Is Dope the New Gay?
At the end of the year 2013, we are receiving bad news for the war on drugs. One piece of news comes from the West Coast of the U.S.A., the other one straight from Afghanistan. The West Coast news is the result of a statistical survey on price and purity of illegal drugs in the most relevant consumer countries. It proves that - in spite of all law enforcement efforts and all the money spent on the war on drugs - consumer prices for the most popular illegal drugs have gone down, thus making drugs more affordable to users, while the purity of the drugs has been on the increase. In other words: more people behind bars and more dope seized and burned did not prevent more drugs coming into consumer societies at an ever better purity and lesser price. police and prisons have not been able The Afghan news concerns opium only, but it is also worthy of a mention.
For all we know, Marihuana for medical purposes will soon be accepted as a legal drug in most parts of the Western world. If this should really happen - and there is little doubt it will - such a development would send a strong signal to similar initiatives that focus on other drugs and other kinds of use. The next thing would be a worldwide and very heated debate over the question if the war on drugs should and could be continued and won (how?), or if the least worst thing would be to legalize, regulate, and tax the whole gigantic market for marihuana, cocaine, and the like, and to pray to the diverse deities that all the terrible things that had been predicted for such a situation would simply not happen.
- In den amerikanischen Bundesstaaten Colorado und Washington ist der Konsum von Marihuana inzwischen vollständig legalisiert, wenn auch in unterschiedlicher Form reguliert. In weiteren 23 Teilstaaten sowie in der Bundeshauptstadt Washington ist der Gebrauch von Marihuana zu medizinischen Zwecken erlaubt, wobei Ausstellung und Kontrolle der erforderlichen Rezepte unterschiedlich gehandhabt werden (M. Rüb, FAZ 19.10.14).
With respect to the future of the century old policy of global drug repression, there is no reason for optimism. What is currently happening in Latin America is a writing on the wall. Uruguay, for instance, is a small country with few inhabitants and nothing that could be called a serious drug problem. The latest move of this country's leftist President, Mujica, might still have serious repercussions worldwide.
prove to Alarmed by the widening gap between ever more money and lives wasted in an ever less effective attempt to root out illegal drugs in Central and South America, seriously concerned not only about the plight of those affected by repressive measures like spraying of coca fields, resettlement, extrajudicial liquidations, gang fighting and police corruption, and mthat the days of a century old system of global drug prohibition in the realm of psychoactive drugs may be close to coercive consensus on attacks on the century-old principles of the War on Drugs (that reach all the way back to the Hague Opium Convention of 1912) Present-day drug policy As far as the future of the present-day drug policy is concerned, current developments in Latin America could are a writing on the wall. The spraying of coca-trees a In terms of drug policy the United States have always been and still are the center of the world. Every move the White House makes is faithfully translated into United Nations declarations and conventions that in turn are binding to all those who are either signataries of the UN Conventions of 1961, 1972, and/or 1988, or are dependent on the U.S. Government's approval of their anti-drug policy - a process called "certification", that is being seen as a bit of a humiliation by many of the U.S.'s southern neighbors, even if they might not dare to voice that dissent loud enough that it could be heard north of the Rio Grande.
The Something is happening in Latin America, though, world, and while few news media pay attention to it, this something could soon be recognized as a historic moment.
While everybody's attention is ve the success of this campaign will give a boost to more far-reaching goals of like-minded liberalization initiatives. reivindications that go much further to include other dangerous drugs and - above all - other purposes of their use. What used to be limited to small discussion circles only a few decades ago - the idea of a fundamental turnaround of global drug policy - suddenly seems within reach for its supporters, and is seen as an equally imminent threat by those who still believe the war against drugs could and should be won.
the fringes a topic for the lunatic fringes of society only decades ago - s Things will not stop there, though, A spectre is haunting the world as we know it - the spectre of marihuana unleashed, with the killer weed turned drug of the amotivational syndrome in the hands of everyone, untouchable by police and prosecutors, judges and jailers alike. If our societies are flexible enough to gulp such a cultural innovation, the next question could be if they are also ready to do so with the rest of the basket of illegal drugs. The spectre's full name is not just weed, it's all the drugs, including crystal meth and molly.
The answer is probably yes. having been associated with black violence against whiteAs we all know the moral judgement of cannabis Labeled "killer weed" in the early 20th century for making smokers lethally aggressive, marihuana later gained quite the contrary reputation as being responsible for draining so much life energy from users as to produce what was called the amotivational syndrome. What that meant was mostly that one would have to count with difficulties in lifting oneself up from bed in the morning, participating in school or work activities, and/or obeying one's parents.
" that would the young generation stay away from school as well as the workplace, it seems this drug is being regarded more fondly now not only by its users, but also by a wider public.
those who are with more on the road to by the late Harry Anslingerlegalization, and maybe even more. Marihuana for medical treatment of terminal cancer and other serious illnesses has been voted into legality in only a few States of the U.S., but chances are that more will follow - and that the train, once it picks up speed, will not make its final halt neither at medical nor at the station named marihuana. Let's face it: if there are reasons to de-demonize marihuana use for medical purposes, why should we not consider also to be significantly (and legally) more tolerant with regard to a joint being passed around at a party - or a bit of powder lined up on a smooth surface somewhere between kitchen, loo, and living room? We might agree or not with such a more or less seductive proposition, but one thing we will not be able to escape: to confront the question if drugs are here to stay - not as a matter of fact (which is already beyond anybody's will and influence), and also not as a matter of moral conviction (which should be left to each individual's orientation), but as a matter of our legal order.
