As a parent helping two children navigate their teen years, and as a travel writer who has seen firsthand how Europe deals with its drug problem, I've thought a lot about U.S. drug policy -- particularly our criminalization of marijuana.
Europe, like the U.S., is dealing with a persistent drug-abuse problem. But unlike us, Europe, which treats drug abuse primarily as a public health issue rather than a criminal issue, measures the success of its drug policy in terms of pragmatic harm reduction.
Europeans seek a cure that isn't more costly than the problem. While the U.S. spends its tax dollars on police, courts and prisons, Europe fights drug abuse by funding doctors, counselors and clinics. European Union policymakers estimate that for each euro invested in drug education and counseling, they save 15 euros in police and health costs. Similar estimates have been made for U.S. health-based approaches by the Rand Corp. and others.
While Europeans are as firmly opposed to hard drugs as we are, the difference in how they approach marijuana is striking. Take the Netherlands, with its famously liberal marijuana laws. On my last trip to Amsterdam, I visited a "coffee shop" -- a cafe that openly and legally sells marijuana to people over 18. I sat and observed the very local, almost quaint scene: Neighbors were chatting. An older couple (who apparently didn't enjoy the trendy ambience) parked their bikes and dropped in for a baggie to go. An underage customer was shooed away. Then a police officer showed up -- but only to post a warning about the latest danger from chemical drugs on the streets.
Some concerned U.S. parents are comforted by the illusion of control created by our complete prohibition of marijuana. But the policy seems to be backfiring: Their kids say it's easier to buy marijuana than tobacco or alcohol. (You don't get carded when you buy something illegally.) Meanwhile, Dutch parents say their approach not only protects their younger children, but also helps insulate teens over 18 from street pushers trying to get them hooked on more addictive (and profitable) hard drugs.
After a decade of regulating marijuana, Dutch anti-drug abuse professionals agree there has been no significant increase in pot smoking among young people, and that overall cannabis use has increased only slightly. European and U.S. government statistics show per-capita consumption of marijuana for most of Europe (including the Netherlands) is about half that of the U.S., despite the criminal consequences facing American pot smokers.
When it comes to marijuana, European leaders understand that a society must choose: Tolerate alternative lifestyles or build more prisons. They've made their choice. We're still building more prisons.
According to Forbes magazine, 25 million Americans currently use marijuana (federal statistics indicate that one in three Americans has used marijuana at some point), which makes it a $113 billion untaxed industry in our country. The FBI reports that about 40 percent of the roughly 1.8 million annual drug arrests in the U.S. are for marijuana -- the majority (89 percent) for simple possession.
Rather than act as a deterrent, criminalization of marijuana drains precious resources, clogs our legal system and distracts law enforcement attention from more pressing safety concerns.
But things are changing. For example, in Seattle, Initiative 75, which makes adult marijuana use the lowest law enforcement priority for local cops, was recently reviewed after four years in action. The results clearly show that during that period, marijuana use didn't measurably increase, and street crime associated with drugs actually went down.
More and more U.S. parents, lawyers, police, judges and even travel writers feel it's time for a change. Obviously, like Europeans, we don't want anyone to harm themselves or others by misusing marijuana. We simply believe that regulating and taxing what many consider a harmless vice is smarter than outlawing it.
Like my European friends, I believe we can adopt a pragmatic policy toward marijuana, with a focus on harm reduction and public health, rather than tough-talking but counterproductive criminalization. The time has come to have an honest discussion about our marijuana laws and their effectiveness. We need to find a policy that is neither "hard on drugs" nor "soft on drugs" -- but smart on drugs.
Rick Steves is a travel writer based in Edmonds.
seattlepi.com
Friday, March 28, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Morocco losing position as top cannabis grower-UN
RABAT, March 27 (Reuters) - Morocco appears to be losing its position as the world's top cannabis grower to Afghanistan after a drive to eradicate the crop in the African country's impoverished north, the head of the U.N. anti-drugs agency said.
