MedPot, As seen on Grownups

I have no wish to blow anybody’s bubble on this cannabis as a medicine thing. [see Grownups Comment ]

There has been a 90 year legacy of misinformation (and politically inspired fears) that has contributed to the world view that somehow cannabis is ‘more’ dangerous than anything else. Quite the opposite. In 1998 or thereabouts the [USA] Drug Enforcement Agency‘s [DEA] own appointed Judge, Justice Young found cannabis to be the ‘safest therapeutic known to man’ (smoked or otherwise). Now this is not without good reason. It just happens to be one of a number of plants that make a molecule group called cannabinoids (a subset of a larger groups of flavonoids, dark chocolate for example contains one such useful and protective flavonoid – try keeping me away from chocolate!)

However so as not to bore all those folk who are culturally and socially stricken with the cannabis prejudices, I wont go into detail, other than to note they too are full of cannabinoids made and mediated by our own bodies. They provide an extremely important function, more especially as we get older – both as anti-oxidant and ‘governors’ of cell death (apoptosis) and as mediators to our endocrine, muscular-skeletal, nervous, reproductive, and digestive systems. Now if you think I am making this up as I go I commend the skeptics amongst you to “google” an internet colleague of mine. He is Chair of Biology at Colorado University. His name is Robert Melamede. Just take a look yourself. You be your own guide. Try searching ” Melamede + Cancer” for example.. or pain, or cannabis. Come to your own conclusions. (As I have done).

As to how we got into this confusing mess…. Another man whom I respect immensely passed away last week. He was a professor of law and legal advisor to the same DEA. He was co-author of THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT AND THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE: AN INQUIRY INTO THE LEGAL HISTORY OF AMERICAN MARIJUANA PROHIBITION / Richard J. Bonnie & Charles H. Whitebread, II

Charles wrote “The alleged evils of alcohol abuse were matters of public knowledge; the proper governmental response was a subject of endless public debate; enactment and repeal of Prohibition were attended by widespread public participation.
In contrast, the early narcotics legislation was promulgated largely in a vacuum. Public and even professional ignorance of the effects of narcotic drugs contributed both to the dimensions of the problem and the nature of the legislated cure. The initial legislation was attended by no operation of the public opinion process, and instead generated a new public image of narcotics use. Only after this creation of a public perception occurred did the legislative approach comport with what we shall call latent public opinion.”

and he concluded:

“Whether the development of the Judicial response to exercises of the police power at the time was the result of the changing public opinion or a changing analytical framework, trends in that response were evident. It remains to be seen whether any trends are evident today to indicate how marijuana users will fare in the future.”

He wrote this before we adopted the Misuse of Drugs Act in 1975.How far we have slipped….. And how many souls have suffered the ignominy of needless suffering, denied a herbal medicine just because, from the get go, we failed to have the required conversations.

Blair Anderson
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com/

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Milestones in Drug Policy, Homegrown Solutions Are Best.

Milestones in Drug Policy, Homegrown Solutions Are Best.

Thirty five years ago today, on July 1, 1973, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was established, based on an executive order signed by President Richard Nixon in March, 1973.

A pivotal part of Nixon’s War on Drugs, the DEA was formed by merging the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD), the Office of Drug Abuse Law Enforcement (ODALE) and several other Federal offices. As a United States Department of Justice law enforcement agency, the DEA’s primary task was to combat drug smuggling and use within the United States, and coordinate and pursue US drug investigations abroad.

In 1973, the DEA employed 2775 people, 1470 of whom were special agents, and had an annual budget of $74.9 million. By 2005, the DEA boasted 10,894 employees, 5,296 special agents, and an annual budget of $2.141 billion. In 2007, the annual budget was increased again, by $71 million per year, making the total 34 times larger than the original budget, and the agency has expanded to 4 times the personnel.

However, the DEA’s expansion is not indicative of a successful War on Drugs. In fact, our current drug policies are a dismal failure. Drugs are more potent, less expensive, and more accessible than ever. In 2005, the DEA seized a reported US$477 million worth of drugs, but the total value of all drugs sold in the US was estimated at a minimum of US$64 billion by the ONDCP, making the DEA’s efforts to ebb the flow of drugs into and around the US less than 1% effective.

The recently released New Zealand Drug Harm Index maybe just a testimony to that failure. Fortunately, this year the NZ Law Commission has as a significant task before it. It is commencing a review of the law surrounding illegal drugs and, in respect to international drug policy it would be fair to say ‘historicaly’ examining the obligations under the UN unti-drug Treaty’s and Covenants. The United States and New Zealand share in common amongst the highest uptake of cannabis and a massively disproportionate allocation of interdiction resources.

The BERL Drug Harms report, commissioned by Police, was released quite purposely on International Day against Illegal Drugs and Trafficking.
[ Scoop: Enforcement Saves Billions In Reduced Drug Harm ]

So too was the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction report examining the scientific, political, legislative, commercial and social developments relating to cannabis. Its core audience thus comprises policymakers, sociologists, historians, journalists and those involved in enforcement. The second volume is targeted at drugs professionals working in the fields of treatment, prevention and health care. see: Report Clears the Air on European Marijuana Use The report also claims to debunk the belief that modern-day cannabis is much stronger now than in the past. The report said that is an “urban myth” based on flawed data. Further it determines the relative harms of cannabis to be less than alcohol describing claims of cannabis related harm to self and society as ‘weak’. This is in direct contrast to the BERL/POLICE assertions.

“As a result the public faces a daily flow of information on cannabis, some of it well-founded, but some of it militant and at times misleading.” A cannabis reader: global issues and local experiences

These tensions have not escaped the attention of the UN consultative organisation with the self descriptive name Law Enforcement Against Prohibition [http://leap.cc/]

LEAP knows the only way to decrease the instances of death, disease, crime, abuse and addiction is to legalize and regulate all drugs. By eliminating the black market drug trade, the multitude of harms caused by drugs would drastically reduce. Continuing the War on Drugs effectively continues the cycle of crime, drug abuse and addiction.

Executive Director of LEAP, Judge Jerry Paradis is visiting New Zealand following the highly successful tour by his Law Enforcement Against Prohibition compatriots, Judge Schockett, Detective Lieutenant Jack Cole and Det. Chief Superintendent Eddie Ellison in April 2004 (see link for tour summary of over 80 engagements, including 28 NZ Rotaries).

Judge Jerry Paradis brings a unique flavour to the vexing subject of drug policy that is highly relevant to New Zealand. He is from British Columbia, where cannabis is worth more than Forestry. His knowledge and expertise in Human Rights, Jurisprudence and the emerging international debate that now engaging all manner of Civil Society in the UN processes in Vienna this July. With both a South American insight and studied in the role of Media on Drug Policy his public talks promise to be as stimulating as likely, contentious.

However one feels about drug policy, its success or failures, it is rare to hear someone from ‘the bench’ with such eminent standing even discuss this subject. This is your opportunity to have Judge Jerry engage with your community. There is no ‘drug harm’ in listening or asking questions. Is your organisation, community or club interested?

dates available

20th-31st Auckland, Bay of Plenty and Wellington districts.
1st-7th Sept. Christchurch and districts
Other regional venues including Dunedin, Invercargill, by arrangement

For More Information Contact:

Mike Smithson, LEAP Operations Director

mailto:speakers@leap.cc

Blair Anderson, LEAP 2008 tour facilitator

ph (643) 389 4065 cell 027 265 7219
mailto:blair_anderson@bigfoot.com

ref: 2004 New Zealand LEAP Tour
http://www.leap.cc/cms/index.php?name=Content&pid=10

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