tackling addiction and recovering from addiction, after that period they are recovered. Myth #67. âAbstinence is when someone has stopped using drugsâ This statement presents drugs as homogenous as if somehow all drugs possess similar properties, dangers and risk. Abstinence is when a person gives up completely from using a drug that was causing them difficulties. If a person had an issue with drug âaâ there is no reason why they should necessarily abstain from drug âxâ, âyâ or âzâ, or indeed every psycho-active substance on earth. Myth #68. âInjecting drugs causes ulcers, sepsis, endocarditis, Hepatitis & HIVâ Untrue, it is injecting drugs under unsterile conditions and sharing equipment with infected others that causes these issues â not injecting per se. This risk is made more likely by Prohibitionist drug policies that stigmatize and make access to clean needles and equipment more difficult. Myth #69. âOnce an addict always an addictâ The idea that once anyone has a particular problem then forever theyâll remain captive to it, is nonsense. Each person is different and each substance and struggle with addiction is different. Importantly too, a person is not an addict, their identity is much richer, broader and multi-faceted. The notion of an all-powerful overarching identity is damaging and misleading. Myth #70. âWe do not condone drug useâThis sentence is often added by someone promoting harm reduction or drug reform. Itâs prohibition propaganda speak that unwittingly lends support to the grotesque notion of a drug-free world. Why would anyone wish to proclaim they donât condone people starting the day with a coffee, donât condone drinking champagne at weddings, donât condone people taking painkillers when in pain, donât condone people opening a bottle of wine with friends?
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Post by musik on Mar 21, 2024 13:20:36 GMT
Where does the so called myths replies come from?
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Post by elystokie on Mar 21, 2024 13:37:56 GMT
Where does the so called myths replies come from? Why do you describe them as 'so called'? There's a link further up but here it is again - julianbuchanan.wordpress.com/
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Post by elystokie on Mar 22, 2024 6:53:13 GMT
Friday's final five đ Here's the link again to the author's mini bio, Julian Buchanan CPA, CQSW, DSW, MA, FHEA, PhD, he has quite a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw from - julianbuchanan.wordpress.com/contact/Myth #71. âPeople are not ready to support recreational drug takingâ This is absolute nonsense because widespread use of psychoactive drugs already lubricates every social event, gathering and occasion. Almost everyone starts the day with a stimulant hit. We all use drugs. Myth #72. âAny physical contact with fentanyl poses a serious of overdoseâ Police departments in particular, have gone to extraordinary lengths to avoid contact with fentanyl, but contact with the drug poses no serious risk whatsoever â the drug has to be ingested to pose a risk. No one has ever overdosed as a result of physical contact with fentanyl â despite the media stories. Myth #73. âNeedle exchanges encourage drug injectingâ There is no evidence to support this â see evidence from a randomised controlled trial. Myth #74. âThe drugs out there have changed, they are now purer, more powerful and more dangerous, â they are lethalâ Every year police make these exaggerated proclamations, demonising banned drugs, fuelling fear and seeking support for tougher action â itâs been going on for decades. Indeed, back in 1906 US Police claimed cocaine provided Black people with super-human strength and wanted heavier caliber handguns to stop the drug crazed Black person high on cocaine. Myth #75. âThe only people arguing to legalise drugs are âdrugâ usersâ Thatâs simply not true. I for one, have never used a banned drug and I want possession, cultivation and production of all drugs for personal use to be legal! Lots of people, like me, simply want to end the needless deaths, carnage and damage caused by drug prohibition.
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