Legalising Drugs

Like armed forces personnel who open up about underfunding as they retire, Sir Ian Gilmour waited until retiring as President of the Royal College of Physicians to suggest that prohibition of drugs isn't working. He also suggested that an element of legalisation may prove more effective on a range of levels. But at least he's done it.

Now the government prove, once again, how stupid they are by threatening to refuse benefits for junkies who refuse treatment. So, are they more likely to say "oh, go on then I'll go cold turkey"? Or are they more likely to go and hold up the local corner shop to finance their next fix?

It doesn't take a genius to answer that one does it?

Legalize It

It's been a heavy week so I thought it was time to get mellow with a spot of reggae from the great Peter Tosh:

Pot Plant or Christmas Tree?

This, from the Dorset Echo, had me giggling away in my van today when I heard it on the radio, pure class:

PRISONERS on Portland have been growing cannabis and building matchstick models to hide items inside, it has been confirmed.

It was claimed that a convicted drug dealer at the Verne prison grew a four-foot plant of the class B drug and passed it off for months as a tomato plant before decorating it as a Christmas tree.

Other allegations claimed that inmates have made matchstick models intending to hide phones inside.

A spokesman for the prison service has confirmed officers have confiscated both items.

Of the matchstick models he said: “Vigilant prison officers at HMP The Verne found two boxes with hidden compartments during a routine cell search.

“They were subsequently removed. This is not a new practice.”

On the discovery of an alleged cannabis plant he said: “Prison officers identified a plant in a cell which they believed to be cannabis. The plant was sent for testing.

“Our comprehensive security measures include: searching cells, using search dogs and mandatory drug testing of prisoners.

“We take the problem of drugs in prisons very seriously and do everything possible to disrupt their demand and supply.”

Well lads, I hope you have a great Christmas despite the bastards spoiling your fun.

Lastly, if anybody knows where the phrase "laughing like a drain" comes from please would you let me know, I've never worked that one out.

Off to stop the cat sniffing around the baubles on the Christmas tree now, she keeps knocking them off.

Legalising Drugs

At least this report accepts that current drug policy isn't working. But as ever it recommends tinkering around the edges, which will have little impact.

The biggest problems with drugs arise from their illegality, it's quite simple really. Legally the use can be regulated in the way that alcohol is. OK there wll always be abuse, but remember that prohibition of alcohol in the USA gave that country a huge organised crime problem that they are still dealing with.

It's time to be brave.

Friday Funday

The genius that is David Byrne. This is my idea of heaven: "Everyone is trying to get to the bar. The name of the bar, the bar is called heaven. The band in heaven they play my favorite song." Bliss:



Classic Roxy:




A perfect day with the sun in your eyes:

Legalize It-Peter Tosh

North West MEPs In Catfight

I've been in debates with both Chris Davies MEP and Den Dover MEP (aka 'Ben' Dover). Davies represents the Liberal Democrats, Dover the Tories.

I can't say either struck me as a political superstar but of the two Dover was much more personable and civilised. Davies came over as a bit of a weasel, smug, patronising and a head full of candyfloss rather than grey matter. So seeing Davies bitching at Dover's plight has given me a giggle today. Especially this quote from Davies in the Telegraph:

"Most people regard Dover as no better than a thief, a crook who should be in jail."

That's funny Chris, because that's where a growing number of us think all MEPs should be, including you.

If you want to read about Dover's current circumstances, which may rock further your faith in politicians, then here is the Telegraph article in full.

But, before you run away with the idea that Chris Davies is a deeply principled, law abiding chap, remember he got himself arrested, on purpose, with a tiny bit of cannabis in his posession. Full story here.

Ever think the lunatics have taken over the asylum?

Drug Legalisation?

The article below is another interesting look at the drug problem .There is an undoubted problem but is prohibition exacerbating it, especially in relation to the associated crimewave, much as prohibition of alcohol did in the USA between 1919 and 1933? Remember, the Mafia and other organised gangs of criminals, boomed during prohibiton and crime associated with the prohibition of drugs is also booming. Perhaps we need a more imaginative approach. The article is from the Independent Institute.

