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Feedback: YES to all yr Q's, except last 2
Dear DWC - DRCNet,
On yr request for feedback, my answers are YES to all but the last to questions, - and lack of 'yes' to the last Q is only due to lack of time p.t. (& pls forgive). I occasionally fw bits of DWC, but most often I trust the interested people to inform themselves on your specifics.
Living in Norway, where the hypocrisy on 'illegal drug'-issues is even stronger than in the US, we look to the trend-setting (and law-setting, cf. UN-conventions) USA for hope of improvements. On drug-issues Norway is such a staunch ally of the USA that we tend to out-perform this 'big brother' of ours. All public discussions tend to end in prohibition-supporters (e.g. 'Ministry of Health and Care'-rep's.) referring to what now is described as the "Norwegian restrictive tradition" (not quite true, but widening the issue to defy rational counter-argument) or - ultimately - "our obligations to UN conventions". "Conventions" always mentioned in plural, making criticism of the US-created "Single Convention" (1961) or the "Convention on Psychotropics" (1971) difficult, in a bait and switch-game. Pressing these specifics soon becomes regarded as impolite and quarrelsome - implying "can't have that, bad form - not to be given media-voice". This is the state of our stone-walls.
This struggle is also strongly hampered by the fact that in urban areas cannabis is more readily available than even alcohol (for which restrictions e.g. in age and sales-times apply), and in practice anyone (34 % adult life-time prevalence) smokes as much as they/we wish - only taking care to self-censorize and keep mum.
Here our main worry now, as 'normalization' of attitudes to cannabis slowly spreads - after now a 44-year ban, since Jan. 06, 1965 - is that the harassment-factor against cannabis-users and all associated wider thinking will remain in place even as the punishment-practices soften. Thus the ideological struggle of material vs. spiritual, profit-seeking vs. ecological harmony, maximalization vs. optimalization, etc, which cannabis came to symbolize, may still lose out while cannabis becomes grudgingly accepted by the powers that be.
In my view the cannabis-ban is primarily a thought-ban, channelled at cannabis as a material expression of democratic, independent, ecological, socially just thinking. Cannabis-use itself (as psycho-activator, as different from industrial hemp) isn't truly interesting enough to merit the huge societal attention it garners, either from the pro- or anti-groups. This reveals how the topic conceals bigger issues, broadly put the peacefully revolutionary endeavours of 1960'ies radicalism.
This said, I'd like to add that I stand in awe of the work of reasonable thinking on DW-issues the DRCNet supplies. I'd be much more worried without it.
Any reply you'd like to make will be most welcome at my email which you have. We (NORMAL, Norway) need feedback too.
In support and great respect
Ole Ullern,
Oslo, Norway
Legalize Marijuana
It only makes common sense to legalize all drugs, however I am smart enought to know we must sneak up on them one bit at a time.
We see so much harm caused by MJ arrests yet alcohol makes often makes people mean, leads to domestic violence, child abuse and animal abuse. I have never heard of domestic violence being commited by one under the influence of MJ.
Lets all keep on fighting, we may win in 50 more years. I do talked and presentations on the issue to anyone who will listen. Often people agree but will not help us out.
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