[ILUG-Social] Legalise.

[Niall Walsh]

I wasn't going to reply to this in the slightest cause it is just so OT 
but...

The only issue with the current drug laws is the abitrary nature of 
their creation which has lead to the hyprocritical scenario we face 
where I can go to a public place (the pub), sit down and drink 2 bottles 
of Tequila (destroying my brain and liver) and smoke 400 Marlboro 
(destroying my lungs and the lungs of those around me) yet I cannot 
anywhere bake myself a cannabis laced cake and eat it (at least not 
legally and it is questionable what if any harm would some to me other 
than the fact that my mental state will be temporarily altered:-)   If 
we criminalised alcohol and tobacco (and maybe some more common drugs 
like caffeine, not that I could come close to bearing that) then at 
least our laws would be consistent.  The argument of cannabis as a 
gateway drug is moot, as the only reason it is ever claimed as such is 
because people try it before they try heroin, cocaine etc.   The 
"evidence" of cannabis as a gateway drug is due to 2 facts, firstly 
alcohol is legal so no-one says anything about alcohol being a gateway 
drug (how many drug users started with something other than alcohol, 
tobacco or caffeine?) and secondly cannabis is illegal, and any contact 
with cannabis is at best an indirect connection to drug lords whose 
interest is in making as much money as possible, and that is not 
achieved through cannabis.

We all know why the ar$ehole$ in government choose to leave this issue 
alone, it is a vote loser unless and until there is a serious, full, 
frank, open and intelligent debate coupled with a nationwide educational 
policy on the future of drugs in Irish society.   We need to address 
alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, ecstasy, heroin, valium etc. and decide a 
long term consistent strategy based on rational understanding.   The 
current politicians have chosen to follow "the war on drugs" mentality 
which implies that any form of education beyond "drugs are bad" is 
frowned upon as potentially encouraging the use of drugs. 
Ian says that he doesn't want "some arsehole in government" to make 
decisions on his behalf, but unfortunately this is exactly what is going 
to happen always because no body of people are ever going to choose to 
allow shops sell heroin to 5 year olds, the lines have to be drawn 
somewhere.   The key is to get the politicians to make decisions based 
on the good of the country and not the good of their (and their parties) 
quotas at the next election.

To be honest though, however passsionate I am about this issue, it pails 
into insignificance when compared to the concern I have about issues 
which would be completely on-topic for this mailing list such as:

International IP law, especially the recognition of the US Patent Office 
as a credible entity and software patents as a priciple.
Always Delayed Slightly Longer and non skinny-band internet access in 
Ireland.
Government spending on Free Software.
Copyright Fair Use
Monopolistic corruption of the technology market

And god only knows how many more I could list, but this mail is too long 
already!


Niall

ianhowe wrote:

> The point is that its up to the individual themselves and not some 
> arsehole in government making decisions on behalf of me. Im well 
> capable of making up my own mind on such issues.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "John P. Looney" <john at antefacto.com>
> Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2001 10:42:10 +0100
> To: social at linux.ie
> Subject: Re: [ILUG-Social] Legalise.
>
>
>> On Thu, Oct 18, 2001 at 05:13:02PM +0800, ianhowe  mentioned:
>>
>>> I feel its time now that little owl Ireland started to grow up and 
>>> start
>>> legalising Cannabis. I'm sick to my teeth defending this drug and 
>>> see no
>>> harm in its use.  What do yis think?
>>
>> If it'll kill off smokers sooner, all the better. Just not around me.
>>
>> Kate
>>
>> -- 
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>