How to Combat Mexican Drug Cartels
Legalize Their Activities
April 6, 2009
Ivan Eland



While the U.S. superpower has meddled in many far-flung nations around the globe in the name of enhancing its security, as prior to 9/11, it has ignored a threat much closer to home. In recent years, the Bush administration blithely blamed Mexico for the flow of illegal drugs into the United States and virtually ignored the raging mayhem involving Mexican drug cartels south of the border. That rampant violence is now spilling into the United States as crime. Yet again, the Bush administration has handed off a tar baby to the Obama administration. And yet again in the security area, the Obama administration has improved on the Bush policy (it’s not hard to do) but needs to go farther.

Instead of merely blaming Mexico for the problem, the Obama administration has acknowledged that the $65 billion annual demand for illegal drugs in the United States is part of the problem. In fact, it is the driver of the problem.

Unfortunately, although admitting that the United States shares blame for the problem because of its burgeoning demand is a start, the Obama administration is still focused on the long failed U.S. government policy of interdicting the supply of drugs. The administration will send almost 500 federal agents south to the border, accompanied by more electronic surveillance and x-ray machines, and will also focus on stopping the flow of guns and tens of billions of dollars in payments going south to the suppliers. Last year, U.S. officials were able to seize less than $1 billion in illicit drug proceeds of the estimated $18 to $39 billion routed back to Mexico. Even more snooping into the bank accounts of Americans will likely occur in what will probably be a futile effort to appreciably increase the percentage snared.

The new Obama policy is analogous to an alcoholic admitting to a drinking problem, but then blaming beer distributors and trying to have them arrested. The analogy to alcohol can be taken a step further. According to the Justice Department, the biggest organized crime threat in the U.S. today is the presence of the Mexican drug cartels in 230 U.S. cities. Similarly, in the United States, organized crime got a huge boost by the prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s and 1930s.

So if there has been a failure working on both the supply side (even having a fortified border still results in tens of billion of dollars in annual drug imports) and demand side (drugs are illegal, yet many people still do them), then why not try a fresh, if counterintuitive, approach that many economists favor? Why not legalize drugs for adults 21 and over?

Sound radical? Even crazy? Here’s the logic. Such drugs are cheap to make. The reason they are so expensive is because producing, transporting, and selling the drugs risks arrest, jail time, and even injury or death. Crime results because the substances are illicit, people buy guns to protect themselves, and then use them to shoot at other drug cartels competing for the huge profits or to commit crimes to pay the steep prices because drugs are illegal.

Legalizing drugs for adults would turn it into a mainstream business and prices and profits would dramatically drop, thus resulting in far less crime among producers, traffickers, and users. If the price dropped, more people might try drugs, but money can better be spent on education campaigns and treatment than on stricter drug laws and penalties and government agents, gizmos, and improved border fences in what has been a multi-decade futile effort to stanch the flow of drugs into the United States. After all, since drugs are cheap to make, the drug producers simply estimate that 10 to 15 percent will be interdicted by law enforcement and simply produce that much more.

In addition, the United States has the largest prison population in the world, but many of those people—convicted on most drug crimes—should not be there in the first place. Shouldn’t any adult be able to make their own decisions about what substances to put in their bodies? Taking most illegal drugs is unhealthy, but why should the government get involved in regulating personal behavior for adults? Lets reserve the jail cells for true criminals: murderers, rapists, robbers, child molesters, and those who sell illegal drugs to minors. Putting routine drug sellers and users in prison just causes taxpayers to spend a lot of hard earned money creating hardened criminals.

That is why Mexico is so important. About 90 percent of U.S. drug traffic flows through there because Mexico neighbors the United States, one of the biggest markets for illegal drugs in the world. Mexico is being destabilized by a draconian U.S. drug policy, and that instability is flowing back into the United States and causing a threat to national security in the form of imported crime. This is one area in which U.S. domestic policy is hurting its foreign and security policies. Legalizing drugs for adults at home would make Mexico, an important neighbor, more stable and the United States more secure.

