Party Against Prohibition!
Posted by Liam T in Uncategorized, tags: cannabis, drugs, glasgow, protest
It’s the start of the summer holidays, and in Scotland, that can mean only one thing: rain, and lots of it.
Okay, two things actually, and as the holidays arrive in a (literal) hailstorm of erm, rain and rain, SSY is pleased to make an announcement which will more than make up for any dreich weather the past couple of days: it’s the return of our annual Legalise Cannabis march!
The next two months are shaping up to be a bumper summer for SSY, with the long-awaited return of Camp Secret Squirrel at the beginning of August, and various other shenanigans before then, including our World Cup party, tomorrow’s conference, as well as all the usual stuff. Well you can now add more event to your diary… pencil in Saturday 24 July for the annual Legalise Cannabis demo!
This year, it’s been decided to take a more broad approach to the demo, given the full-blown, hysterical media-driven moral panic we saw earlier in the year over ‘psycho-killer-drug’ mephedrone and it’s subsequent kneejerk banning. What this proved once and for all is that when it comes to drug policy in the UK, the agenda isn’t being driven by scientific evidence or experts on the matter, but by right-wing tabloid newspapers acting on self-appointed moral crusades.
It’s easy in the current climate to view the ‘war on drugs’ as something that’s unworthy of attention. But what needs to be realised is that the disastrous consequences of the ‘War on Drugs’ are implicated in numerous deep-seated problems within our society, from crime to prostitution to poverty, and are central to conflicts being played out across the globe, from Mexico to Afghanistan. It’s an issue that isn’t going to disappear; only last week it was revealed that Scotland has among the highest proportion of heroin and cocaine users on the planet.
Legalise Cannabis marches take place in hundreds of towns and cities across the world every year, and SSY is proud to organise one of very few such events which take place in the UK. The movement in favour of legalisation is one with a growing sense of momentum, particularly with ongoing developments in the US. Earlier this year, huge rallies in favour of marijuana legalisation took place across North America, in part due to the Proposition 19 referendum which is taking place in California this November. If passed, this would decriminalise cannabis possession for those aged over 21, and control and tax its production and sale. This could be a pivotal moment in the movement to legalise cannabis globally, and the outcome will be watched with interest across the world. The sudden move towards this has in no small part been prompted by the deep financial crisis that the state California has found itself in – the idea now being that it can recoup at least some of this debt from taxing marijuana!
So listen up Cameron, Clegg and Osborne – if you’re all so desperate to cut down on the deficit, how about following the example of California?
LEGALISE CANNABIS – END THE WAR ON DRUGS NOW!
March assembles 12.30pm, University Avenue (at Glasgow Uni main gate), Glasgow
followed by music, DJs, speakers & more at Kelvingrove Park
15,000 attend a Legalise Cannabis demo in Colorado, April 2010
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I used to smoke marijuana but I don’t any more. I wasted a lot of my youth by just being erm…. wasted. But I still got through what I had to do when I had to do it. As I got older I realised that smoking was not really an option for me as drinking wasn’t either. So as a tee total Non ciggy smoking, joint rolling, caffeine guzzling, or chocolate chomping middle aged man. I believe even more than I did when I was younger that the Kids should be able to make their own choices about what they do with their own bodies. I am a fully qualified health professional and am not entirely convinced about the simplicity of the arguments for cannabis induced psychosis being a single entity.I would be more inclined to see it as part of a co morbid manifestation of other underlying mental health/ developmental disorders or differences. I don’t expect tabloid news papers or tea time news programmes to even begin to discuss these things.
Also why do the police seem to have the monopoly in going around schools and talking to kids about drugs? This should be a multi disciplinary venture.Nurses and doctors don’t go around giving lectures in crime prevention. Stop cutting our grass and stick to your own patch I am sure that Strathclyde’s finest have enough to be getting on with. I speak Dutch and have a lot of experience with the dutch system and I can say that it works much better than our repressive system. It isn’t perfect but it works much better. Chomsky was right when he said the drugs laws only served to keep the masses down because the ruling classes were scared of them. Enjoy what ever it is that you are doing and if you aren’t enjoying it then maybe it isn’t for you. There are organisations that can help you if you are having problems with drugs such as Marijuana anonymous, Frank, Coccaine anonymous, Narcotics anonymous. But if it isn’t a problem then no one has the right to tell you how to live your life. Peace and tolerance..Some times speaking honestly to a close friend or loved one can help to see if you are able to control and enjoy your recreationals, the feed back can give valuable insight.
Thanks for the comment Pedro. The sad thing is, the point of view you put forward is actually a mainstream one amongst scientists, health professionals and anyone that looks at the issue halfway seriously. But the debate is instead framed b y a right wing, unscientific media just keen on scare stories that sell papers, as well as elements of the state which are very happy to retain a reason to monitor people, search them on the street etc. And that’s before we even think about the corrupt vested interests around the world with a strong desire to retain prohibition.
Re cannabis psychosis: as you say, it’s not hard to look into it and realise that a lot of lies and pseudo science has been perpetrated in the last few years. I’ve known a couple of people for whom excessive cannabis use was a factor among many in deteriorating mental health. But to claim it as the only one would have been an insult, disregarding their other serious social and psychological problems.
The fact is that the case behind the claims of an epidemic of “cannabis psychosis” has been exposed again and again as scientifically bankrupt.
http://www.badscience.net/category/drurgs/