Morocco's multi-billion dollar cannabis harvest almost halved from 2003 to 2006 after officials ordered the destruction of crops, farmers were encouraged to seek other sources of income and drought depleted yields.
Some 70,000 hectares of the dark green, fern-like plant were grown in Morocco in 2006, said Antonia Maria Costa, executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
"I think we are around 60,000 hectares at the moment, although the survey is still ongoing," he told Reuters by telephone.
In lawless Afghanistan, however, the opposite is happening.
"What we've seen for sure is a gigantic increase in cultivation of cannabis in Afghanistan," said Costa. "It may very well have overtaken Morocco."
A scientific study of drug cultivation in Afghanistan last year showed a cannabis crop of about 70,000 hectares, he said.
Cannabis cultivation also seemed to be on the rise in the Middle East in Sinai, eastern Lebanon and even parts of Iraq, he said.
Rabat was accused for years of failing to develop Morocco's rugged and isolated Rif mountains where families grow cannabis to stave off grinding poverty.
To draw investment and help lift the region out of poverty, it opened the kingdom's largest container terminal near Tangier last year and is setting up a chain of free trade zones nearby.
Four years ago Morocco's hashish trade netted an estimated $12 billion for dealers and for drug barons who benefited from the complicity of local officials.
Around a quarter of that sum filtered back into the Moroccan economy.
Spurred on by suspicions that sales from hashish helped pay for terrorist activities, Moroccan authorities have tightened drug controls at ports and installed scanners able to detect cannabis within large trucks and containers.
While Morocco remains the world's biggest exporter of processed cannabis, a record 35 tonnes of hashish were seized in Tangier port last year, up 25 percent from 2006.
Costa said that had prompted a shift in tactics by trafficking networks.
"We now see more cannabis being shifted east across north Africa and reaching the shores of Europe in Italy and Greece," he said. "There are reports that some of the money is funding terrorist cells, including groups in Algeria."
Cannabis is the most widely consumed illicit drug globally. Cannabis herb production slipped 6 percent to 42,000 tonnes in 2005, according to U.N. estimates.
Reuters
Who do you think it is we have to thank for this switch in ... um, fortunes?
Morocco's multi-billion dollar cannabis harvest almost halved from 2003 to 2006 after officials ordered the destruction of crops, farmers were encouraged to seek other sources of income and drought depleted yields.
Some 70,000 hectares of the dark green, fern-like plant were grown in Morocco in 2006, said Antonia Maria Costa, executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
"I think we are around 60,000 hectares at the moment, although the survey is still ongoing," he told Reuters by telephone.
In lawless Afghanistan, however, the opposite is happening.
"What we've seen for sure is a gigantic increase in cultivation of cannabis in Afghanistan," said Costa. "It may very well have overtaken Morocco."
A scientific study of drug cultivation in Afghanistan last year showed a cannabis crop of about 70,000 hectares, he said.
Cannabis cultivation also seemed to be on the rise in the Middle East in Sinai, eastern Lebanon and even parts of Iraq, he said.
Rabat was accused for years of failing to develop Morocco's rugged and isolated Rif mountains where families grow cannabis to stave off grinding poverty.
To draw investment and help lift the region out of poverty, it opened the kingdom's largest container terminal near Tangier last year and is setting up a chain of free trade zones nearby.
Four years ago Morocco's hashish trade netted an estimated $12 billion for dealers and for drug barons who benefited from the complicity of local officials.
Around a quarter of that sum filtered back into the Moroccan economy.
Spurred on by suspicions that sales from hashish helped pay for terrorist activities, Moroccan authorities have tightened drug controls at ports and installed scanners able to detect cannabis within large trucks and containers.
While Morocco remains the world's biggest exporter of processed cannabis, a record 35 tonnes of hashish were seized in Tangier port last year, up 25 percent from 2006.
Costa said that had prompted a shift in tactics by trafficking networks.
