Another brilliant piece from a GUNNAS WRITING MASTERCLASS WRITER
For humanity to survive with its civilisation intact, there needs to be a global change to drug enforcement policy. A change in mindset is needed from majority of the population, who due to a combination of government led misinformation for decades and being affected by religious beliefs. Have incorrect and harmful ideas about ‘illicit’ drugs.
Ending prohibition will benefit the world by:
- Fixing the Economy. It seems ridiculous and illogical to spend vast amounts of money trying to stop the supply rather than regulating and taxing the demand. Developed nations bemoaning national debt and budgetary shortfalls need to shit and get on the pot.
- Ending the Monopoly Alcohol Exploits. Alcohol has a monopoly on private and social inebriation. By the time most are in their early twenties, drinking culture and weekly/nightly drinking habits are well ingrained. Along with the belligerence and apathy that goes with it. The experience ‘Illicit’ or recreational drugs offer is application specific. Some are good for creative tasks, some good for mediation, some good for dancing, some good for conversation.
- Make the Industry Not For Profit. Currently the majority of the drug market operates for profit, and arguably this is also the reason prohibition is maintained. What ending prohibition offers is an opportunity to establish a manufacturing, distribution and responsible usage system that is not profit focused. Ok there’s going to have to be some profit somewhere to keep the capitalists happy. It’s not just being about harm minimisation but positively enhancing society in general, this is the aim.
- Data Doesn’t Lie. The overwhelming story the data from regions that have made a positive change to drug policy is that it is a change for the better. Contrast this to the medieval strategies, such as those imposed by the President for the Philippines and it is obvious that zero tolerance around ‘illicit’ drug use is primarily a tool to commit genocide on a population. Both directly (executions) and indirect methods such as creating stigma and a vilified subculture around drug use.
- Smarter People. A significant motivator and driver of demand for recreational drugs is their ability to improve cognitive function. This is a delicate element of some drug use that if managed carefully we can maximise the benefits and minimise the negative side effects. We want our brains running faster, better, longer, with less mental illness and correct dosage of some therapeutic medicine will make that happen.
- End Scapegoating of Drugs. They are the easiest target for politicians and authorities to apportion blame to. They are often used as a stop-gap to prevent delving deeper in the bigger social issues contributing to death, crime and much more. A person dies of a heroin overdose? the response is what a shame they succumbed to the evils of drugs. Instead of who was it that abused and traumatised that person so they required a constant supply of a banned therapeutic medicine so they could function. Is someone presenting at hospital or medical clinic because of drugs? or are they malnourished, stressed over debt, don’t have enough money to survive, dealing with the realisation their religious beliefs are a bit like santa or has the illogicality of the world we live in just not compute and their brain needs help rebooting.
- Removing the Market for Synthetics. The only reason these exist is in order to circumvent prohibition. Technically they are legal, functionally they are a bigger health risk the the natural drugs they are trying to mimic the effects of. As well as lacking the active ingredients/elements that make some recreational drugs beneficial when used correctly and in moderation. Trying to scientifically prove the health benefits is intentionally made as impossible as possible thanks to prohibition.
- Trading Guns for Licences. The killing and death that occurs due to the enforcement of prohibition, along with the wars over territory and distribution by the existing manufacturers and suppliers. Is totally unnecessary. The only way to bring a positive change is to work with rather than against the existing players. It is in everyone’s interest to trade guns for licences so to speak, There is enough margin in these products so that producers, distributors and retailers can operate without the threat or costs of dealing with the legal system, the governments can take tax and law enforcement can be repurposed to issuing massive fines for unlicensed activity rather than trying to throw people in gaol for a couple of years.
As it stands, with what we now know. If you still support prohibition you support death and crime and poverty and suffering and an Australia wallowing in eternal debt. And you’re a sadist. The whole abstinence thing does not work, it’s a proven failure with sex. Religion tried their best and did their worst to convince people to keep their pants on. Same thing is happening with drugs, people will do it no matter how many tv shows and movies are made depicting drug dealers as evil. You realise Hank was actually the villain in Breaking Bad, that’s a whole other topic to delve into.
The vision I am working towards is one where the young adults of 2020 and beyond don’t have to buy cannabis from meth heads and heroin addicts funding their own usage and ‘pushing the harder stuff on them’. Even using those terms shouldn’t carry the murky disdain it does, because if someone wants to do that, that’s their business. What society can influence is how they are supplied, what they are supplied with and the support they get to manage what they choose to use. If we can do that better at beginning of a person’s drug use then that is when we will see less people reaching levels of severe dependence, overdosing or going over the edge.