Phillipines bans marijuana images

[PsychoActiveChuck]

MARIJUANA IMAGES DISPLAY BAN EYED
by Rene Genvoe, (Source:Visayan Daily Star)
writeNewsItems();23 Oct 2006

Philippines
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Starting this December or January next year, people in Dumaguete City wearing T-shirts, baseball caps or backpacks with printed images of illegal drugs will be apprehended and either fined or imprisoned.

The ban will start once the proposed ordinance authored by Councilor Noel de Jesus is approved.

De Jesus, in his resolution, said the local government unit has the duty to protect the morality of society, particularly the youth, against the eroding influence of drug abuse.

He said many parents and other concerned people are in consternation especially during trade fairs or annual celebrations, when items or things that display pictures and emblems of certain dangerous drugs or illegal substances are sold indiscriminately.

De Jesus said "Many have seen and grumbled at the brazenness of some expensive motor vehicles plying the city streets whose sides or tinted windows are posted with stickers bearing the picture or design of marijuana leaf."

He added that even motorcabs-for-hire roaming the city also display the graphic images. The symbols are also seen on T-shirts, jewelry, baseball caps, backpacks, scarves and other materials that people wear suggesting a total disregard of prudence and serves mainly to glorify the use of prohibited drugs, De Jesus pointed out.

But there are exceptions when the display of images or symbols of dangerous drugs is allowed.

These are when the image bears a caption that identifies the substance as dangerous drugs; if it is used for scientific pursuit and educational exercises; and during dangerous drugs education campaigns, De Jesus said.

The fine ranges between P500 and P1,000 for the first offense, a 60-day community service for the second offense, and both fine and imprisonment of not less than six months for the third offense.

De Jesus said proprietors or managers of commercial or business establishments found violating the ordinance will also be held liable.

[mick mouse]

No freedom of speech or freedom of expression there, huh?

[Nature Boy]

But plenty of child prostitutes and seedy old punters looking for young meat.

[turkeyphant]

How depressing.

Still, I can see the stoner market adopting massive emblazoned MJ leaf and Bob Marley shirts with "REALLY NASTY DANGEROUS DRUG" ironically written at the bottom, DARE-style.

[geezaman]

SWIM wouldn't particularly be bothered even though infringing his freedom of speech if MJ leaf symbols were banned in his part of the world , SWIM smokes and enjoys other drugs too but has no wish to wear designs that scream this at every person he passes in the street, and wouldn't even if these activities were legal, This is not to say SWIM wouldn't deny links with a pot/drug taking society or culture.

In SWIMs part of the world, MJ leaf symbols are not symbolic of stoners, or general drug use. But instead are used to symbolize a very open "i can do what the fuck i want" attitude and "I don't give a fuck if every one knows because you, the law etc cant and wont stop me".
SWIM is not trying to suggest by this that every individual he has seen in his locality wearing such designs does so to give this impression, but it is the impression that most of society (in SWIMs area) holds with regards to the MJ leaf design.
Rather than seeing the design as representing someone who likes to get high, it instead seems to have come to represent intimidating individuals who should be avoided because are probably dangerous or violent and most likely part of gangs who will also happily resort to violence .

It saddens SWIM that a symbol directly related to an activity he actively enjoys has been hijacked to represent something he wishes to have no links with, by the media and another stereotyped group in society.


peace

Reputation Comments on this post:

agreed