"We now see more cannabis being shifted east across north Africa and reaching the shores of Europe in Italy and Greece," he said. "There are reports that some of the money is funding terrorist cells, including groups in Algeria."
Cannabis is the most widely consumed illicit drug globally. Cannabis herb production slipped 6 percent to 42,000 tonnes in 2005, according to U.N. estimates.
Reuters
Who do you think it is we have to thank for this switch in ... um, fortunes?
Top 21 Myths of Marijuana Smoking
Smoking marijuana gives a lot of pleasure, no doubt, but it is the most abused illicit drug in the United States. It is smoked as a cigarette or in a pipe. It is smoked in blunts as well, which are cigars emptied of tobacco and filled up with marijuana. Another drug is added to it. It is also mixed in food or tea. Whatever said and done, it is the most abused drug. Many youngsters are addicted to it. Several myths persist, whether it is a harmful or harmless drug. Different opinions are expressed, some justifying its use and some claiming it to be a health hazard. What are the myths?
Top 21 Myths Highlighting Marijuana Smoking
1. It is held that marijuana can cause permanent mental illness. It can cause temporary flare-ups, particularly among adolescents. For example, large doses of marijuana can cause temporary toxic psychosis. This is also rare. It occurs when marijuana is eaten but not smoked
2. Marijuana is considered to be highly addictive. It is less addictive as compared to many drugs and is used as medicine
3. Many feel marijuana is harmless. But this is not true. Marijuana has adverse effects on health. It has a negative impact on psychological health
4. Marijuana has no medicinal value is a myth many believe in. This is not true. Marijuana is used to treat several health problems such as improving appetite, pain relief, controlling nausea etc
5. Another popular myth is that marijuana is more damaging to the lungs as compared to tobacco. The risk is lower in marijuana smokers as they inhale the smoke less and also smoke marijuana less as compared to cigarettes
6. Opinion is held that marijuana is more potent today than in the past. This is also not true. Due to lack of proper storage facilities, marijuana, earlier, lost some of its potency
7. Another myth is marijuana offenses are not severely punished. Statistics prove otherwise. Many marijuana smokers are behind bars. Stringent laws are there which prohibit the use of marijuana. It is the most abused illicit drug
8. Users feel that that their using marijuana will not hurt their kids. In fact, kids have also started using marijuana. If adults smoke it, then kids also may do the same
9. Some feel that marijuana use by kids is okay. This is not so. Teens depend upon it. Their physical and mental health gets affected.
10. Many hold the view that pot can cause high blood pressure. There is no evidence that marijuana can cause hypertension. Some claim it reduces hypertension as it lowers stress levels
11. Marijuana is considered to be useful in the treatment of cancer and other disease. Not necessarily. It can relieve pain, vomiting and nausea caused due to chemotherapy and also improve appetite. It may not necessarily be used in treating cancer as per se
12. Another myth is marijuana impairs short-term memory. It does so only on a temporary basis. When one is no longer under the influence of marijuana, his or her memory is restored
13. Some feel marijuana “flattens” brainwaves. This is not true. In fact, it increases alpha wave activity which is associated with relaxation and meditative state
14. Another popular myth is that marijuana lingers in the body like DDT. This is misleading. Marijuana is not prohibited on this basis
15. Marijuana suppresses the immune system is another myth one tends to believe in. Research has been done only on animals. In fact, studies have indicated that marijuana stimulated the immune system
16. One believes that marijuana prohibition enhances public safety. Not necessarily. There are other drugs which can be more dangerous
17. Many believe that legal marijuana can cause carnage on the highway. Not so. It would be better to legalize the drug. More accidents can be caused due to consumption of alcohol
18. Some believe that marijuana can cause chromosome and cell damage. There is no evidence to this effect
19. It is believed that marijuana leads to harder drugs. Not so. In fact, it can be a substitute to other drugs as well as alcohol. Only if it remains an illicit drug, than it is possible that persons who are selling marijuana illegally, may also sell other drugs
20. A view is held that marijuana damages the reproductive system. Marijuana on its own does not cause any damage. It is generally used in conjunction with other drugs and alcohol
21. One believes that there are a thousand chemicals in marijuana. There are less chemicals in marijuana, around 450 or so
One has to overcome many myths about marijuana smoking. It is less harmful as compared to many other drugs and alcohol. Opinion favors its legalization to prevent its abuse.
