150 Marseilles personalities call for controlled legalization of cannabis

5 Comments

1. 

   Infodrogue

   January 9, 2017 at 2:41 p.m.

   It is essential to base our thinking on solid facts grounded in common sense, rather than on «simplistic» opinions repeated ad nauseam through relentless propaganda: «Prohibition has failed,» «The war on drugs is a failure—make way for peace,» «we must cut the ground from under the dealers» feet,« »we must dry up the criminal networks,« »we must hit the dealers where it hurts”—and so on.
   If «prohibition» were the cause of this consumption, how could we explain that countries with very strict laws on this issue—such as Sweden, Finland, Norway, Greece, Cyprus, Romania… In short, why are the other European countries with similar laws—namely, those where consumption is the lowest in Europe (less than half the European average)—in this situation?
   How can we explain the fact that cannabis use declined for eight consecutive years (from 2005 to 2012) even though the law has not changed since 1970?
   For a society to survive, it is essential that the behavior of its members be governed by laws. These laws are designed to protect both individuals and members of society in order to ensure the society’s survival.
   As a simple example, we might ask what would happen if there were no traffic laws: of course, running a red light might have no consequences if there were no one on the other side! This is in response to those who say that «smoking a joint at home once in a while poses no danger to others»—which, incidentally, is false and reveals a profound ignorance of what cannabis actually is.
   But would you be willing to drive if there were no traffic laws, if you risked coming face-to-face with someone at every turn?
   The need for a law prohibiting dangerous behavior is therefore self-evident based on common sense alone.
   So the question remains whether cannabis is «yes» or «no» dangerous to society…
   And ALL serious scientific studies confirm this: cannabis is dangerous both to the individual and to the society in which he or she lives! And these dangers are, for the most part, greatly underestimated—or even ignored—by most people, who are constantly bombarded with propaganda that is far from innocent!
   When discussing the dangers of cannabis use, there are:
   • The physical consequences,
   • The psychological consequences and
   • Genetic consequences—that is, those that will affect future generations.
   All of this is well known, documented, and beyond dispute: the findings of these studies are not vague possibilities but certainties.
   All attempts at legalization or decriminalization around the world have ended in resounding failure and have never reduced consumption. How could anyone imagine that things would be any different in France? How can we reasonably ignore the numerous attempts in this direction, particularly in those U.S. states that have recently legalized it?
   I’m not talking here about the «boastful claims widely reported in the media about «the money they’re making,»” but rather about actual statistics on how consumption has changed since legalization: the results speak for themselves! See the official HIDTA report dated September 1, 2016, on the consequences of legalization in Colorado…

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   • 

     NewsWeed

     January 9, 2017 at 15 h 04 min

     Yes, but the Highway Code doesn’t actually prohibit driving—it regulates it, while acknowledging the risk of accidents. Your example is so poor that, unfortunately, you end up falling into the exact same traps as the people you’re criticizing.

     «All attempts at legalization or decriminalization around the world have ended in bitter failure» > Have you heard of Portugal?

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     • 

       Infodrogue

       January 9, 2017 at 19 h 40 min

       The traffic code does not prohibit driving, of course, but this was a shorthand way of referring to behaviors that the Highway Code does prohibit—such as driving on the left, running red lights, or crossing a solid white line—which do not necessarily cause an accident if there is no oncoming traffic. This is in response to those who say that «smoking a joint at home from time to time is harmless to others»—which, incidentally, is false and demonstrates a profound ignorance of what cannabis actually is.
       As for Portugal, it has never legalized any drugs. However, while most European countries have seen an 8% increase in cannabis use over the past 10 years, this has not been the case in Portugal…
       But at the same time, there has been a 14,00% increase in methadone use—a sign of a drastic rise in opioid use, an exponential increase in AIDS cases, and a rise in cocaine use, drug trafficking… all of which have turned it into Europe’s leading narco-state. Please refer to the official statistics from the EMCDDA on this subject.
       I can therefore confirm that all attempts ended in a bitter failure and… that it was the children who bore the brunt of it…

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       • 

         NewsWeed

         January 10, 2017 at 11 h 47 min

         You're playing with words and not giving any examples. Could it be that your arguments are hollow?

         Can you provide more details on > ««Smoking a joint at home from time to time is harmless to others,» which, incidentally, is false and reveals a profound ignorance of what cannabis is»?»
         Just saying something is false doesn't make it false. Let's assume we don't know anything about it and explain to us what cannabis is.

         Regarding Portugal, to quote you, «All attempts at legalization or decriminalization that have been made around the world have ended in bitter failure.» Portugal did, in fact, decriminalize all drugs 15 years ago. We did not discuss legalization, but rather decriminalization, as you yourself noted.
         As for the stinging failure, Portugal has seen its overall cannabis use decline, particularly among young people, who are now starting to use cannabis at an earlier age. The spread of STDs and other nasty diseases like hepatitis and HIV/AIDS has decreased, as have overdoses (by half!).
         The fact that consumers are turning away from heroin and toward methadone is, on the contrary, a sign that they are returning to a «legal» pattern of drug use monitored by health authorities, and that they are trying to get by.
         Where is the crushing defeat?

         The only issue on which we agree with you is the surge in drug trafficking. But even though we start from the same observation, I believe our conclusions differ. This increase in trafficking is primarily due to the fact that there is no legal system for the production and distribution of drugs. Decriminalization is a solution that addresses demand without directly tackling supply. Legalization and state regulation might make it possible to tackle the various forms of drug trafficking head-on (at least, that is what we are currently seeing in the United States).

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         • 

           Telpo

           January 10, 2017 at 1:25 p.m.

           The author of this ridiculous post is Mr. Robert Galibert, a Scientologist… that explains it…

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