|
Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
|
|
Letter: Admit drug war is doomed and make cannabis use legal Dilys Wood The Sentinel Saturday 27 Jun 2009 I HAVE to agree with the Word from the Web comments following the story of the discovery of yet another cannabis factory in another disused pub in the city. The fact that some drugs, cannabis and cocaine in particular, are illegal makes not a jot of difference to the millions of UK citizens, of all walks of life, who regularly choose to use them. People don't always make the 'right' choices for themselves. You only have to pass one of our hospitals and see the nurses standing outside smoking cigarettes to know that, even in the face of overwhelming evidence, people will still choose to do things which may be bad for them in some way. Should those people really be prosecuted and criminalised for making certain choices which others might frown on? Even when they are harming no-one else? I don't think so. The 'War on Drugs' has been discredited by every organisation worldwide that has reported on it. Andy's view was correct: the police are simply following orders and the previous Home Secretary was certainly intent on pursuing cannabis as a priority. The cost of this continued 'war' on cannabis cannot be justified when the alternative approach of legalisation is so clearly the better option. The organised criminal gangs who are growing enormous quantities of cannabis across the UK for huge profit, and the associated illegal immigration of Chinese and Vietnamese 'gardeners', could be thwarted overnight if cannabis were legalised for personal use. Legalisation is being seriously considered by Governor Schwarzenegger and his team in California as part of their attempts to save the state from bankruptcy. A recent Field Poll found that 56 per cent of California voters supported legalising marijuana for recreational use and taxing its proceeds. This is an interesting move as there are many who believe that alcohol prohibition ended because of the depression and the U.S. government needing back the valuable revenue stream they had effectively handed over to the Mob. Thursday's Sentinel was a prime example of the utter hypocrisy of UK drug law in operation. On the front page you're told that go out in Newcastle and you might get a special torch in your face to check you've not taken a particular drug (cocaine). Turn to page three, however, and you'll find that get completely off your head and sick or injured on another drug (alcohol) and you don't even have to queue with everyone else at A&E. No, we've set up a special tent just for the treatment of drunks! Perhaps the police aren't aware that alcohol is also a drug which can make users violent and aggressive. The things we do to accommodate certain bad choices but criminalise others are truly mind-blowing. Choose to get blind drunk up Hanley and we'll pay for a special A&E tent for you. Choose to have unprotected sex and you don't even have to leave the city, we'll give you an abortion right here. However, choose to use a substance other than those taxed by the government and we'll come down on you with the full force of the law. The law would be a joke if it didn't blight people's lives and waste massive amounts of our money. Eventually, when a new generation of MPs and law-makers sweep aside the 'moral vacuum' currently entrenched at Westminster, someone will have the courage to say "This isn't working". Our own wannabe MP Freddie (Halfwit) on BB10 (although he could be out by the time this is printed) has stated his view that, although not a user himself, cannabis should be legalised. The green shoots of change are already out there, but we need to force for change sooner rather than later, saving the country billions in the process. If you're not sure who to vote for next time round, why not write to your prospective MPs and ask for their view on prohibition. Not their 'party line' but their own personal view. Anyone who still supports prohibition clearly doesn't understand the issue and is not worthy of your vote. DILYS WOOD Legalise Cannabis Alliance PO Box 2883 Stoke-on-Trent http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/letters/Admit-drug-war-doomed-make-cannabis-use-legal/article-1116869-detail/article.html
After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back.
|
This page was created by the Cannabis Campaigners' Guide.
Feel free to link to this page!