ygoy.com
Top 21 Myths Highlighting Marijuana Smoking
1. It is held that marijuana can cause permanent mental illness. It can cause temporary flare-ups, particularly among adolescents. For example, large doses of marijuana can cause temporary toxic psychosis. This is also rare. It occurs when marijuana is eaten but not smoked
2. Marijuana is considered to be highly addictive. It is less addictive as compared to many drugs and is used as medicine
3. Many feel marijuana is harmless. But this is not true. Marijuana has adverse effects on health. It has a negative impact on psychological health
4. Marijuana has no medicinal value is a myth many believe in. This is not true. Marijuana is used to treat several health problems such as improving appetite, pain relief, controlling nausea etc
5. Another popular myth is that marijuana is more damaging to the lungs as compared to tobacco. The risk is lower in marijuana smokers as they inhale the smoke less and also smoke marijuana less as compared to cigarettes
6. Opinion is held that marijuana is more potent today than in the past. This is also not true. Due to lack of proper storage facilities, marijuana, earlier, lost some of its potency
7. Another myth is marijuana offenses are not severely punished. Statistics prove otherwise. Many marijuana smokers are behind bars. Stringent laws are there which prohibit the use of marijuana. It is the most abused illicit drug
8. Users feel that that their using marijuana will not hurt their kids. In fact, kids have also started using marijuana. If adults smoke it, then kids also may do the same
9. Some feel that marijuana use by kids is okay. This is not so. Teens depend upon it. Their physical and mental health gets affected.
10. Many hold the view that pot can cause high blood pressure. There is no evidence that marijuana can cause hypertension. Some claim it reduces hypertension as it lowers stress levels
11. Marijuana is considered to be useful in the treatment of cancer and other disease. Not necessarily. It can relieve pain, vomiting and nausea caused due to chemotherapy and also improve appetite. It may not necessarily be used in treating cancer as per se
12. Another myth is marijuana impairs short-term memory. It does so only on a temporary basis. When one is no longer under the influence of marijuana, his or her memory is restored
13. Some feel marijuana “flattens” brainwaves. This is not true. In fact, it increases alpha wave activity which is associated with relaxation and meditative state
14. Another popular myth is that marijuana lingers in the body like DDT. This is misleading. Marijuana is not prohibited on this basis
15. Marijuana suppresses the immune system is another myth one tends to believe in. Research has been done only on animals. In fact, studies have indicated that marijuana stimulated the immune system
16. One believes that marijuana prohibition enhances public safety. Not necessarily. There are other drugs which can be more dangerous
17. Many believe that legal marijuana can cause carnage on the highway. Not so. It would be better to legalize the drug. More accidents can be caused due to consumption of alcohol
18. Some believe that marijuana can cause chromosome and cell damage. There is no evidence to this effect
19. It is believed that marijuana leads to harder drugs. Not so. In fact, it can be a substitute to other drugs as well as alcohol. Only if it remains an illicit drug, than it is possible that persons who are selling marijuana illegally, may also sell other drugs
20. A view is held that marijuana damages the reproductive system. Marijuana on its own does not cause any damage. It is generally used in conjunction with other drugs and alcohol
21. One believes that there are a thousand chemicals in marijuana. There are less chemicals in marijuana, around 450 or so
One has to overcome many myths about marijuana smoking. It is less harmful as compared to many other drugs and alcohol. Opinion favors its legalization to prevent its abuse.
ygoy.com
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