We agree in large parts, but in my opinion many people need a little bit of protection, you personally might be able to find an healthy balance, but as seen with tobacco and alcohol this is not something that is going to work out for many other people. Should it be legal to consume, yes, should it become something that is produced in an clean and controlled setting, sure. But opening up the marketplace for vendors and hope the best is not going to work out for many people and will put an huge strain on public healthcare and society. So I think it’s best for an more educated system where users are protected, the drugs are clean and there’s some systems in place to help people who are at risk too find their way to an health care professional.
That is pretty much exactly what Portugal has done. They have not just 'hoped for the best', they have looked at the undeniable fact that prohibition is the root of the pain and suffering, brought compassion and assistance for those who get into trouble, but treat adults as adults, and allow them to make their own decisions, and, equally as importantly, their own mistakes. This modern obsession with trying to prevent any and all negative outcomes is as ridiculous as it is patronising, simply dumbing everyone down to the lowest common denominator. Some people are always going to struggle with certain substances, but trying to 'protect' them always leads to infringement of rights, and is the thin end of the wedge. As I said previously, Portugal has shown that all measurable metrics have improved by rejecting prohibition and punishment, and this includes public health. The strain on healthcare and 'society' has been reduced, not exacerbated.
The USA, in parts, had effectively decriminalised drugs (Oregon for example), but there was zero empathy or help for those addicted and using, many of whom were homeless with serious mental health issues, simply allowing them access to whatever they wanted, then acting shocked when things descend into carnage, dispair and depravity. Empathy is clearly going to be cornerstone of any effective drug policy and treatment, but the USA (and many other parts of the world) is sorely lacking in this department.
I was wrong to say it Portugal implemented this a decade ago, it was closer to quarter of a century, but their success is steadfastly ignored by the rest of the world, who, instead, choose to double down on the crime and punishment bollocks. The full report on their success can be found here:
This Open Society Foundations report documents how decriminalization can reduce drug consumption, dependence, recidivism, and HIV infection, and create safer communities for all.
www.opensocietyfoundations.org
Decriminalisation is something of a cop out too, in terms of ensuring that the drugs are available are high quality without dangerous impurities, but it is infinitely better than prohibition and criminalisation.
Let us not forget that the roots of prohibition lie in the USA, with Harry J Anslinger criminalising Marijuana after the failure and cessation of alcohol prohibition. The racist overtones also there, as it was the drug of choice of 'blacks', in much the same way as the Brits did with opium and the Chinese.
The USA ensured psychedelics were made globally illegal in the 60s, denying what even the medical profession now accept are powerful tools for healing. The negative effects of this policy alone are staggering, never mind how all of our psyches have been negatively impacted by the supposed 'fact' that drugs are bad, and how that affects our personal journeys. Yet more bullshit programming to be overcome.
It is not a coincidence that the USA benefits economically by pressuring the world to keep everything illegal. The South American continent has been turned into a war-zone, and the cartels literally created by these policies, and the US can then provide 'aid' to these countries, usually in the form of paramilitary assistance, which is another way of saying they are selling more weapons and hardware, putting yet more cash into their military industrial complex. There seems to be no problem that the USA believes cannot be solved with a gun.
How many people have been incarcerated for non-violent drug offenses, who are then forced to work while incarcerated, making products for American companies, for literal slave wages?
The 13th amendment to the constitution outlaws slavery and involuntary servitude
except as punishment for a crime. What an exceptionally handy loophole, that corporations have exploited to the fullest. Odd that President Obama, himself a constitutional scholar, never one mentioned this amendment, and how it was being used to, effectively, make slaves of his black brothers and sisters who are massively disproportionately incarcerated for non-violent drug offenses. It's almost like prohibition is being used to ensure a steady stream of slave labour for the prison system, to bolster corporate profits, but this must just be a coincidence, right?
