Big Honchos Consider Radical Change in Global Drug Policy - It failed, try something different

The 19-member commission includes former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and former U.S. official George P. Schultz, who held cabinet posts under U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon. Others include former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, former presidents of Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, writers Carlos Fuentes and Mario Vargas Llosa, U.K. business mogul Richard Branson and the current prime minister of Greece.

Instead of punishing users who the report says "do no harm to others," the commission argues that governments should end criminalization of drug use, experiment with legal models that would undermine organized crime syndicates and offer health and treatment services for drug-users in need.

Wondering when it was going to occur to them. It causes more problems than it hopes to fix.

A new report by the Global Commission on Drug Policy argues that the decades-old "global war on drugs has failed, with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world." The 24-page paper will be released Thursday.

news.yahoo.com...

Excellent post sir. Star and flag for you... again.

Edit to say: You forgot your link!

news.yahoo.com...

Originally posted by djzombie
Excellent post sir. Star and flag for you... again.

Edit to say: You forgot your link!

news.yahoo.com...

edit on 2-6-2011 by djzombie because: (no reason given)

Thanks, I had to edit that in. I was in a hurry to get back on the ball I forgot it first time around. I appreciate you sounding in. I feel there is hope for humanity yet. People are coming to their senses.

I am very sorry that a lot of solid wisdom spoken here has now made it to the trash bin. A radical change in gobal policy is earth-shaking, though the US is fully expected to be a bit reticent.

The commission called for drug policies based on methods empirically proven to reduce crime, lead to better health and promote economic and social development.

The commission is especially critical of the United States, which its members say must lead changing its anti-drug policies from being guided by anti-crime approaches to ones rooted in healthcare and human rights.

"We hope this country (the U.S.) at least starts to think there are alternatives," former Colombian president Cesar Gaviria told The Associated Press by phone. "We don't see the U.S. evolving in a way that is complatible with our (countries') long-term interests."

S+F as well. I feel this is very important breaking news, and I'll be following for future updates. Appreciate the post Eron.

S+F for you my friend. This is a very important topic worth looking into with a critical set of eyes. Imagine the amount of money that could be saved by ending this "war" that has been ongoing for, what, 60+ years?


Peace be with you.

-truthseeker

I agree with you all.

The war on drugs only serves to make nonviolent otherwise law abiding citizens into criminals and to provide abundant free labor to the privatized prison industry so that they may profit off the backs of their government sanctioned slaves.

Originally posted by djzombie
I agree with you all.

The war on drugs only serves to make nonviolent otherwise law abiding citizens into criminals and to provide abundant free labor to the privatized prison industry so that they may profit off the backs of their government sanctioned slaves.

edit on 2-6-2011 by djzombie because: (no reason given)

I agree with that sentiment zombie. The amount of non-violent offenders in my county jail alone is staggering. Most of them are in there due to this "war." It costs taxpayers close to $65,000 bucks a year to house, feed, clothe, and educate these inmates, AND they get a nasty record when they get out, only qualifying for the most menial of jobs. Kinda makes your head spin a little bit....



Peace be with you.

-truthseeker

I am looking ahead for when the whole industrial hemp industry will be regular-ized. What a boon to the world that will be.Superior products once again available. I forsee the industrial boom in the hemp market will give a real boost to developing nations.

The US is determined to remain reticent, even rigid, about its policies though. They will keep trying to put themselves further behind the curve while other nations advance. But even their states are demanding reform.

I think the people are definitely ready for REGULARIZATION of the hemp industry, I think the only think preventing this from becoming reality is the current corporatocracy in control of our government writing laws only for the benefit of a small group of profiteers. They do not care about the plight of the common man, nor do they represent us or our interests any longer. They are only concerned with interests of those who line their pockets, and those interests are generally in direct conflict with the needs and wants of the people, seemingly by design.

The US is dissembling already. Drug Czar was spouting the 46% drop in coc aine consumption over the past several years. He should know better, and does. I was just writing in other blogs about "trendy drugs" and how coc aine is a thing of the past and has faded in popularity giving way to meth in its place. He was trying to show its lowered popularity as a success of the Drug War. Sure, replace it with something worse while that trend lasts. Everyone, even him, realizes cannabis is relatively benign.

The office of White House drug czar Gil Kerlikowske said the report was misguided.

"Drug addiction is a disease that can be successfully prevented and treated. Making drugs more available — as this report suggests — will make it harder to keep our communities healthy and safe," Office of National Drug Control Policy spokesman Rafael Lemaitre said.

