http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/aug/17/ivory-wave-drug-alleged-death

thats what prohibition leads to and thats what you get when you dont listen to scientist like professor david nutt.

dear Mp's god will ask you what you have done when in power what will you tell him ?

Why the contribution is important

if we dont take this matter seriously then criminals will continue killing our children, 

control,regulate,tax

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green88
Posted by green88 August 17, 2010 at 17:49
It seems like our voices have officially been heard as of today in the news. What I find intriguing about this debate is the level of ignorance still exhibited by some people (albeit only a small minority), despite a solid and inarguable case for decriminalization or legalisation. Prohibitionists come across as very narrow minded, ignorant, bigoted and they all seem to 'know someone' who has been affected by drug use and base their entire opinion of the subject on that.

Whats more interesting is the Home office's response to all of this seems to be written with a very similar mindset...

 'Drugs such as heroin, cocaine and cannabis are extremely harmful and can cause misery to communities across the country.'The government does not believe that decriminalisation is the right approach. Our priorities are clear; we want to reduce drug use, crack down on drug related crime and disorder and help addicts come off drugs for good.'

I just don't get it! Are they deliberatly trying to sound stupid to stimulate debate or do these people actually exist out there?

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penrhos
Posted by penrhos August 17, 2010 at 19:47
ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS "I SAID THIS WOULD HAPPEN, THE EXPERTS SAID THIS WOULD HAPPEN"

I suggest you all write to your local MP and point out that "Legal highs" are more dangerous than the genuine drugs they are supposed to simulate.

We have decades of scientific research on traditional drugs and know the relative harm thay cause compared to alcohol and tobacco.

We have no such research on "Legal Highs" - Prof Nutt was the countries leading expert on them and the Labour government sacked him.

The government have got the blood of all the people that die from this crap on their hands....

There are no fatalities recorded for cannabis use so why is it still illegal - over 6 million users and not one death, how many people died last year from alcohol and tobacco, tens of thousands.

Drug crime and prohibition are extremely harmful and can cause misery to communities across the country.

We do not believe the government - because they cannot even fill their expenses forms in legitimately.

Prohibition has completely failed to reduce drug use and has infact increased drug crimes - because a law-abiding person can be a criminal for possessing drugs for personal use - so if 6 million people are using drugs there must be 6 million criminals because of drugs.

I AM NOT A CRIMINAL. Someone who steals, victmises or defrauds is a criminal.

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Anne_M
Posted by Anne_M August 17, 2010 at 20:14
No, our children will continue killing themselves. They make the free choice to use these drugs, in most cases. They know the risks they take and should take responsibility for whatever damage is done.
I fully support the treatment and rehabilitation of drug users, and I believe more money should be spent in this area, but we should not take the attitude that we, or our children, can do whatever we want then expect the government to pick up the pieces.
By the way, the death in this news story could just as easily have happened if the victim had been using cocaine, heroin or many other illegal drugs.

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bunny11
Posted by bunny11 August 17, 2010 at 21:17
@Anne_M

One significant factor that is present in a vast proportion (if not all) children is the predisposition to do that which they are instructed not to do by either parental figures or other persons of authority. With that in mind and the fact that no amount of laws will 'crush' the drug trade as oft promised by parliament after parliament, surely it would make perfect sense to bring the drug trade out of the shadows and into a scenario where there are some real and tangible controls on their production and supply?? This idea combined with taxation of the substances in question could allow for significant programs of education and treatment for those predisposed to their use.

Or we could stick with the current system and continue to watch thousands of kids living in squalid crack dens while the suppliers cruise around in luxury cars.

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penrhos
Posted by penrhos August 18, 2010 at 12:43
@Anne_M

He could have also done the same on prescription drugs or alcohol.

As a parent I am extreamly worried about "Legal Highs" because kids will use them rather than get nicked for weed etc and we know nothing about their long term effects - they are effectively playing chemical russian roulette.

I would be less worried if my son said he'd been smoking weed with his mates than taking M-Cat (yes it's still easy to get) as I can google the effects and there is decades of research on its effects and I know it's not toxic as there have been no reported cannabis deaths in the UK.

The only way the government are going to beat this is to play them at their own game, its a supply & demand market - if the government can supply the demand and undercut the criminals they can put them out of business.

70 years of prohibition has only made rich criminals and exploited users.

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PeterReynolds
Posted by PeterReynolds August 18, 2010 at 13:14
The drugs issue is gaining huge momentum. Government policy looks increasingly ridiculous. More and more people are "getting it". Prohibition just doesn't work. Cowardly politicans have failed to grasp this nettle for years. Change is coming.

http://peterreynolds.wordpress.com/[…]/

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Pastorius
Posted by Pastorius August 19, 2010 at 13:14
I think politicians know full well that they are continuing with a strategy that promotes harm, they just don't want to stick their heads above the parapet

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academic_type
Posted by academic_type August 19, 2010 at 18:07
It would be courageous to go with legalise, regulate, control, TAX - but they would save lives, save a fortune on police, jails, etc. and make a bit from the taxes.

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PeterReynolds
Posted by PeterReynolds August 23, 2010 at 15:08
What we the people are now DEMANDING from our government is:

1. An end to oppression of drug users (at least 10 million citizens)
2. Removal from the criminal law of any offence for possession and/or social supply
3. Fact and evidence-based policy, information and regulation

The National Audit Office and the Public Accounts Committee have both criticised the government for basing drugs policy on opinion rather than facts and evidence.

Julian Critchley, former director of the Cabinet Office's Anti-Drug Coordination Unit says his colleagues "were forced to repeat the nonsensical mantra that the government would be ‘tough on drugs’, even though they all knew the government’s policy was actually causing harm.”

On cannabis, even this month the Home Office are disgracefully promoting propaganda in direct contradiction to the advice of its own scientific experts on the ACMD.

The continued prohibition of cannabis is absurd and the refusal of access to medicinal cannabis for patients is an obscene infringement of their human rights.

Support the Legalise Cannabis Alliance! Make a difference here NOW!
http://www.lca-uk.org/node/19

http://www.peter-reynolds.co.uk

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