Legalize drugs, says former (British) defense secretary (War On Drugs,"Nothing Short Of A Disaster")

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

Bob Ainsworth describes war on drugs as 'nothing short of a disaster' and calls on government to look at other options

Hélène Mulholland and agencies
Thursday December 16 2010 10.35 GMT

A former Labour minister was rebuked by Ed Miliband's office today after calling for a "grown-up debate" to consider legalising drugs on the grounds that prohibition has failed to protect the public. Bob Ainsworth, the MP for Bassetlaw who previously served as a drugs minister in the Home Office and as defence secretary, has claimed that the war on drugs has been "nothing short of a disaster" and that it was time to study other options, including decriminalising possession of drugs and legally regulating their production and supply.

=snip=

He said his ministerial stint in the Home Office made him see that prohibition failed to reduce the harm that drugs cause in the UK, while his time as defence secretary with specific responsibilities in Afghanistan, "showed to me that the war on drugs creates the very conditions that perpetuate the illegal trade, while undermining international development and security".

He called on those on all sides of the debate to support "an independent, evidence-based review, exploring all policy options, including further resourcing the war on drugs, decriminalising the possession of drugs, and legally regulating their production and supply". His calls for a review was backed by former Conservative party deputy leader Peter Lilley, who said that it was time "for all politicians to stop using the issue as a political football... ...I have long advocated breaking the link between soft and hard drugs – by legalising cannabis while continuing to prohibit hard drugs," said Lilley. "But I support Bob Ainsworth's sensible call for a proper, evidence-based review, comparing the pros and cons of the current prohibitionist approach with all the alternatives, including wider decriminalisation and legal regulation."

Ainsworth cited the legalisation of alcohol in the United States after 13 years of prohibition to argue that after 50 years of global drug prohibition it was time for a "genuine and grown-up debate" about alternatives to prohibition, which he said had "failed to protect us".

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/dec/16/legalise-drugs-former-defence-minister

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War on drugs a 'disaster' says MP in legalisation call.

Thursday December 16 2010

=snip=

The Labour backbencher, who was previously a Home Office drugs minister, claimed the "war on drugs" has been "nothing short of a disaster" and insisted it is time to look at other options.

"Leaving the drugs market in the hands of criminals causes huge and unnecessary harm to individuals, communities and entire countries, with the poorest hardest hit," he said.

"We spend billions of pounds without preventing the wide availability of drugs. It is time to replace our failed war on drugs with a strict system of legal regulation, to make the world a safer, healthier place, especially for our children.

"We must take the trade away from organised criminals and hand it to the control of doctors and pharmacists."

Full article: http://www.channel4.com/news/war-on-drugs-a-disaster-says-mp-in-legalisation-call

[Mnemosyne]

1. Has he no mercy for the M/I/P complex?! Where will their multi-billions

come from if not for weed smokers and addicts?

Addicts will be addicts whether their drugs are legal or not. The argument that legalization will create more addicts is absurd.

Thanks, Turbo! :hi:

:kick: and R!

[reggie the dog]

2. legal or not i will grow, smoke, give away, sell or buy cannabis

until i am dead and in the grave, i have been busted once and my lawyer bribed the judge so i have no record but was out 10 000 fucking dollars for 45 grams of herbs.... legalizing would be great for civil liberties but like i said, legal or not i will grow, give away to my friends, smoke, buy, and yes, sell weed to other adults because I dont give a damn that the law says i am a criminal. i would prefer to be legal but alas i am a criminal....

[Creative]

10. Indeed, smoke the best--smoke your own.

[bl968]

3. War on

As soon as they put those words "War on ..." on something be very afraid. Because it's really a "War on You".

[bemildred]

4. The War on Drugs is not and never has been about protecting the public.

That it would be a disaster was predicted. Nixon rejected the conclusions of his own commission.
:puke:

[Hardrada]

13. The War on Drugs has always been a war on African-Americans

and a way to keep them locked up and held down in many ways.

[bemildred]

14. Now, now, don't forget our Latino brothers and sisters.

Or basically anybody the cops don't like the look of.

