The Cure is worse than the Problem

The South African Police have shot a man accused of smoking cannabis while fleeing arrest. (from the DA)

The number of deaths attributable to the regular inhalation of cannabis is ZERO. South Africa does not keep statistics of cannabis deaths, so American statistics will have to do. If cannabis were legal Kgothatso Ndobe's (21) death would not have happened, so instantly the law prohibiting cannabis has taken more lives than cannabis itself. It's not the first time this year either. The cure is worse than the problem.

The 1996 National Drug Master Plan required the state investigate the decriminalisation of cannabis. In 2004 the South African Cannabis Position Paper was produced, but never released. The question of decriminalisation was dropped in the 2006 National Drug Master Plan. The 2006 National Drug Master Plan incredibly makes no mention of the 2004 Position Paper. The South Africa Cannabis position paper is available here.

The South Africa Cannabis Position Paper is a disgrace. When is something dangerous? When is something harmful? How many people has cannabis killed? The SA Position Paper is pseudo-scientific. It is better to ignore an inconvenient truth than do a proper investigation for the truth? The South Africa Police aerial eradication programme failed to get a mention in the paper, which is sad considering the environmental damage they wreak by spraying Roundup from their helicopters donated by the US DEA.

The South African Cannabis Position paper cherry picks facts and uses quotes out of context. The Canadian Senate Paper is heavily relied on through out the paper, however the SA Paper misrepresents their position which was to legalise and control cannabis like cigarettes.

The medical cannabis phenomenon whereby cannabis is prescribed for medical conditions in America is ignored, while the therapeutic effects and benefits of cannabis are down-played in the SA Paper.

Cannabis consumption entails a small chance of schizophrenia. How many? 1 in 5000.

South Africa is including cannabis cultivation in the agricultural portion of it's GDP calculation. How the crop and value are to be guessed at is not stated.

Poker-faced prohibition has left the Western Cape with a horrendous drug consumption result. 10% do tik, 10% smoke cannabis and the rest are drinking. It's not working and it's time for a change in direction.

"Alcohol remains the primary drug of abuse in South Africa." (2006 NDMP) From 1998 to 2006 average consumption doubled from 10 litres per annum to 20 litres. Less than 50% of people dying non-natural deaths in South Africa are dying sober and that rate is consistent year on year. The Western Cape government has shown some political will to deal with the alcohol industry. All alcohol comes from a handful of producers and ends up being sold illegally. The "control" of the alcohol industry has left a lot to be desired, as have the actions of the alcohol producers. FAS started climbing in the late 1990's and is over 10% in some areas. Interestingly the WAY "we" bringe drink in the Western Cape is particularly conducive to creating FAS children. What rights does a child have and does it include not being born retarded? Why is it not yet illegal to knowingly serve alcohol to a pregnant woman? There are no good answers when you consider these questions in the context locking adults up for smoking a safe cannabis joint.

Prohibition has clearly not worked in South Africa. Consumption is UP. Consumption amongst children is UP. Children are prohibitionists first port of call. "For the children!" they cry. That prohibition ends up handing all illicit drug manufacture and sales to a criminal underworld which sells to these same children does not enter the mind. Drug arrests are up year on year in the Western Cape. Is this actually "success"? Have the people who were arrested stopped taking those drugs? Thousands of citizens now have criminal records and now unemployable. Is this "success"? There are in excess of 600 000 illicit drug consumers in Cape Town (at least). Which prison is big enough to hold all these people?

As much as each drug is different the law regulating that drug needs to be different. Treating methamphetamines the same as magic mushrooms or lsd is stupid. The law needs to be rational. The law needs to be based on the harm that the various drugs do, rather than "because I say so". Adults are responsible for their actions and are doing drugs. The drugs are not ruining their lives. The law and the courts are. The time has come to regulate the drug industry and to set the police free to concentrate on violent crime. Abolishing criminal penalties for possession and consumption of drugs does not neccesarily mean higher rates of consumption. Portugal's 8 year experience teaches otherwise.

With drugs honesty comes FIRST.