Time To Legalise?

From the Independent Institute:

Officials in the international war on drugs had their work cut out for them last week as they convened in Vienna to collaborate on strategies for victory--or whatever outcome that could reasonably be called successful. Over the past decade, according to a recent study by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, opium and cannabis production have doubled while cocaine production has increased slightly. In addition, the former presidents of Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia recently issued a report condemning the drug war as a counterproductive failure. In Mexico alone, the drug war has resulted in the killing of ten thousand people on either side--and often on the sidelines--of the battle between the state and the drug cartels; it has also brought corruption to the office of attorney general.

These and related persistent problems should prompt policymakers to consider the merits of drug decriminalization, according to Independent Institute Research Fellow Alvaro Vargas Llosa.

"Today we regard the Opium Wars of the 19th century--by which the British retaliated against China for clamping down on opium imports--as crazy," Vargas Llosa writes in his latest column. "One and a half centuries from now, people will read in total amazement that so much blood and treasure was wasted in the failed pursuit of a private vice that a relatively small percentage of the world population was not ready to give up."

Full Article.

Another interesting article from 2002.

Legalise Drugs?

Every now and then an article jumps off the page and really hits you hard. I very rarely read the Independent but this article, by Ed Howker is a must if you are concerned at the never ending drug problem we have, not just in the UK but the world.

OK, like all lefties, he blames the world's ills on Thatcher and Reagan, with a pop at Nixon as he's in the news at the moment, but that aside, it's a very persuasive article. I have to admit that in our household, when it comes to drugs, there is a split. My wife is a very definite prohibitionist, I take the view that prohibition has failed, and failed badly. Prohibition of drugs, like prohibition of alcohol in the USA did, has just led to a spiralling associated crime problem.

It's time to think again.

Howard Marks has some interesting stuff on his website and links to groups associated with the legalisation issue.

Police State Further Tightening Its Grip

Here we go again. Grampian police are now testing people for drugs as they enter pubs in Aberdeen. Nice to see that real crime is so non-existent in Scotland that police have the time to mither the odd person who has had a joint before going out for a pint.

Let's just legalise drugs then we could make the all police redundant and save a fortune in taxes. Howard Marks would appreciate that I'm sure.

Interestingly Grampian plod claim the test is voluntary, but if you don't volunteer to be tested you don't get in the pub. Bastards!

Howard Marks Live

Following my post yesterday about ecstasy I have perused Howard Marks' website, and he has only one live show in the next couple of months. If you have not seen him live I can recommend him, his shows are superbly entertaining but, if you have short hair and are 40 something, prepare for the more paranoid audience members to ask if you are a copper, it happened to me twice a couple of years ago when we saw him in Skipton. Actually, it didn't happen when we saw him in Morecambe so maybe it was just paranoid Yorkshiremen.

Anyway if you are in Manchester, or can get there on October 8th, give yourself a treat. Full details here.

Ecstasy Downgrade Considered

According to this story from the BBC.

Would legalising drugs really have a detrimental effect on 'our children' as those opposed to legalisation like to claim? I don't think it would be any worse than having legalised alcohol. Indeed legalisation would largely remove the malign influence of those who sell all kinds of stuff to people illegally. Just a thought.

And if you want to know what 'Mr Nice' thinks then visit Howard Marks' website.

Poor Old Plod

As public confidence in the police plummets this happens. A "crack" unit of Manchester's finest anti-drug police do a dawn raid in Bolton. But instead of finding a sordid den of iniquity they find a poor old dinner lady having a nice quiet brew before departing to feed the local school kids. With a quick "whoops sorry love" they left and, hopefully, headed for the right house. With police being more "dope" than "crack" these days is it any wonder we are fast losing faith in them.

Which reminds me of a sign I saw last week outside a garden centre. It read:

Top quality weed free

I turned back thinking this must be some kind of Howard Marks type legalise cannabis stunt but underneath it continued:

top soil in stock now.