That office cites statistics showing declines in U.S. drug use compared to 30 years ago, along with a more recent 46 percent drop in current coc aine use among young adults over the last five years.

The report cited U.N. estimates that opiate use increased 34.5 percent worldwide and coc aine 27 percent from 1998 to 2008, while the use of cannabis, or marijuana, was up 8.5 percent.

news.yahoo.com...


There are just a lot of interests to try to protect. The US will go down fighting. Count on that, it will go down it it persists against the will of the people.

Add: the original thread got 57 minutes in BAN and 45 minutes in Alt Sub before it was 404'd

Ahhh .. apologies ... I didnt notice this wee nugget you created until the other thread got closed ..

www.avaaz.org...

I'll put my wee link in here then if you don't mind ...

the conspiracy is exposed: prohibition ensures criminals with means to untraceable, untaxable sums of money.. promotes crime in general and allows access to substance for youth! (among many other problems) regulation was always the best idea.

This would be the dream come true. The money saved by not putting people in prison would be great. The prisons could be half emptied over night. People would get help instead of getting banged up. Crime figures would look great, the police would have less work to do nicking normal people, and more time to actualy catch criminals. It's just win win.

My opinion is .. the problem goes way further than just users and pushers who are deemed criminal .. but to the very core of our 'criminal goverments' ...

This apparent war on drugs .. is just one of the many activities by our criminal governments, who themselves, verge on the border of being 'organised crime' on a huge scale ... And this war on drugs, as well as many of their other shady dealings, should be illegal .. and the politician criminals and their organised crime should be removed ...

Obviously im not the only one that thinks this is the true source of most of our worlds corruption ... And just because it is such a huge opposing force to the masses, absolutely does not give me the mental will to accept that this is just the way it is and theres nothing we can do about it ...

Originally posted by Segenam
Ahhh .. apologies ... I didnt notice this wee nugget you created until the other thread got closed ..

www.avaaz.org...

I'll put my wee link in here then if you don't mind ...

edit on 2-6-2011 by Segenam because: (no reason given)

Hey, thanks for that link. It looks like the global movers and shakers are very receptive to that message right now and couldn't have picked a better time. This is a very pivotal moment and almost a miracle that they are thinking what we've known for a time. Such a topic would never be allowed to be discussed in the past. Does this have anything to do with the US losing some of its global clout? Well, here's to the losers. Salud! What a difference a day makes.

reply to post by Erongaricuaro


Why?

Because marijuana is a weed and the common man could grow it so easy big pharma can't get their chubby little fingers in the profit jar fast enough that's why.

It's also a natural product - not synthetic.

And I am a law abiding, middle class, hard working, quiet grandma.

Until it is legal I will not go near it because I fear jail and don't want to get in trouble with the law.

But, it's a stupid law and needs to be updated.

Alt. Sub. Conspiracies: This forum is for the discussion of conspiracies, scandals, and cover-ups related to the trade and trafficking of illicit drugs, and inequities in enforcement of drug-related laws. Personal use, advocacy of legalization, and related non-conspiratorial topics are not allowed. Members posting about personal recreational use of drugs and related mind-altering substances may be banned without warning.This forum is not intended for discussion of legalization advocacy or speculation of enlightenment or spiritual possibilities related to drug use.

I'll just repost what I said in the other thread.



I think this is spot on.... It's about time people grow the F up and dealt with the drugs issue instead of declaring war on it... what a joke.

Think of the money generated from having places to buy certain drugs instead of having to go to dodgy houses and associating with dodgy people.... the tax would be vast.

Coffee shop type places to buy weed and so on, even if not to smoke it, just to buy it.


They paraded some of the celebrities that supported this on the news earlier.


RIchard Branson (of course)
Dame Judi Dench
Sting
Julie Christie

After the recent announcement of the Global Commission on Drug Policy (GCDP) British VIPs have come out in support of legalisation of drugs in the UK. Richard Branson the entrepreneur recently sat on the GDPC. An open letter has been sent to the Prime Minister of the Coalition Government David Cameron signed by famous artistes of stage, screen and the music world including: Dame Judi DenchJudi Dench, StingSting and Julie ChristieJulie Christie . The letter has called for the possession of all drugs to be decriminalised said: "We need to reduce the harm caused by drugs …we cannot afford to go on pretending the war on drugs is working “Should such a review of the evidence demonstrate the failure of the current position we would call for the immediate decriminalization of drug possession.”