"We saw that change in Gorton and Denton – and that result unlocked a new level of confidence for potential Green voters that they can truly vote for what they want and get it."
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
I think it's fair to say we're not going to change each other's minds here. But it's been civil, so thank you. Drug policy is something I've been passionate about for years, and it's a relief to finally see a party leader have the courage to start an open and honest conversation about it.
The exact same thing has played out on a Global scale with the prohibition of other drugs. Nitpicking about costs, the black market etc. fails to acknowledge the seriousness of the current situation. We have to take a different approach, prohibition has failed in every measurable way.
Again, what happens if you make alcohol and tobacco illegal? Organised crime moves in, it doesn't reduce consumption, and the producers and smugglers drive down quality to cut costs, fighting deadly turf wars in the process to take control of the market. Look at prohibition in the US in the 20s...
There will always be a black market, but that's not a solid argument against regulation. Nobody is suggesting making alcohol and tobacco illegal, even though they kill millions and cost us a fortune in healthcare etc. Why not? Because if you did you'd end up with an organised crime epidemic.
And while psychedelic assisted therapy is being researched, that research is prohibitively expensive due to the drugs' legal status. If psychedelics were legalised and regulated, research and treatment could be rolled out on a massive scale, transforming the treatment of mental health disorders.
They could do the same with poppies and make pharmaceutical grade heroin. And it wouldn't be cut with fentanyl and other horrendous contaminates that are killing people in record numbers.
You're confusing the economics of drug cartels that hoard enormous profits with a Government service. Even looking past the fact that the Government could put resources into creating a cheaper alternative, they could just grow coca in massive greenhouses and make normal cocaine.
...much more effectively. You could also use psychedelic assisted therapy, not just to treat addiction but some of the root causes and comorbidities such as PTSD, depression etc. You'd also save billions in policing and prisons, and could use that for education and further harm reduction.
We wouldn't buy cocaine from the cartels, that would be mental. We would produce it ourselves, or create synthetic alternatives. And the current situation drives addiction up because people are afraid of being prosecuted. Take it out of policing and put it into health care, you can treat people...
Legalising and regulating drugs does NOT mean more users and addicts, there's no evidence that would be the case. 50 years of the War on Drugs hasn't reduced drugs use, quite the opposite. It's also made the drugs cartels obscenely rich and powerful, and caused immeasurable death and suffering.
What makes you assume she doesn't have a brain?
That's incredible
Best news all week. What a turd that man is.
Yes that definitely interests me, thanks!
These are fantastic, the JWST necklace particularly. Need to save up though haha.
The Moon, 01 December 2023. Taken with my smartphone through a Celestron Nexstar 6SE.
Not the most amazing image granted, but if you zoom into the mare in the top right (sorry don't know it's name), it quite clearly shows Santa!
Hope this isn't too fatuous for the astrophotography section 🙂
Thank you!
Hi Emily, please can you sign me up (I don't have a Google account). Many thanks.