I guess Assange must not be a doper, since we have not heard that subject WRT to him. I know I gave up dope when I started working as a "software engineer", because I needed every one of those brain cells to be working as a team.

[Hardrada]

15. True enough. The police here mainly bust young white males

for lack of other "suspects."

[NikRik]

5. We had our chance in California !

Well the voters had a chance to at least start the ball running on legalizing pot and it was voted down :-(. Actually I know a couple of growers and they are actually against legalazation . They said with legalazation would come all kind of goverment rules and regulations and ridiculious fees.This would make it so the large corperations coupld move in and push the small growers out and take control over the pot industry. So our goverment is actually giving the growers good reason to not want to be legal.As of now in Ca. if you are caught growing,at least the firt time its a fine and a slap on the rist! I wonder if they where to legalize it and you did not abide by all the regulations what the punishment would be? I was for legalazation just for the reason that its a harmless drug that being illegal makes our laws look stupid to anyone who is informed,plus it would have been kind of cool to be able to go to the store and buy weed like any other product !
IMHO NikRik

[DavidDvorkin]

6. On the one hand, he feels free to say this, now that he's not in a prominent position

On the other hand, now he's just another MP and therefore easier to ignore. And he will be ignored, or vilified and then ignored.

[and-justice-for-all]

7. It worked for Portugal...

kill the stigmas, kill the problem....and do not forget to tax it.

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

8. Pot, maybe, but not the others

cocaine, meth, heroine... Too many lives have been destroyed by people addicted to the stuff. Working in the legal system, I've seen the effects of addiction on the families, on young children, because their caregivers were so addicted that they cared more about their next fix than their own families.

Legalizing drugs such as meth and cocaine would not solve these problems. The fact remains that drugs like meth and cocaine do impair cognition, behavior, and normal activities of human beings. Making these drugs legal would not make these people become functioning members of society.

In rural communities, meth slowly is destroying a lot of families and properties near where meth labs are located. Even if meth were under the control of doctors and pharmacists, not many in these communities would have the money to fork over to a doctor so they could get their meth fix.

Pot is one thing, and certainly I wouldn't bat an eye if it were legalized (I don't smoke nor ever have - including tobacco; I've seen first-hand the medical effects of long-term tobacco use which manifest themselves even after one ceases to smoke for decades; I rarely drink alcohol).

But meth, cocaine and the like destroy human souls and bodies.

[Arctic Dave]

9. How has making it illegal been in improving factor for any of the

substance you want to keep illegal? Has it slowed it? Has it reduced violence? Has it reduced the effects?

[Turborama]

16. What have you got against heroines?

:shrug:

"drugs like meth and cocaine do impair cognition, behavior, and normal activities of human beings"

True, so does alcohol. In that case, should we bring back prohibition?


Let's do a little thought experiment...

In rural communities, moonshine slowly is destroying a lot of families and properties near where moonshine stills are located. Even if moonshine were under the control of doctors and pharmacists, not many in these communities would have the money to fork over to a doctor so they could get their moonshine fix.

Pot is one thing, and certainly I don't mind it being legal * (I don't smoke nor ever have - including tobacco; I've seen first-hand the medical effects of long-term tobacco use which manifest themselves even after one ceases to smoke for decades; I rarely drink alcohol).

But moonshine destroys human souls and bodies.

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_history_of_cannabis_in_the_United_States">Which it was at the time of prohibition

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

17. "Too many lives have been destroyed by people addicted to the stuff."

All while it was illegal.

"Legalizing drugs such as meth and cocaine would not solve these problems. "

Perhaps. But it would do wonders for some violent crimes, property crimes, money-laundering, corruption and the ever-expanding penal state. Presumably, a portion of sales would be set aside to help addictions.

It's not an "Everything becomes better" solution. Many things will, though. The 1M people in prison for drug related crimes ALONE makes it worth pursuing.

[Uncle Joe]

11. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Turborama.

[denem]

12. Rebuked by Ed Miliband's office today after calling for a "grown-up debate"

That sums up the New Labour juveniles very well. Drugs? Piss in my pants.

[sarcasmo]

18. Kick.