UK - Let's get active.

[cannabis-sam]

If we want to change these irrational drug laws, we all need to get active, one of the things I think is holding back the end of prohibition, is public support, in the USA through heavy campaigning and the media willing to write about the evils of prohibition, the campaign seems to be gaining momentum, however in the UK, thanks in part to the media campaign against the new evil "skunk" cannabis, public opinion seems to be much in favor of prohibition. I think a good place to start with swaying public opinion is through media and celebrities. I am going to start this afternoon, emailing papers and media personalities. To firstly explain the woes of this awful legislation and secondly to ask for their support in a campaign to change the laws. I know it's not going to achieve a huge amount, but if other members of this forum would also like to join me in bombarding the media with these, emails, letters and phone calls, we could start to get somewhere. I know these efforts are unlikely to achieve much but it's always a start. We need to keep the issue of drugs policy in open debate and give people a far more realistic view of how drugs should be handled.

In said emails, for me anyway, I will be avoiding words such as legalization. I will be making the point, although I don't believe it myself that skunk is a result of prohibition and to get rid of this dangerous form of the drug the only way to control things properly is through regulation and control. It's a good idea when trying to change people's views on drug policy to make it clear that, we believe drugs are harmful and that's why regulation is needed. Not because drugs aren't that harmful and why not let everybody use them.

What do you think? Will you join me in harrassing the media.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Excellent thread. Shake that hornets nest up a little.

[samsa]

swim lays the facts on the line with letters he sends to his congressmen and the Times over and over with little to no response. On the note of being active, however, swim would like to march in favor of ending prohibition. swim feels that this is a nice way to draw possitive mainstream media attention, or at least public attention, to this cause. takers?

[sandoz1943]

Torches lit pitchfork sharpened. Let me know where we are all meeting up. Are we going to dress alike?

[Desertfox]

SWIM was proud to see his English brethren protesting the G2 summit a few days ago, reminds SWIM of the Seattle WTO riots from 1999, almost exactly 10 years ago. Now lets have that kind of passion and drive towards Drug legalization protests, minus all the violence or else they won't listen to a word we have to say, even thought he cops will try their hardest to provoke us.

[cannabis-sam]

I agree with the above, regular protests every couple of months with a million people at a time that would draw attention. If it would only make people look into the issue further, more would realise why this needs to happen.

[Joe-(5-HTP)]

Were swim to "get active", he thinks making loads of posters containing pro legalization arguments and slapping them up all over the place would be the best way.

[Sarko]

SWIM like the idea, but if the media and government choose to ignore lobbyists then there is very little they can do. If they were to stage protests, they'd just be portrayed in the media as loony, leftie hippies. I couldn't even tell you the name of a pro-drug lobby in the UK. Look at Prof. Nutt when the paper on drug classifications came out, if the media had chosen to support him then they could have made a difference and put pressure on Westminster, but they didn't.

What SWI, erm, Us? needs is a high profile figure to advocate drug use in the public eye in an educated and meaningful way. Unless the media start to give serious coverage to it, rather than sensationalising it, then politicians will just continue to ignore the subject.

[Sven99]

Anti-prohibition marches tend to come across as pro-drug cannevangelist affairs, so I'm not sure they're the way to go.

Bill boards and bus adverts.

In other news I was at the G20 protests, and I can say for certain that the media coverage really misrepresented them - but then focusing on the violence sells more papers. Anyone here go to the climate camp in bishopsgate?

[Joe-(5-HTP)]

The media has turned everybody into brainless consumers, all desperate to avoid pain and suffering and essentially to be as inhuman as possible.

This society is fucked beyond repair: you can spend your whole life trying to change it and even if you succeed your life will just be spent. Just ignore it, ignore the law: it's not worth fighting for.. The people certainly don't want it changed, what right have we to claim objective public interest?

The public are only interested in buying fake happiness. Drugs provide real happiness, real pain, real life !

lol..

[electrolingus]

The people with the money make the laws. If something is in the best interest of the wealthy, then the wealthy will exert the appropriate amount of expense to keep it that way. Honestly, most of the people who tout narco-reform are too busy, monetarily deficient, lazy, or just don't know how to go about ushering in change in general. Now is the time for a shift in policy and majority control. Society can not better itself by just talking about it or by sitting back and letting the other guy take care of it. Just for the hell of it, how many of you Americans even vote? And I'm not talking about voting in the presidential election. I'm talking about voting for local judges, propositions, sheriffs, etc... Yeah, that's what I thought. But for real, I love you all!

Don't even get me started on the G-20 summit. My God, are these people for real? It's the new world order thing that George H. was ranting about back in the day all over again.

[sandoz1943]

I think the French may have had the right idea back in 1789. Head on a pike works every time. I have almost given up hope that there is any other way. Anyone else ever thought about immigration? If so would you rather live somewhere where you were told you were oppressed and you were or where you were told you were free but realy were oppressed? Is it just me or does this seem to be an almost systematic stripping of jobs, homes, money ect. In no time at all we will all be like Brazil. The masses living in extreme poverty and the rich living in gated fortresses. I see us all being indentured servants someday.

