The Best and Worst of 2006?
The year is coming to an end, and it is time to look back at 2006. What did we achieve? What did we fail to achieve? What were the highlights and lowlights for drug policy reform this year? I'm thinking I'll make a pair of feature articles out of this and I hereby invite you to submit your nominations for the best and worst of the year. They can be events, they can be trends...
Just off the top of my head, I would include the success of the lowest priority marijuana law enforcement initiatives and New Jersey's passage of needle exchange legislation last week among the highlights of the year. On the downer side, there is the failure of the statewide legalization initiatives in Nevada and Colorado and the failure of the medical marijuana initiative in South Dakota. The continuing methamphetamine mania as an excuse to continue to craft repressive, punitive legislation will probably also make the list.
But let's not limit this to the United States. Certainly, there are things going on in the rest of the world that could be included. Perhaps the relative quiet in the Bolivian coca fields during the first year of Evo Morales' presidency is worth mentioning? Or the increasingly shrill shouts from England and Australia that marijuana is linked to mental illness? (And just what is it about that Commonwealth weed? I don't hear too many similar accusations here in the US, even though you would think John Walters and his ilk would be jumping all over it).
What do you think needs to be mentioning in the year-end wrap-up? Do tell.
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redditnominee for best of 06
Comment posted by Anonymous on Tue, 12/19/2006 - 11:26pmThere were at least 2 significant medical marijuana related studies this year. One found no connection between even heavy marijuana use and cancer, contrary to the researcher's expectation, and causing him to think something in cannabis protects against cancer, to balance out the damage that smoking it should cause. The other suggested a protective effect against Alzheimer's. I don't think these were the only important new studies, but am not sure. Case studies in California suggest an amazing variety of medical uses. Insomnia is one (wish I could get my mother to try it).
Regarding this marijuana and mental illness deal, the social and financial and legal stress of being considered a 'criminal' would readily account for the small increase in mental illness symptoms being claimed, even if the claims are being made honestly. Their past record ain't good in the honesty department.
RI MMJ Act 1/3/06
Comment posted by Anonymous on Mon, 12/18/2006 - 2:53pmRhode Island became the 11th state to allow medical marijuana, a major 2006 victory in drug policy reform. The RI Medical Marijuana Act became law on Jan 3 2006, when the General Assembly voted to override Governor Carcieri's veto of the legislation. For more, see ripatients.org