One option is, of course, to declare the non-medical use of drugs normal; normal in the same sense in which it is also normal to ride a bike a night, to do heli-skiing or try some Nepalese style Himalaya mountaineering, all of which activities are considered risky, but - in principle - legal.
as a leisure time activity just like any other , not much different from riding a bike at night (or on one of the busier streets of downtown Manhattan), heli-skiing or joining the endless usiest streets), heli-skiing or answer this question would be to declare Our legal order (in the so-called Western world) is built upon a creed (and with the word "our" referring to the famous Western creed containing such principles as the favouring world and its creed . With "our" meaning the
In order to find a rational answer to that question especially, if such an event could imply a significant drop in alcohol consumption? n otherwise decent partyor two in ut also for fun? Could that happen anytime soon? And will cocaine, ecstasy, and molly and many others follow suit? And if so: what would that mean for our everyday lives, for our economic system, for work life, for public transport, and for the possibility of rearing children in a positive environment?
child-rearing Would that be the end of Western civilization or would it be able to accomodate to such an innovation the way it has been ablt to integrate the once demonized male homosexuality?
hings rather sA spectre is haunting America (Europe - and There is Homosexuality had been held in high esteem in ancient Greece, but through most of the following millenia things had been tough for men whose sexual orientation was not geard towards the other sex. Criminal justice in medieval times (and reproduction of the species). A lot of people - especially homosexuals, and even more so gay men in Africa (which assembles many of the 80 or so countries where the penal code still contains and where the judiciary still hand out jail sentences - or worse - to gays)sentence homosexuality is still listed as a considered a crime) As time went on, punishments for homosexual behavior became harsher. In the thirteenth century, in areas such as France, male homosexual behavior resulted in castration on the first offense, dismemberment on the second, and burning on the third. Lesbian behavior was punished with specific dismemberments for the first two offenses and burning on the third as well. By the mid-fourteenth century in many cities of Italy, civil laws against homosexuality were common. If a person was found to be homosexual, the city's government was entitled to confiscate the offender's property.[17] 1776
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Into most Western constitutions. We are proud to have that. UDeclHR.
It is true that at the time of this writing, the notion of equality did not include negro slaves and their rights to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. White Landowners. No women. But as time went by, battles of inclusion were fought and finally won.
In diesem Abschnitt werden erstmals in einem offiziellen Dokument allgemeine Menschenrechte postuliert, auch wenn sie in der späteren Verfassungspraxis zunächst nur frei geborenen, weißen Männern in vollem Umfang zugestanden wurden, nicht aber Frauen, Sklaven und freien Schwarzen. Ausgehend von diesem naturrechtlichen Rahmen stellt sie eine Vertragstheorie über die Legitimität von Regierungen auf und beschreibt zudem ein Widerstandsrecht gegen ungerechte Regierungen. Diese Grundannahmen gelten bis heute als maßgebend für den politischen Liberalismus.
Today, it is generally accepted that homosexuals enjoy the same rights and heterosexuals, and that sexual orientation must not be a legitimate reason of denying rights. Gay people are equal before the law, and they enjoy the right to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness just the way other people do.
To be sure: in over 80 countries, to be gay still means to be a criminal by definition. But the tide has turned.
The question is: could it be that we are witnessing something analogous with regard to psychoactive substances?
Some evidence supports this hypothesis, while some does not.
Support
(1) in both cases widespread social refusal and legal prohibition; it`s a minority thing, and it is a lifestyle thing.
(2) Our society favors a broad range of recreational activities (leisure time), including some risky ones. Drugs are often used in the context of recreational activities. Holiday, party, sex. Henner Hess: timely.
(3) Also, the exclusion of drugs has a shorter history, not so entrenched. God`s own medicine. 20th century phenomenon. Bauman. Modernity.
Differences
Differences to homosexuality: less segmenthaft; weniger engagement. Zu leicht zu kriegen. Lebensstilszene, Freizeitszene.
Vested interests.
Much will depend on the USA. USA role.
But there is also something going on in the remote corners of the Empire. Nadelmann: turning point.
Mijuca
Ex-Presidentes
And it should be.
Weblinks
- The parallel Mr Botticelli creates with the stigma around homosexuality is very important. Drug dependence is not different from other dependencies that humans develop over time. Some of those dependencies ( or strong bonds) are so important for us that they become part of our identity and sense of self. Our culture welcomes in general dependencies and does not oppose a dependence of our fatherland, social status, spouse or life style. But our culture does stigmatise other dependencies.We should prepare ourselves that the cultural arbitraryness of ostracising dependence of some substance can change. Just like outlawing homosexuality is fast become something of the past. The future of drug dependence is not 'recovery' but its social acceptance and integration as is happening now with the emancipation of homosexuality .Remember that dependence is the normal human condition, it is not pathology in one case, normality in the other.