[EyesOfTheWorld]

Yeah, SWIM has been thinking that nothing short of violent revolution will cure this madness. His pitchfork is sharpened and so are many other implements, he's just waiting for others to get it. Fighting for freedom of the mind is just as important as freedom of religion, speech etc..

[sandoz1943]

Does anyone else get the feeling that the general public is just too lazy and indifferent to care enough about anything that they would be motivated to do something about it. I am quickly loosing my faith that truth and justice will eventualy prevail over evil and stupidity.

sandoz1943 added 8 Minutes and 38 Seconds later...

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Angry Mob Play Set, 9 pieces for $15.95

[lizzie]

Originally Posted by cannabis-sam

I will be making the point, although I don't believe it myself that skunk is a result of prohibition and to get rid of this dangerous form of the drug the only way to control things properly is through regulation and control.

Part of the problem is people saying things that are untrue. Why not just state the facts. Unless, you plan on becoming an MP, in that case, you're on the right track lol

[DopinDan]

People must be educated that drug prohibition is a global action, and that the United Nations, with their Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, is the top level layer of it http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/illicit-drugs/index.html

Please read this thread if you can, if you have not already http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=83090

[everytingirie]

Swim wants to become more active about unfair drug laws here in the States (and across the world.), but he doesn't really know what moves he can make. He donates to and is a member of the leading organizations. He writes his congressmen. He tries to make a difference whenever the topic is brought up amongst a group of people. His problem is, he really doesn't know what WILL make a difference.

Another problem swim sees is that it will take a great change in public ideology in order to bring about a great change in drugs. So far, it seems to swim, the war isn't being won using facts. One could shout to the public through a megaphone, shouting only facts, and still, public opinion is unlikely to change. Swim thinks this may be due to the fact that the everyday person is unaffected by the drug laws. Non drug users generally wouldn't use drugs even if they were legalized. Drug users (especially those that use exclusively cannabis) oftentimes seem to not really care about the harsh laws. They use their substance of choice in the privacy of their own home, and run little risk of getting busted by law enforcement. This seems to be the case with the older crowd, especially.

That is another issue. The youth of America (its all swim can really speak for, sorry) seem to be quite inspired to change drug legislation (cannabis at the least.) Those very far over college ages seem to not care; they fall into the crowd I just discussed.

What can be done to make a difference?

[Sven99]

Originally Posted by everytingirie

Swim thinks this may be due to the fact that the everyday person is unaffected by the drug laws. Non drug users generally wouldn't use drugs even if they were legalized.

Non-drug users are affected by the drug laws when their house gets burgled, when their taxes go up, when they're afraid to walk along a particular street at night, when their friends or family get arrested, or when they get pulled over by a Police officer who suspects them of drug use and doesn't respect their rights.

Its all about making them realise this. The best thing you can do is to explain to people how the drug war affects them personally.

Reputation Comments on this post:

good point, this post really furthers the ideas posted above

[DopinDan]

Non drug users affected, what SWIYSven said is very true..

They are also sometimes killed by overzealous narco squads, that have the wrong address, and bust in on the wrong person. I think an old lady was recently gunned down because she thought the narcs were theives busting into her house and she had a revolver to protect herself.

It affects everybody, everybody has lost freedoms and rights, in the government's war on some drugs, and its citizens.

[El Calico Loco]

Sad but true: appeals to self-interest are often more useful than appeals to benevolence. Make people feel like siding with you will help them "win," somehow.


ECL

[nate81]

legalization is overrated. People in the biz make too much money to want legalization. It would suck to lose that extra tax free income. Besides, what could be better than acquiring the hobby materials by way of the drug deal? Two cars meeting in the middle of an abandoned parking lot and passing stuff from car to car...That's downright sexy

[EyesOfTheWorld]

Originally Posted by nate81

legalization is overrated. People in the biz make too much money to want legalization. It would suck to lose that extra tax free income. Besides, what could be better than acquiring the hobby materials by way of the drug deal? Two cars meeting in the middle of an abandoned parking lot and passing stuff from car to car...That's downright sexy

with decriminalization, those of us who earn money this way could still do so, just without risk of jail. Massachusetts has decriminalized marijuana and the illicit trade in same has not died down one bit.

[Woodman]

Hmmm!

Interesting idea.

Of course you realize that you are up against an extremely well organized government funded propaganda campaign aided by a complicit media. And I assume you already know that those factions who oppose drug use, and those who actually produce the drugs both support the Drug War effort because it supports their financial interest (Hell, Al Capone supported prohibition).

So, taking this into consideration I'm not sure that a full-on frontal media attack would be the wisest use of manpower.

[cyndi]

After my grief, count me in. If the cops had not harrassed a teen over a small amount of pot, and then everything else they could pin on him, he may not have killed himself. He was depressed over probation.

[sergei77]

There are people in the UK such as http://www.drugequality.org who are trying to change things, why not start by supporting them? They're already campaining and challenging the Government in the courts. I can't see regular protests happening in the streets, realistically.

[nick23]

Hell,go join transform or the DPA.

Swim,was in Vienna for the ngo meeting before the UNODC declaration and has now given up ALL hope.
Swim,is going to get high and pretend everything is allright.